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Back to 2013 Giro page | Stage 9 photos (posted below results and stage map) |

Stage 9, Sunday, May 12: Sansepolcro - Firenze, 170 km

Rated Ascents:

• Km 82.1: Passo della Consuma (1060m), Category 2
• Km 109.8: Vallombrosa (957m), 8.95 km, Category 1
• Km 151: Vetta le Croci (545m), 4 km @ 5.1%, Category 3
• Km 162.3: Fiesole (295m), 2.95 km @ 5.7%, Category 4

The Race: Another rainy day in the hills. About 20 km into the stage, 12 riders got clear. From those 12 Stefano Pirazzi, Robinson Chalapod and Maxim Belkov were able escape while Astana led the field and a moderately interested chase.

With 50 km to go, Belkov was alone, chased by Chalapud and Pirazzi at 1min 40sec and the Maglia Rosa group nearly seven minutes back. Bradley Wiggins was distanced on the wet descent of the Vallombrosa and was paced by several of his Sky teammates who dropped back for him.

By the 30 km to go point Belkov had forged a 2min 45 second lead over his nearest chasers and Wiggins was still a half-minute behind the pack. Wiggins' difficulty was made worse because BMC and Garmin, seeing the oppotunity to put Wiggins to the sword, joined Astana at the front.

As the field hit the Vetta le Croci (24 km to go), the rain had stopped and the Wiggins group finally joined the peloton.

On the Fiesole climb, 2012 Giro champion Ryder Hesjedal was dropped and Wiggins and Italian Champion Franco Pellizotti struggled as well. Belkov cleared the top with a gap of 1min 20sec over Jarlinson Pantano and Tobias Ludvigsson and the pack two minutes back. That was enough, Belkov won after a terrific ride.

Results:

1. Maxim Belkov (Katusha) 4hr 31min 31sec
2. Carlos Alberto Betancur (Ag2r) @ 44sec
3. Jarlinson Pantano (Colombia) @ 46sec
4. Tobias Ludvigsson (Argos-Shimano) @ 54sec

5. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 1min 3sec
6. Benat Intxausti (Movistar) s.t.
7. Danilo Di Luca (Vini Fantini) s.t.
8. Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini) s.t.
9. Damiano Caruso Cannondale s.t.
10. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) s.t.
11. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre-Merida) s.t.
12. Gianluca Brambilla (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
13. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) s.t.
14. Robert Kiserlovski (Radio Shack) s.t.
15. Sergio Henao (Sky) s.t.
16. Robert Gesink (Blanco) s.t.
17. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) s.t.
18. Tanel Kangert (Astana) s.t.
19. Rafael Valls (Vacansoleil) s.t.
20. Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
21. Andres Duarte (Colombia) s.t.
22. Steven Kruijswijk (Blanco) s.t.
23. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r) s.t.
24. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) s.t.
25. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) s.t.
26. Wilco Kelderman (Blanco) s.t.
27. Yury Trofimov (Katusha) s.t.
28. Sylvain Georges (Ag2r) s.t.
29. Ivan Santaromita (BMC) s.t.
30. Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha) s.t.
31. Juan Manuel Garate (Blanco) s.t.
32. José Rodolfo Serpa (Lampre-Merida) s.t.
33. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) s.t.
34. Darwin Atapuma (Colombia) s.t.
35. Francis de Greef (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
36. Franco Pellizotti (Androni Giocattoli) s.t.
37. José Herrada (Movistar) s.t.
38. Steve Morabito (BMC) @ 1min 16sec
39. Evgeni Petrov (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 1min 22sec
40. Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1min 24sec
41. Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 1min 39sec
42. Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani-CSF) @ 2min 7sec
43. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) @ 2min 9sec
44. Thgomas Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
45. Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) s.t.
46. Dmitriy Kozontchuk (Katusha) s.t.
47. Luca Paolini (Katusha) s.t.
48. Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 3min 46sec
49. Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quck Step) @ 5min 36sec
50. Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil) s.t.

GC after Stage 9:

1. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 34hr 19min 31sec
2. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 29sec
3. Robert Gesink (Blanco) @ 1min 15sec
4. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 1min 16sec
5. Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida) @ 1min 24sec
6. Sergio Luis Henao (Sky) @ 2min 11sec
7. Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini) @ 2min 43sec
8. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre-Merida) @ 2min 44sec
9. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) @ 2min 49sec
10. Tanel Kangert (Astana) @ 3min 2sec
11. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) @ 3min 11sec
12. Wilco Kelderman (Blanco) @ 3mn 26sec
13. Benat Intxausti (Movistar) @ 3min 36sec
14. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 3min 43sec
15. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r) @ 4min 5sec
16. Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 4min 9sec
17. Ivan Santaromita (BMC) @ 4min 50sec
18. Rafael Valls (Vacansoleil) @ 4min 57sec
19. Franco Pellizotti (Androni Giocattoli) @ 5min 3sec
20. Steven Kruijswijk (Blanco) @ 5min 9sec
21. Yury Trofimov (Katusha) @ 5min 17sec
22. Robert Kiserlovski (Radio Shack) 2 5min 29sec
23. Carlos Alberto Betancur (Ag2r) @ 5min 37sec
24. José Rodolfo Serpa (Lampre-Merida) @ 5min 41sec
25. Juan Manuel Garate (Lampre-Merida) @ 5min 42sec
26. Thgomas Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) @ 5mn 43sec
27. Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha) @ 6min 36sec
28. Damiano Caruso (Cannondale) @ 6min 51sec
29. Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 6min 58sec
30. Danilo Di Luca (Vini Fanitni) @ 7min 29sec
31. Francis de Greef (Lotto-Belisol) @ 7min 40sec
32. Evgeni Petrov (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 7min 43sec
33. Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani-CSF) @ 8min 53sec
34. Andres Duarte (Colombia) @ 8min 54sec
35. Steve Morabito (BMC) @ 9min 11sec
36. Darwin Atapuma (Colombia) @ 9min 52sec
37. Luca Paolini (Katusha) @ 10min 9sec
38. Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 10min 29sec
39. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) @ 11min 19sec
40. Francis Mourey (FDJ) @ 15min 19sec
41. Tiago Machado (Radio Shack) @ 15min 26sec
42. Jorge Azana (Euskaltel) @ 16min 4sec
43. Jarlinson Pantano (Colombia) @ 16min 5sec
44. Vladimir Karpets (Movistar) @ 17min 20sec
45. Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) @ 20min 38sec
46. Fabio Aru (Astana @ 21min 13sec
47. José Herrada (Movistar) @ 23min 12sec
48. Rory Sutherland (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 23min 46sec
49. Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 24min 21sec
50. Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) @ 24min 26sec

Points Competition:

1. Cadel Evans (BMC): 61 points
2. Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step): 58
3. Elia Viviani (Cannondale): 52
4. Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani-CSF): 45
5. Maxim Belkov (Katusha): 41

Climber's Competition:

1. Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani-CSF): 38 points
2. Robinson Chalapud (Colombia): 23
3. Giovanni Visconti (Movistar): 16
4. Emanuele Sella (Andorni Giocattoli): 13
5. Maxim Belkov (Katusha): 13

Young Rider:

1. Wilco Kelderman (Blanco) 34hr 22min 57sec
2. Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 43sec
3. Carlos Alberto Betancur (Ag2r) @ 2min 11sec
4. Darwin Atapuma (Colombia) @ 6min 26sec
5. Jarlinson Pantano (Colombia) @ 12min 389sec

Team Classification:

1. Blanco: 102hr 19min 7sec
2. Sky @ 1min 32sec
3. Lampre-Merida @ 4min 21sec
4. Astana @ 5min 12sec
5. BMC @ 8min 2sec

Stage 9 map

Stage 9 profile

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Stage 9 Photos:

Vincenzo Nibali at the start

Matthew Harley Goss and Luke Durbridge

Tuscan panorama

Astana did a lot of work today.

Maxim Belkov on his superb ride

BMC riders Steve Morabito and Cadel Evans

Mark Cavendish won't be in the red points jersey tomorrow. Cadel Evans snatched it away.

Giovanni Visconti in the KOM jersey, which he lost today.

New KOM Stefano Pirazzi

Tobias Ludvigsson

Rigoberto Uran

Matti Breschel

Carlos Alberto Betancur trying to catch Belkov

Samuel Sanchez leads Michele Scarponi and Vincenzo Nibali

Vincenzo Nibali survived another tough test of his lead.

Bradley Wiggins spent another day uncomfortable on the wet descents.

Ryder Hesjedal was dropped on a day he should have made his own.

Franco Pellizotti also struggled today.

Er, Carlos, you got second....

Cadel Evans wins the field sprint and thus takes over the points classification leadership.

Maxim Belkov earned this celebration.

Stefano Pirazzi is the mountains classification leader

Cadel Evans will be in red when the race starts again on Tuesday.

Nibali gets to spend the first rest day in pink.