The 2012 Giro d'Italia offered a rather plain course -- a 121 km flat ride from Savona to Cervere -- on Friday that allowed Mark Cavendish to claim yet another stage victory, his third this Giro. He finished first amongst a group of riders who took 3:02:07 to finish the route. He took a 22-second time bonus while second-place finisher Alexander Kristoff picked up 12 seconds and third-place occupant Mark Renshaw gained eight seconds.
This stage lacked flair, and the most significant event, according to Podium Cafe, didn't involved any actual racing:
So, a breakaway of only two riders - Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil) and Francesco Failli (Farnese Vini) - was left out to dry for quite a while and were reeled in at just under 30 kilometers to go. The most exciting part of the day came when Bernie Eisel (Sky) dropped to the race caravan and stripped down to remove his undershirt. The RAI camera men even resorted to showing pictures of stationary tractors on the roadside.
The Stage 13 results didn't affect the general classification standings. Joaquim Rodriguez remains in first place (54:21:15), maintaining a 17-second lead over Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal. Sandy Casar and Paolo Tiralongo are within 32 seconds of Rodriguez.
Here is how the top 10 shook out (complete stage standings):
| Pos. | Name | Country | Team | Time | d | Time bonus |
| 1 | Mark Cavendish | GBR | SKY | 3:02:07 | 0:00 | 22" |
| 2 | Alexander Kristoff | NOR | KAT | 3:02:07 | 0:00 | 12" |
| 3 | Mark Renshaw | AUS | RAB | 3:02:07 | 0:00 | 8" |
| 4 | Sacha Modolo | ITA | COG | 3:02:07 | 0:00 | |
| 5 | Elia Favilli | ITA | FAR | 3:02:07 | 0:00 | |
| 6 | Matthew Harley Goss | AUS | OGE | 3:02:07 | 0:00 | |
| 7 | Arnaud Demare | FRA | FDJ | 3:02:07 | 0:00 | |
| 8 | Lucas Sebatian Haedo | ARG | SAX | 3:02:07 | 0:00 | |
| 9 | Sonny Colbrelli | ITA | COG | 3:02:07 | 0:00 | |
| 10 | Manuel Belletti | ITA | ALM | 3:02:07 | 0:00 |
For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.