Greig Leach

It was certain that there would be an early breakaway. The sixteenth stage of the 98th Giro d'Italia started with a 14 kilometer climb to the top of Campo Carlo Magno. This rather large group got away from the peloton on the climb and then pressed on on the descent. Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale Garmin) led the group that included Przemyslaw Niemiee (Lampre), Brent Bookwalter (BMC) and Edoardo Zardini (Bardiani CSF) among others. Hesjedal has been showing all that he gets stronger and stronger as a Grand Tour enters the final week. The riders faced rather cold and wet conditions, but nothing like the snow storms that have plagued the Giro in the previous two years. That was by design, the race has stayed below the snow line, although just barely today.