Mikkel Bjerg rides to seventh from Giro d’Italia breakaway

On stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia, Mikkel Bjerg fought hard to take seventh place for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. The Danish rouleur muscled his way into the day’s breakaway, and produced a determined display to survive the late climbs and take another top 10.

Just three days on from his top-10 finish in the individual time trial, Bjerg was in the thick of the action once more on Friday afternoon. Owing to the day’s parcours, a breakaway was allowed plenty of wriggle room by the peloton, and it was from this front group that Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana Team) shone to take the stage victory.

As for Bjerg, the 27-year-old clipped off the front of the peloton with 187km of the day still to ride. There was already a healthy breakaway up the road, but the Dane was determined not to miss out. As such, Bjerg joined a small assortment of riders who all worked in unison to close the gap and make their way to the head of proceedings.

Once the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider was in the leading group of more than 10 riders, the peloton backed off, allowing the gap to balloon to well over nine minutes. Their powder would be kept dry for another day.

Up front, Bjerg made the most of his opportunity by battling hard to stay with the majority of his rivals on the day’s final climb, before winning his small group’s sprint to the line in Verbania. That was enough to earn him seventh place on stage 13.

The Dane was content with his showing when talking to reporters beyond the finish line.

Bjerg: “I was saving a bit in the beginning and then Ineos tried to make a lead-out for Ganna that I tried to follow, but it was really difficult. Him and Sobrebro tried to jump up to the breakaway, then a small group went afterwards and we had 20 seconds for 25km or something, before they eventually let us go.

“I think the idea was if I had the legs, I would try to go before the climb. But I didn’t have the legs so I just tried to do my own pace on the climb and in the sprint I had good legs, so I won the sprint for seventh.”

Giro d’Italia 2026 stage 13 results:

1. Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana Team) 3:51:33

2. Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X MObility) +26″

3. Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) +44″

7. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +1:33

Giro d’Italia 2026 general classification after stage 13:

1. Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain-Victorious) 52:15:17

2. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +33″

3. Thymen Arensman (Netcompany Ineos) +2:03