Alberto Bettiol surged to victory on stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia on Friday, marking his first stage win in five years. The rider from XDS Astana executed a decisive attack at the summit of the final climb, leaving Andreas Leknessund from Uno-X Mobility in his wake.

Bettiol's performance was reminiscent of his solo win in 2021 as he powered away on the descent, ultimately celebrating well before crossing the finish line. His girlfriend, a native of Verbania, was on hand to greet him with a hug after his triumphant return to the top.

Andreas Leknessund finished second, trailing Bettiol by 26 seconds, while Jasper Stuyven from Soudal Quick-Step secured third place in a competitive four-rider sprint.

In the overall standings, Afonso Eulalio of Bahrain Victorious maintained the pink jersey, finishing with the peloton over 13 minutes behind the stage winner. Eulalio holds a 33-second lead over Jonas Vingegaard in the General Classification.

Looking ahead, stage 14 promises a shake-up in the GC with a challenging 133-km mountain stage from Aosta to Pila.