Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) could barely have had more contrasting days at the Giro d’Italia.
While the Manx Missile claimed his 100th professional victory, Tour de France champion Wiggins saw his already slim hopes of winning the title evaporate on a stage held in torrential rain from start to finish.
Stage 12 offered the sprinters a rare chance of victory after a succession of hilly stages and Cavendish needed no second invitation to continue his fine form at the 2013 Giro, recording a third stage win after the break was caught inside the final 500m.
Wiggins, meanwhile, went into the 134km stage in fourth overall, two minutes and five seconds behind maglia rosa Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), but ended the day in 13th after losing another three minutes and 17 seconds.
The 33-year-old has been suffering from a chest infection and finished the stage reportedly complaining of knee pain.
These images from Stefano Sirotti tell the story of Cavendish’s triumph and Wiggins’ tribulations.
