Solitary ride of the Colombian Rubiano Chavez, 26 years old, who wins the first stage on the Marche Apennines from Urbino to Port Sant'Elpidio and the pink jersey passes from the shoulders of the Lithuanian Navardauskas (who got lost along the way) to those of a promising Italian, Adriano Malori, born in 1988, Italian time trial, a specialty of which he was also the under 23 champion in 2008. The four-man sprint won for second place gave him the first place which gave him the 12" bonus which was decisive for distancing himself in the standings by 15” the Pole Michal Golas finished third. Many were waiting for some initiative from Michele Scarponi, who raced on his home roads from the Marches, but the heat suddenly exploded with temperatures close to 30 degrees and the complexity of the stage, which with its four passes - a first taste of the mountains – it forced the cyclists to climb about 3 thousand meters in one day, they advised the winner of last year's Giro to stay with the group of the best without exposing themselves too much, also because tactically Lampre, the team of Scarponi and Cunego, he had every interest in making the other teams work, in particular Basso's Liquigas, having to protect Malori's run-up to the pink jersey. Operation succeeded even if the stage was won by Rubiano, Colombian by birth but who lives in the Marche region. For him it is the best feat of his career, tainted by a disqualification for doping having been found positive for octopamine during the Regio Tour in August 2008. Suspended for two and a half years, Rubiano, after the appeal, was seen shorten the punishment to just six months. In 2012 he had already stood out at the Laigueglia Trophy, finishing second.
A stage that turned out to be more difficult than expected, so much so that the first illustrious victims were among the sprinters: Thor Hushvod and the American Tyler Farrar withdrew while Lastras ended up in hospital with four broken ribs. Mark Cavendish also risked running out of time having reached 33' 12” from Rubiano with the last group of ultra-latecomers together with Tyler Phinney, Herning's pink jersey, bringing up the rear. No jolts among the so-called favorites for the final victory of the Giro, from Joaquin Rodriguez Basso, from Franck Schleck to Cunego and Kreuziger: they all arrived together in a group of about fifty units 1'51" behind the winner Rubiano who, having passed by first on the four passes of the day, he conquered, in addition to fourth place in the general classification, also the blue jersey of best climber. Waiting for Sunday when the Giro will go up to Lago Laceno, the ascent where in 1998 Pantani suffered the attack of the Swiss Alex Zulle, tomorrow other Apennine passes starting from Recanati and first arrival uphill in Rocca di Cambio.
