Stage 12 | Noale to Bibione | Giro d'Italia 2016

The Giro d’Italia’s 12th stage ended with a sprint finish in Bibione, along the coast from Venice, where the German Andre Greipel took his third win of the race on his last day before going home.

Lionel Birnie and Daniel Friebe are joined by VeloNews correspondent Andy Hood, who first covered the Giro d’Italia in 1996, and La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Ciro Scognamiglio to discuss the day’s action and look forward to the mountains.

Greipel’s victory strengthened his hold on the red points jersey but after an early-season affected by injury, he always planned to pull out of the Giro after 12 stages to prepare for the Tour de France. We ask whether that’s disrespectful towards the race.

We hear from second-placed Caleb Ewan, whose inexperience perhaps told in the finish against Greipel.

And we look at the battle for the overall lead, which will hot up now. Can Bob Jungels cling onto the pink jersey? Will Movistar’s Andrey Amador and Alejandro Valverde – who are second and third overall – work together and what of the quiet men in this race, Rafal Majka and Ilnur Zakarin?

We also hear from Majka’s Tinkoff team sports director Tristan Hoffman about the Pole’s Giro so far.

The Cycling Podcast is supported by Science in Sport and Eurosport.