NERVESA DELLA BATTAGLIA, Italy - Italy's Elia Viviani of the Quick Step team won a sprint finish for the Giro d'Italia 13th stage on Friday, his third success in this year's race.
Britain's Simon Yates (Mitchelton) holds the leader's pink jersey on the eve of a gruelling mountain stage to the summit of Monte Zoncolan.
The 29-year-old Viviani had struggled on Thursday but hit back for his fourth stage success in total after back-to-back successes in Tel Aviv and Eilat in Israel.
Viviani, wearing the points leader's jersey, produced a late burst of acceleration in the dying metres to finish well ahead Ireland's Sam Bennett, the winner of the two other group sprints.
Dutch rider Danny Van Poppel took third place ahead of Italy's Sacha Modolo.
The 180km stage from Ferrare and Nervesa della Battaglia suited the sprinters covering flat roads of the eastern Po Valley.