For two straight days the breakaway stole the show at the Giro d’ Italia, and for the 190-kilometer stage 12 the peloton appeared determined to stop the trend.

The parcours featured some sharp hills all crammed in the final 60 kilometers and when the stubborn peloton finally granted a small lead to a breakaway after 75 kilometers had been raced, the wind kicked up and the rain began to fall. The nervous peloton stepped on the gas again and by the start of the first climb with 58 kilometers remaining it was all back together.

A few antagonists kept the pressure on and speeds high all the way to the steep uphill finish. Despite their valiant efforts, BMC’s Philippe Gilbert finally nailed down his much sought after win from the reduced bunch that overtook the final escapee in the closing meters.

Fabio Felline arrived with the decimated peloton that numbered around 35 riders. After a rainy day raced a top speed from beginning to end he admitted he had no legs left for the steep uphill to the line:

“It was a really fast day – in the first hour we were over 52km/h. It was incredible. The time that we actually went slowly was small because then the wind and rain started and it became very nervous. It went a bloc with the rain and there were a lot of crashes. I was lucky, a few times a crash happened right in front of me, but I didn’t go down.

“I was good to follow the front peloton, but in the last 500 meters my legs were not good. Steep or not steep I knew the sensations in my legs were not super today. Every day we see another day, and I have been in the first group in this Giro very often, so we will see,” Felline said.

It was crazy race again from beginning to the end, but this is the Giro d'Italia, so it’s always feeling like an adventure. Fumy Beppu was the second of the team to arrive at the finish after he again put in another strong day of teamwork with his fellow pinstripes and, as always, his tireless work was completed quietly out of the limelight.

TFR.com caught up to the amiable Trek Factory Racing rider at the team bus after the conclusion of the stage for his thoughts on yet another fast day at the Giro:

“It was another typical day – from the beginning I tried to get into a breakaway, and I tried so many times. After the first hour, everyone was fighting for that. We focused on the first sprint points for Giacomo [Nizzolo] and we had the team on the front for that.  After with the crosswinds we were in the front, and also for the final climbs, to protect Fabio. Then the rain started and many guys crashed. On the last steep climb, I was dropped from the group. It was crazy race again from beginning to the end, but this is the Giro d'Italia so it’s always feeling like an adventure. I am still feeling good, so I will continue to work hard for the team for the rest of the race."

Giacomo Nizzolo continued his fight in the points classification, taking a few more sprint points to keep himself in range of the competition. Tomorrow's flat stage should see a bunch sprint and the team will throw its full support behind the Italian fastman as he goes for the win. A high result will also garner him points towards the maglia rossa, which is turning out to be a fierce battle that may not be decided until the final day.