Giro D'Italia 2013: Vincenzo Nibali Is Lock to Win after Stage 19 Cancellation

Any chances Cadel Evans and the rest of the pack had at catching Vincenzo Nibali went out the window when Stage 19 of the 2013 Giro d’Italia was cancelled on Friday.

BBC Sport announced the news of the cancellation. Severe windchill reportedly dipping temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit and heavy snow were the reasons for the move.

The mountainous third-to-last stage was pegged as the best potential spot for ground to be made up in the race for the Giro title.

That’s why it was so hard for officials to make the call.

"It was a tough decision on a big stage on a great finish in a great Giro. It was very hard to say no,” race director Michele Acquarone said, according to BBC.

While fans may be discouraged by Stage 19’s exclusion, Nibali certainly won’t mind too much.

The Italian leader currently holds a four-plus minute lead over Cadel Evans of Australian and Colombian Rigoberto Uran Uran after 18 stages.

His 18th-stage win is the first of his career at the race.

Cutting out the steepest climbs and giving cyclists a day of rest will undoubtedly help him maintain his lead until the final stage.

Not so fast; Stage 20 is still a potential problem for riders. Cycling News has nearly as much revere for the penultimate stage as its predecessor:

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Lacking the glamour of Stelvio or Mortirolo, it's still totally unforgiving. The giant Tre Cime di Lavaredo rounds off what promises to be another great day of racing. It's one of the great theatres of cycle sport and a fitting way to conclude the race as a contest.

"

Despite the daunting challenge this second-to-last stage presents, Saturday’s mountainous Stage 20 course has also been modified to exclude three of the higher points in order to avoid any further weather complications, according to BBC.

Once past the watered down Stage 20, Nibali should cruise to victory on Stage 21’s nearly flat course. The highest point of the stage is a whopping 200 meters.

A Giro d’Italia race win would be the first for Nibali, who finished in second place at the event in 2011.