▁rain ▁and ▁hot ▁temper atures , ▁Portuguese ▁national ▁champion ▁Card oso ▁broke ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁leading ▁group ▁head ed ▁by ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁kilometer ▁to ▁take ▁victory ▁a ▁second ▁ahead ▁of ▁big ▁names ▁such ▁as ▁Ale j andro ▁Val ver de , ▁C adel ▁Evans , ▁and ▁Michael ▁Rog ers . ▁ ▁Grand ▁T ours ▁ ▁G iro ▁d ' Italia ▁The ▁team ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁ 2 2 ▁invited ▁to ▁the ▁G iro ▁d ' Italia . ▁They ▁were ▁not ▁compet itive ▁at ▁any ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁race . ▁After ▁failing ▁to ▁have ▁any ▁rid ers ▁contest ing ▁the ▁finish es ▁to ▁the ▁G iro ' s ▁first ▁two ▁road ▁race ▁stages , ▁their ▁best - pla ced ▁r ider ▁in ▁the ▁overall ▁stand ings ▁before ▁the ▁transfer ▁to ▁Italy ▁was ▁Br änd le ▁in ▁ 5 1 st , ▁two ▁minutes ▁back ▁of ▁the ▁race ▁leader . ▁The ▁squad ' s ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁stage ▁ 4 ▁team ▁time ▁trial ▁was ▁provision ally ▁second - best ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁day , ▁but ▁it ▁ended ▁up ▁being ▁good ▁for ▁only ▁ 1 4 th ▁place . ▁In ▁stage ▁ 9 , ▁Che ula ▁made ▁the ▁morning ▁break away , ▁but ▁the ▁stage ▁was ▁decided ▁by ▁a ▁mass ▁s print , ▁in ▁which ▁E ib eg ger ▁was ▁ 1 0 th . ▁In ▁stage ▁ 1 3 , ▁May oz ▁made ▁a ▁successful ▁break away ▁and ▁came ▁close ▁to ▁a ▁stage ▁win , ▁finishing ▁third ▁in ▁the ▁s print ▁behind