Stefano Oldani became the second Italian winner in two days at this year’s Giro d’Italia as he won stage 12 in Genoa on Thursday.
The Alpecin-Fenix rider, 24, formed a three-man breakaway with Lorenzo Rota and Gijs Leemreize, with each aiming for their first career stage win.
Leemreize made the first move in Genoa before Oldani edged out Rota to follow up Alberto Dainese’s stage 11 win.
Spain’s Juan Pedro Lopez retained his 12-second lead from Richard Carapaz.
“I worked really, really hard for this,” said Oldani. “It seems like magic that I’ve done it.”
He, Leemreize and Rota pulled clear of the chasing pack on the third of three category three climbs on the stage, which is the longest of this year’s Giro at 204km from Parma to Genoa.
Lopez struggled early on but the Trek-Segafredo rider, 24, fought back to lead the peloton home and ensure he will spend a ninth straight day in the pink jersey.
Earlier on Thursday, Lotto Soudal confirmed that, with mostly mountain stages remaining, their Australian rider Caleb Ewan was withdrawing from the Giro to begin preparations for this year’s Tour de France, which starts on 1 July.
Stage 13 is a 150km ride from Sanremo to Cuneo, with the 21-stage race concluding in Verona with a time trial on 29 May.
Stage 12 results
- Stefano Oldani (Ita/Alpecin-Fenix) 4hrs 26mins 47secs
- Lorenzo Rota (Ita/Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) same time
- Gijs Leemreize (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +2 secs
- Bauke Mollema (Ned/Trek-Segafredo) +57secs
- Santiago Buitrago (Col/Bahrain Victorious) same time
- Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Bora-Hansgrohe) same time
- Lucas Hamilton (Aus/Team BikeExchange-Jayco) same time
- Andrea Vendrame (Ita/AG2R-Citroen) +1min 44secs
- Rein Taaramae (Est/Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) +1min 49secs
- Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +2min 55secs
General classification
- Juan Pedro Lopez (Spa/Trek-Segafredo) 51hrs 19mins 7secs
- Richard Carapaz (Ecu/Ineos) +12secs
- Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) same time
- Romain Bardet (Fra/DSM) +14secs
- Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +20secs
- Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +28secs
- Mikel Landa (Spa/Team Bahrain) +29secs
- Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux) +54secs
- Emanuel Buchmann (Ger/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 9secs
- Pello Bilbao (Spa/Team Bahrain) +1min 22secs
