Fabio Aru of Astana has won stage nineteen of the Giro D'Italia.
Another day in the mountains saw the riders on a 236km stage from Gravellona Toce to Cervinia.
The peloton led by race leader Alberto Contador was all together until they reached the 200kms to go mark when nine riders in Carlos Betancur and Matteo Montaguti (AG2R), Marek Rutkiewicz (CCC), Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida), Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge), Pavel Kosjetkov (Katjoesja), Nick van der Lijke (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Vasil Kirijenka (Team Sky). launched a break which was 3.20 ahead as they reached the lower slopes of the Croce Serra with 158kms left and a lead of 3.12.
Carlos Betancur was first over the climb as the lead went out to 4.14 and still in the break which started on the sixteen kilometre long climb up to Saint-Barthélemy.
Their lead stood at 3.55 with 92kms to go but was down to 2.44 with only Visconti, Chaves.
Rutkiewicz, Kochetkov and Kiryienka, some twenty six kilometres later after Visconti had taken the points on the category one Col de St. Barthélemy at speeds of 45kmh for the first three hours.
KOM Leader Benat Inxtausti of Movistar was now in a chasing group along with LottoNL-Jumbo pair Nick van der Lijke and Steven Kruijswijk Team LottoNL-Jumbo and they were 2.06 behind the escapers until Contador's Astana side brought them back.
Visconti went away on his own on the Col Saint-Pantaléon climb, gaining eighteen seconds on Kochetkov and Kiryienka, who was soon distanced by the Katusha rider and eventually caught by the bunch.
Visconti was 47 seconds clear on Pavel Kochetkov on a sunny but slightly windy day and took the 35 points on the KOM climb ahead of Kochetkov and Benat Inxtausti. With 10.7kms left and on the climb up to Cervinia, the 32 year old Visconti looked round and watched as the Astana led peloton came past him.
Fabio Aru, attacked with Mikel Landa and the race leader Alberto Contador marking him but up came Ryder Hesjedal who went into the lead.
Aru attacked again with eight kilometres left and this time, Contador let him go and join Hesjedal with 6.3kms to go.
The Sardinian went clear and was 45 seconds ahead of Contador's group with five kilometres remaining.
Rigoberto Uran got passed the Contador group but Aru was away with Hesjedal trying to bringing him back.
Aru led Hesjedal by twenty six seconds going into the final two kilometres and he kept going to win in a time of 6.24.14 with Hesjedal finishing 28 seconds later.
Rigoberto Uran finished a minute and eight seconds down in third place ahead of Kangert, Kriijswijk and Contador who was 1.18 down, followed by Landa, Konig and Mikel Nieve.
The win lifts Aru up to second in the General Classification but he is still 4.37 behind Alberto Contador with Mikel Landa third at 5.15.
Source: DSG
