Spanish cyclist Iban Mayo took a solo win at the Giro d'Italia on Friday after attacking the breakaway and speeding through the driving rain ahead of a chase group into the finish at Comano Terme.
The Stage 19 win for the 29-year-old Saunier Duval cyclist is one of his biggest since winning a stage of the Dauphine Libiere last year. Among his other victories is the L'Alpe d'Huez in the 2003 Tour de France.
Overall Giro leader Danilo Di Luca, unchallenged by the attack, finished in a group nearly 3 minutes behind Mayo. Interestingly, the Liquigas rider set up the action in the second half of Friday's race.
With the peloton on the Pian delle Fugazze, the day's first climb, Di Luca attacked. The other climbers caught up with him, but it splintered the group and cost the sprinters who dropped back.
After the top, a breakaway of 7 formed, that included Mayo, as well as Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), Alberto Losada (Caisse d'Epargne), Evgeni Petrov (Tinkoff) and Giovanni Visconti (Quickstep).
Spaniards Mayo and Losada attacked this group and gained more than 4 minutes on the Di Luca and his group, and a half minute on the rest of the earlier breakaway going into the final climb, Passo Ballino. Then Mayo attacked and Losado couldn't maintain, eventually dropping all the way back to Di Luca's group.
Meanwhile Rasmussen tried to catch Mayo, but dropped off and the chase was left to Petrov and Visconti. Even though they trailed Mayo by less than a minute all the way into the finishing town, they could not close the gap on him. Petrov skidding out twice on the rain-slicked streets didn't help matters and Mayo sustained for the win.
Saturday is the final time trial, a 27-mile course from Bardolino to Verona. Di Luca has more than 2 minutes over his nearest rivals, Andy Schleck of Team CSC and Gilberto Simoni of Saunier Duval.
As for the Americans, Team CSC's David Zabriskie is still in the race. The US time trial champion might have hung on to get a chance to compete on Saturday. Also, T-Mobile's Aaron Olsen is surviving in the peloton in next to last.
Meanwhile, Discovery Channel's George Hincapie abandoned last week.
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