Belgian Philippe Gilbert of the Lotto team won the 20th stage of the Tour of Italy over 203km from Naples to Anagni on Saturday as Russian Denis Menchov held onto the overall lead.
Gilbert sprang away from the bunch in the final 2km on a slight climb and although Frenchman Thomas Voeckler chased him gamely, the Bouygues Telecom man couldn’t quite close the gap.
Former Giro winner Stefano Garzelli led the peloton over the line in third ahead of Australian Allan Davis.
With bonus seconds for the first three finishers, second overall Danilo Di Luca was expected to attack Menchov at the end but he ran out of team-mates to help him in a speedy finish.
And Menchov actually pinched two more seconds on Di Luca in an early bonus sprint so he leads by 20sec ahead of Sunday’s finale, a 14.4km time-trial around Rome.
Results from the 20th stage of the Tour
of Italy over 203km from Naples to Anagni on Saturday:
1. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/SIL) 4hr 30min 07sec.
2. Thomas Voeckler (FRA/BBO) at 0:02.
3. Stefano Garzelli (ITA/ASA) 0:07.
4. Allan Davis (AUS/QST) 0:07.
5. Sébastien Hinault (FRA/ALM) 0:07.
6. Franco Pellizotti (ITA/LIQ) 0:07.
7. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/THR) 0:07.
8. Giovanni Visconti (ITA/ISD) 0:07.
9. Simon Gerrans (AUS/CTT) 0:07.
10. Serge Pauwels (BEL/CTT) 0:07.
11. Denis Menchov (RUS/RAB) 0:07.
12. Danilo Di Luca (ITA/LPR) 0:07.
13. Rubens Bertogliati (SUI/SDA) 0:07.
14. Ruggero Marzoli (ITA/ASA) 0:07.
15. Alexander Serov (RUS/KAT) 0:07.
16. Renaud Dion (FRA/ALM) 0:07.
17. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM) 0:07.
18. Levi Leipheimer (USA/AST) 0:07.
19. Tadej Valjavec (SLO/ALM) 0:07.
20. Chris Froome (GBR/BAR) 0:07.
Overall standings
1. Denis Menchov (RUS/RAB) 85hr 44min 05sec.
2. Danilo Di Luca (ITA/LPR) at 0:20.
3. Franco Pellizotti (ITA/LIQ) 1:43.
4. Carlos Sastre (ESP/CTT) 2:44.
5. Ivan Basso (ITA/LIQ) 3:37.
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA/AST) 4:59.
7. Stefano Garzelli (ITA/ASA) 8:44.
8. Michael Rogers (AUS/THR) 9:36.
9. Tadej Valjavec (SLO/ALM) 10:46.
10. Marzio Bruseghin (ITA/LAM) 11:36.
11. David Arroyo (ESP/GCE) 11:58.
12. Lance Armstrong (USA/AST) 15:04.
13. José Serpa (COL/SDA) 15:33.
14. Kevin Seeldraeyers (BEL/QST) 15:46.
15. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR/AST) 16:28.
16. Francesco Masciarelli (ITA/ASA) 17:57.
17. Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR/THR) 18:41.
18. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM) 27:52.
19. Janez Brajkovic (SLO/AST) 28:04.
20. Lars Bak (DEN/SAX) 31:14.