Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini) battled to a thrilling solo win on the 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia as Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) reclaimed the leader’s maglia rosa.
Rabottini, who along with Guillaume Bonnafond (AG2R) had escaped from the peloton just 18 kilometres into the 169km route from Busto Arsizio to Piani dei Resinelli, just edged out the fast-finishing Rodríguez in the final 200 metres of a dramatic stage, with Alberto Losada (Katusha) in third.
The Italian had been out on his own for the final 80km but his lead was gradually eroded by a five-man chase group led by Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) along with Saturday's stage winner Andrey Amador (Movistar), Stefan Pirazzi (Colnago-CSF), Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Losada.
However he battled on with great determination - even overcoming a fall on a slick descent off the penultimate climb - and heading up the 7.8km ascent to the finish at Piani dei Resinelli his advantage was still two minutes.
As Cunego and Amador faltered the other three chasers pressed on while the group containing Rodríguez and the main general classification contenders suddenly emerged as a real threat too.
It was Rodríguez who came out of that pack to cut down Rabottini in dramatic style, going past him inside the final 500 metres.
But the Farnese Vini rider somehow managed to get back on his wheel before surging past off the final corner to claim a well deserved win.
Rodriguez's second place meant he took time out of all his GC rivals, regaining the lead from Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) who is now 30 seconds back in second.
Ivan Basso, whose Liquigas-Cannondale team again did much of the work on the front in the closing stages, is third at 1:22.
Colombian Sergio Henao (Team Sky) again produced another outstanding display to finish fourth on the day and that saw him move up to eighth on the GC and take over the young rider's jersey from team-mate Rigoberto Urán.
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