Katusha rider Joaquim Rodriguez retained the pink leader’s jersey and his 17 second lead over closest challenger Ryder Hesjedal after the 12th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Thursday.
Denmark’s Lars Bak, of the Lotto-Belisol team, broke clear two kilometers from the finish to take the win ahead of French rider Sandy Casar and Costa Rica’s Andrey Amador.
Rodriguez and Hesjedal both finished in the peloton at the end of the stage in Sestri Lavante, meaning that the margin of Rodriguez’s lead does not change.
Casar’s time advantage over the peloton lifts him to third in the general classification, displacing Italian rider Paolo Tiralongo.
Rodriguez took the took the pink jersey Tuesday after winning the medium mountain 10th stage of the race, the first time that a rider for the Russian Katusha team has led the Giro d’Italia.
