Gilbert claims stage 12 victory at Giro d’Italia, while race-leader Contador extends advantage by securing time bonus

Gilbert, the 2012 world champion, claimed the second stage victory at the Giro of his career ©AFP/Getty Images

Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert timed a late attack to perfection to earn victory on stage 12 of the Giro d’Italia between Imola to Vicenza, while a second place finish for Spain’s Alberto Contador saw the Saxo Tinkoff rider extend his overall lead by securing a six-second time bonus.

The peloton were subject to wet conditions on the mostly flat 190 kilometre stage and with a high speed established from the outset an early breakaway failed to materialise.

With several inclines featuring in the closing kilometres, attacks were always likely and Astana’s Estonian rider Tanel Kangert and Italian Franco Pellizotti of the Androni-Sidermec team escaped from the field in pursuit of the stage win.

However a third breakaway victory in a row, since the Giro’s first rest day, was prevented by the high pace of a rapidly reducing peloton, owning to Contador raising the tempo as he sought to increase his lead in the general classification.

The Spaniard’s acceleration on the category three Crosara climb, lying within the final 30km of the stage, saw a steady stream of riders dropped, while the subsequent descent in the treacherous conditions reduced the group further, owing to several crashes.

Gilbert took advantage of the reduced field, as the 2012 world champion’s BMC team delivered him to the foot of final climb of the day in Vicenza and the Belgian moved past the breakaway riders to take victory in 4 hours 22 minutes and 50 seconds.

The team did a great work today,” Gilbert stated after securing the second Giro stage win of his career.

“Yesterday too we worked but the stage was too hard for me, and I was frightened of losing my team-mates’ confidence.

International Cycling Union President Brian Cookson handed Contador his latest pink jersey ©AFP/Getty Images

“But at our meeting before the stage we decided to give it everything today.

"The finish was very hard, and the weather was horrible - not cold, but wet - but the final 400m went perfectly, it’s a great feeling.

Contador ended the stage three seconds behind the Belgian to finish as the runner-up, but his burst to the line enabled him to increase his lead in race for the general classification, by clinching the six seconds time bonus available.

The Spaniard had started the day two seconds clear of Astana’s Fabio Aru, but his lead now stands at 17 seconds, following the time bonus and the Italian cyclist losing additional seconds by falling behind on the final climb.

Astana still occupy third and fourth positions with Spain’s Mikel Landa and Italy’s Dario Cataldo currently lying 55sec and 1:30 off the lead respectively.

Stage 13 from Montecchio Maggiore to Jesolo will almost certainly be a day for the sprinters, owning to the extremely flat profile of the 147km route.