Giro d'Italia leader Ivan Basso was forced on the defensive today after rival Gilberto Simoni unleashed a bitter tirade on the 20th stage finish line.
Basso, who rides for the CSC team, tightened his grip with a convincing victory in the penultimate 20th stage, one of the toughest climbing stages of the three-week race.
The holder of the leader's pink jersey had more than a minute to spare over Saunier Duval rider Simoni, a former two-time Giro winner, and almost three minutes in hand over third-placed Damiano Cunego, also a former winner.
But Simoni was livid after Basso's stage win, accusing him of 'ungentlemanly' conduct and saying racing his compatriot was like competing against an 'extra-terrestrial'.
Spain's Jose Enrique Gutierrez took fourth to hold on to second place in the overall standings ahead of Sunday's 140km final run to Milan.
Basso went for the kill on the final punishing climb of the day at Mortirolo, 41km from the line, with only Simoni able to stick with the CSC rider.
Simoni had nothing left to give when Basso turned on the pressure a second time, four kilometres from the finish of the 211km run from Trento to Aprica.
As the 28-year-old crossed the line to capture his third stage of the 2006 Giro he brandished a photograph of his son Santiago, born on Friday morning.
Basso had barely time to enjoy his win, however, as Simoni came by and slammed him for not sharing the spoils of the stage - a gesture which in cycling is not uncommon if one rider has done more work than another.
Simoni also branded Basso an 'extra-terrestrial', a thinly veiled suggestion that his rival's form was achieved via illegal means.
'There are no more gentlemen (in this sport),' Simoni said.
'I waited for him on the downhill and I did my share of the work in the breakaway then he upped and left me. If I knew he was going to do that I would have rode differently.
'I feel like I'm racing an extra-terrestrial. I've never seen a rider dominate the Giro so much.'
Basso immediately hit back, saying he practically gifted a stage win to Simoni's team-mate Leonardo Piepoli on Wednesday.
The CSC team captain was also adamant that his progression in the sport has been entirely natural.
"I don't appreciate the word 'extra-terrestrial' one bit," Basso hit back. 'I did my work, and I don't owe a thing to anyone in this stage or in any of the others.'
Pointing to team-mate Jens Voigt's stage-gifting gesture to Spaniard Juan Manuel Garate the previous day, Basso added: 'I think our team has shown more than once in this race that we've got heart.
'It's one of the happiest days of my life, it's just a shame it's been spoiled by this. I think maybe Gilberto has reacted too quickly. He might see things differently later on.'
Simoni may be feeling cheated - he has yet to win a stage on this year's race and he has even been outshone on some stages by Piepoli - however Basso's class is undeniable.
After today's gruelling test which saw the peloton tackle the highest climb of the event at Gavia, he stretched his lead over Gutierrez to a comfortable 09min 18sec, the biggest seen on the Giro since 1965.
In July Basso will aim to become the 13th rider in history, and the first since his now deceased compatriot Marco Pantani in 1998, to win the Giro and the Tour de France in the same year.
