Two-time race winner Gilberto Simoni held off Leonardo Piepoli and Andy Schleck on Europe's steepest climb to claim victory in the 17th stage of the Giro D'Italia on Wednesday.
The Saunier Duval-Prodir rider attacked 6km out on the fearsome Monte Zoncolan and passed Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo's Massimo Codol with 2km to go to cross the line in 3hrs 51mins 52secs.
Race leader Danilo Di Luca finished just 30 seconds behind the leaders in fifth to retain the pink jersey and now looks hot favourite to hold onto it all they way to the end of the final stage in Milan on Sunday.
The 10.1km long assent up the Zoncolan has an average gradiant of 11.9%, with the steepest sections going up at over 20%, and Simoni showed his strength by reeling in the leading pack as they began to flag.
But he had team-mate Piepoli to thank for helping him see off the stubborn challenge of Schleck by firing 200m out.
A group of 12 riders were in front for most of the 142km stage after leading a breakaway with 117km remaining before Predictor-Lotto's Dario Cioni attacked 9km from home as the peleton closed.
Codol caught him 3km from the finish, but had nothing left to give in the dying stages.
The danger was clear when Simoni, Piepoli and Schleck formed a small group behind the leaders along with Liquigas' Di Luca, Lampre-Fondital rider Damiano Cunego and Saunier Duval's Riccardo Ricco 7km out.
Ricco soon dropped out as the rigours of the climb took their toll and Di Luca and defending champion Cunego were also left behind, leaving the other three to pick off Codol.
The win lifts Simoni up to third in the overall table, 2mins 28secs behind De Luca, while second-placed Schleck is 2mins 24secs off the lead.
Leading positions after stage 17 (Lienz (Austria) - Monte Zoncolan, 142 km):
1 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir 3.51.52 (36.745 km/h), 2 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir , 3 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 0.07, 4 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 0.31, 5 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 0.37, 6 Massimo Codol (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 0.58, 7 Julio Alberto Perez Cuapio (Mex) Ceramica Panaria - Navigare 1.19, 8 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 1.40, 9 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 1.57, 10 Ivan Ramiro Parra Pinto (Col) Cofidis - Le Credit par Telephone 2.02, 11 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 2.08, 12 Riccardo Ricco (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir 2.11, 13 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Astana 2.26, 14 Mario Aerts (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 2.38, 15 Fortunato Baliani (Ita) Ceramica Panaria - Navigare 2.41
General classification after stage 17:
1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 77.35.35, 2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 2.24, 3 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir 2.28, 4 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 3.29, 5 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Astana 3.46, 6 Riccardo Ricco (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir 5.19, 7 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 10.00, 8 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit System 10.25, 9 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 10.39, 10 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 10.55, 11 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Ceramica Panaria - Navigare 10.59, 12 Ivan Ramiro Parra Pinto (Col) Cofidis - Le Credit par Telephone 11.48, 13 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir 13.08, 14 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 14.36, 15 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Astana 15.27
