THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PORTO SANT’ELPIDIO, Italy — Colombian rider Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez won the hilly sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia with a long breakaway and Italy’s Adriano Malori took the overall lead on Friday.
Rubiano Chavez was one of several riders who broke away from the main pack just 23 kilometres (14 miles) into the 210-kilometre (130-mile) leg from Urbino to Porto Sant’Elpidio, then he charged in front alone for the final 30 kilometres (19 miles).
Rubiano Chavez, who rides for the Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela team, clocked 5 hours, 38 minutes, 30 seconds.
Malori, also a member of the breakaway and a Lampre teammate of defending champion Michele Scarponi, crossed second, 1 minute, 10 seconds behind.
Michal Golas, a Pole with Omega Pharma Quick Step, finished third, also 1:10 back, while the main pack crossed 1:50 behind.
In the overall standings, Malori holds a 15-second lead over Golas, with Ryder Hesjedal, a Canadian with Garmin-Barracuda, 17 seconds back.
"I got in a good breakaway. It was very tiring, but when they told me I had a chance at the pink jersey I gave it my all," Malori said.
Previous leader Ramunas Navardauskas fell behind in the second half of the stage, one of several riders to struggle in the race’s first hilly leg, which featured four climbs — three 3rd category and one 2nd category.
Heat was also a factor for the first time in the race, with the temperature hovering at 30 degrees Celsius (86 F).
The breakaway at one point held a seven-minute lead over the main pack.
"At first I was just aiming for the mountain points, but then when I heard how far behind the group was I decided to take a risk and try a breakaway, and it went well," Rubiano Chavez said.
"My dream remains the pink jersey, because no Colombian has never worn it," Rubiano Chavez said.
Thor Hushovd of Norway, the 2010 world champion, dropped out midway through the stage, apparently due to exhaustion. Spanish rider Pablo Lastras Garcia crashed during a downhill section and also had to withdraw.
"Normally the first day in the heat, I suffer sometimes," Hushovd said. "But today, straightaway I felt empty. I felt my body and legs didn’t work. It’s not normal so I didn’t see any reason to push through. And I couldn’t because I had nothing to give."
Stage 7 on Saturday is a 205-kilometre (127-mile) leg from Recanati to Rocca Di Cambio that features the race’s first uphill finish, after passing through the L’Aquila region hit by a major earthquake in 2009.
The race ends May 27 in Milan.