Giro d'Italia: Michael Rogers wins stage 11

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Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo) won stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia with a daring attack on the final descent to win ahead of the chasing peloton in Savona. The 34-year-old finished 10 second clear of the pack with Simon Geschke (Team Giant-Shimano) and Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani-CSF) taking second and third, respectively.

The win marked Rogers’ first success since his return to the sport following his positive test for Clenbuterol last autumn. The Australian had spent several months on the sidelines trying to clear his name before the UCI eventually absolved the rider and he made his 2014 racing debut at Liège - Bastogne - Liège.

The Giro d’Italia was meant to give Rogers valuable racing time between now and the Tour de France but when the GC contenders began to watch each other on the final secondary category climb before the finish in today's stage Rogers seized the opportunity.

Attacking with gusto he quickly established a 40 second lead on the technical descent to Savona. Giant-Shimano and Trek Factory Racing mustered a chase but Cadel Evans and his BMC teammates crucially only came to the front to keep the pace steady rather than electric. This move, coupled with Rogers’s own ability to ride solo, gave the Australian all he needed. And for Evans he retained his overall lead and perhaps made another ally in Tinkoff-Saxo, something that could be crucial in the days ahead with Rafal Majka sitting in third overall.

"It was a great opportunity for me and I was able to take advantage of it. It was a spur of the moment decision. I saw on top of the climb that all the contenders of the GC were looking at each other, and the possibility opened up and I took it,” Rogers told the press after his win.

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