Rogers wins as Roche takes fourth

MICHAEL ROGERS took a solo victory on the feared Monte Zoncolan as Nairo Quintana locked up the pink jersey on the penultimate stage of the Giro d’Italia.

The 34-year-old Rogers benefited from a controversial incident inside the final three kilometres as he battled with Francesco Bongiorno. A fan tried to give the young Italian a helping hand but succeeded only in pushing him into Rogers’ back wheel.

This allowed Tinkoff-Saxo rider Rogers to race away to a second stage win in this Giro, a little over a month after he returned to competition after being cleared of a doping offence.

‘It’s amazing. It’s always been a dream of mine to win a mountain-top finish like that. Monte Zoncolan is a great climb and to win like that is amazing,’ said Rogers.

‘These climbs – Zoncolan, Stelvio and Gavia – are huge and to win them is every cyclist’s dream.’

Meanwhile, a fine performance from Ireland’s Nicholas Roche, Rogers’ teammate, left him fourth in the stage and 30th in the GC. Philip Deignan, by contrast, came in a disappointing 131st, but lies a respectable 40th overall.

Movistar’s Quintana crossed the line a little over five minutes behind Rogers with general classification rival Rigoberto Uran just behind him. This ensures overall victory for the 24year-old Colombian, who was second in last year’s Tour de France.