Katusha rider Joaquim Rodriguez is one stage from victory in the Giro d’Italia after extending his lead over second-placed Ryder Hesjedal to 31 seconds with fourth place on the penultimate 20th stage Saturday.
All that separates the Spanish rider and his Russian team from a maiden Grand Tour win is Sunday’s climatic 30-kilometer individual time trial through the streets of Milan.
Rodriguez also leads Britain’s Mark Cavendish by one point in the standings for the points classification, meaning he could repeat Michele Scarponi’s feat in 2011 of winning the general and points honors in the same Giro.
Belgian rider Thomas De Gendt, of the Vacansoleil-DCM team, won the 218-kilometer 20th stage by 56 seconds from Damiano Cunego of UCI ProTeam after a spectacular solo break on the Passo dello Stelvio in the Dolomite mountains.
The stage win, 25-year-old De Gendt’s first in a Grand Tour event, lifts him to fourth in the general classification, 2 minutes 18 seconds behind Rodriguez.
Third place is held by last year’s winner Scarponi, 1 minute 51 seconds off Rodriguez’s time.
