Alberto Contador won stage 16 of the Giro D'Italia
Following the rest day which saw the Radio Shack hotel visited by four police officers who found nothing and the death of Xavier Tondo who died yesterday at his home in Spain when a garage door fell on him, stage 16 was another day for the mountain climbers.
Thankfully, it was only a 12.7km time trial from Belluno to Nevegal but with parts of the course having climbs on gradients of 10 per cent and 14 per cent in Tornante.
Rabbobank's Stef Clement set the early pace finishing the course in a time of 30 mins 28 seconds.
David Millar, (pictured above), who is probably Britain's best time trialer came in 23 seconds off the time of Clement, which saw him initially in third until Braunislau Samoilau went through in a time of 29.54.
Acqua & Sapone's Stefan Garzelli knocked fourteen seconds off that time., well before the last rider, race leader Alberto Contador started.
Jose Rujano surprised many when he came in at 29.37 but it was not to last as Vincenzo Nibali finished in 29.28 and Michele Scarponi came in four seconds later.
However, Contador was in cracking form and finished in a time of 28.55 to win the stage and increase his time margin in the Maglia Rosa jersey.
Stage 17 tomorrow is from Feltre to Tirano and is 230kms long.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM