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Cadel Evans holds second in Giro d'Italia as Bradley Wiggins drops back

VIDEO: GIRO d'Italia favourite Bradley Wiggins has lost more time to race leaders Vincenzo Nibali and Cadel Evans.

OLYMPIC silver medallist Rigoberto Uran has soloed to victory in the hilly 10th stage of the Giro d'Italia, as his Sky team leader and race favourite Bradley Wiggins lost more time to race leader Vincenzo Nibali.

Uran attacked on his own before the final 4.4km climb to the summit finish of Altopiano del Montasio in what appeared to be a tactic designed to put the pressure on Nibali's Astana team.

However, Nibali and fellow victory contender Cadel Evans of Australia ultimately responded in positive fashion, upping the pace in the final few kilometres to leave Wiggins, the Tour de France champion, trailing by over 30secs.

Neither won the stage but Nibali and Evans came over the finish line of the 167km race, which began in Cordenons in the extreme northeast of Italy, 31secs behind Colombian Uran.

Wiggins arrived 37sec later, meaning the Englishman is now fourth overall at 2min 05sec behind Nibali.

Evans, the 2011 Tour de France champion, is second overall only 41secs behind Nibali and must now be considered the Italian's only real rival in a race which, given Wiggins' performances in the past week, seems out of reach for the 2012 Tour de France champion.

Despite losing out to Nibali for the bonus seconds on offer for third, Evans was pleased to hold on to second place overall after the race's first major mountain stage.

"It's probably not going to be a big deal at the end, but I would rather not concede time," he said.

"To maintain my position at this point is still very good. So far, so good. We still have a lot of mountain stages to go."

Although aware of Wiggins losing time, the Australian said the only rider he was focusing on was Nibali.

"I don't know what was going on behind, of course, but Nibali is the rider I have to focus on at this point considering my place in classification."

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/cycling/cadel-evans-holds-second--in-giro-ditalia-as-bradley-wiggins-drops-back/news-story/91561e83a94e67519efd98a2f74768da