Esteban Chaves of Australian team Orica-GreenEDGE remains in second place overall behind Steven Kruijswijk of the Netherlands following the 17th stage of the Giro d'Italia.
German rider Roger Kluge used his track cycling experience to take the biggest victory of his road career, winning the stage on Wednesday with a well-timed counterattack.
Kruijswijk had little trouble protecting his three-minute overall lead ahead of Chaves on the mostly flat 196km leg from Molveno to Cassano d'Adda.
Kluge responded to an attack from Filippo Pozzato in the final kilometre and the IAM team rider easily overtook the Italian on the final straight to hold off the sprinting favourites.
The 30-year-old Kluge won a silver medal in the points race at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also took silver in the omnium at this year's track worlds and a gold in the omnium at the 2010 European Championships.
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