Cerny storms to Giro win as rain and protest sees 130km cut from race

ASTI, Italy: Czech rider Josef Cerny made a solo break at the end of a 19th stage radically shortened after a rider protest in lashing rain on Friday forced organisers to more than halve its distance to 124km.

The 27-year-old Cerny covered the curtailed course like a time trial at a remarkable average speed of more than 49km an hour. He powered through the final 23km kilometres alone to win a farewell victory for the CCC team sponsor which leaves the sport after this season.

Wilco Kelderman retained the overall lead by a handful of seconds and should be better prepared for the crucial stage 20 on Saturday after a relatively easy day in the saddle as the rider protest and rain led organisers to cut 134km off the original route.

Saturday’s mountain stage and an individual time-trial in Milan on Sunday offer a testing finish to a tight battle for the overall title between Kelderman, in the pink jersey, his Australian team-mate Jai Hindley, who is 12sec behind, and Ineos breakout man Tao Geoghegan Hart in third, just 15sec off the lead.

The British rider made a bid to reduce the gap late Friday with a last gasp push for the line but failed to drop his watchful rivals.