Astana’s Dario Cataldo won the 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday outsprinting the other survivor of a long breakaway, fellow Italian, Mattia Cattaneo in Como.
Richard Carapaz, the overall leader, finished 11 seconds behind with Simon Yates and Vincenzo Nibali, but Primoz Roglic, who came off his bike on the final descent, lost 40 seconds to the Ecuadorean.
While Catalado and Cattaneo of Androni played cat and mouse up the final straight for the stage victory, the heavyweight contenders were fighting a desperate battle for seconds behind them at the end of the 232-kilometre stage.
Briton Yates, of Mitchelton Scott, Movistar’s Carapaz and Italian Nibali of Bahrain Merida, along with a second Briton Hugh Carthy of Education First, managed to escape in the closing stages to finish just 11 seconds behind Cataldo. Yates snatched third to pick up a four-second bonus.
Nibali was greeted at the finish by the 36-year-old Alberto Contador, winner of seven Grand Tours. “I told him that he has always been an inspiration,” said the 34 year-old Sicilian, who has won four major tours. “He could attack unexpectedly, up or down, in a key stage or on a transitional stage.” 
“He didn’t want to be second or third, he was just riding to win. That’s a champion’s mindset. 
“Nibali said Tour of Spain champion Yates had demonstrated better form.”
“He is more than five minutes away,” Nibali said, “but he has shown that his condition is improving.”
Spaniard Mikel Landa, Movistar’s team leader, was part of a quintet that finished 36 seconds behind the winners.
Slovenian Roglic, who started the day seven seconds behind Carapaz, rode into a barrier taking a corner too wide as the contenders took terrifying risks on the final descent. He had to exchange bikes with a team mate and came in 51 seconds behind the winner in a trio that also contained Trek-Segafredo’s Dutchman Bauke Mollema. Roglic remains second overall, but is now 47 seconds behind Carapaz and a minute ahead of Nibali.


Results 
1. Dario Cataldo (ITA/Astana) 5hr 48min 15sec, 2. Mattia Cattaneo (ITA/AND) same time, 3. Simon Yates (GBR/MIT) at 11sec, 4. Hugh Carthy (GBR/EF1) s.t. 5. Richard Carapaz (ECU/MOV) s.t., 6. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/BAH) s.t., 7. Miguel Angel Lopez (COL/AST) 36, 8. Rafal Majka (POL/BOR) s.t., 9. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA/BAH) s.t., 10. Mikel Landa (ESP/MOV) s.t.
Overall standings
1. Richard Carapaz (ECU/MOV) 64hr 24min 0sec, 2. Primoz Roglic (SLO/JUM) at 47sec, 3. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/BAH) 1:47, 4. Rafal Majka (POL/BOR) 2:35, 5. Mikel Landa (ESP/MOV) 3:15, 6. Bauke Mollema (NED/TRE) 3:38, 7. Jan Polanc (SLO/UAE) 4:12, 8. Simon Yates (GBR/MIT) 5:24, 9. Pavel Sivakov (RUS/INE) 5:48, 10. Miguel Angel Lopez (COL/AST) 5:55