Voigt wins <i>Giro d'Italia</i>'s 18th stage

Germany's Jens Voigt of the CSC team won the 18th stage of the Giro d'Italia from Mendrisio in Switzerland to Varese in Italy yesterday.

Voigt was part of a 12-rider attack that formed after eight kilometres of the stage and then broke away alone 35 km from the finish.

Italians Giovanni Visconti and Rinaldo Nocentini finished second and third, one minute and 10 seconds behind Voigt.

Spain's Alberto Contador, of the Astana team, finished in the main peloton and retained his 41-second overall race lead over Italy's Riccardo Ricco.

It was a first Giro stage win for Voigt, 36, a professional for 12 years.

"This was the last chance for me to win a stage in the Giro because I'm not a great climber and so I won't have a chance in the final stages," Voigt told reporters.

"I've tried to attack several times in this year's Giro but the same teams and the same riders dominated most of the stages. It's great to finally have won a stage."

The Giro d'Italia heads into the Italian Alps north of Milan today for the 228km 19th stage from Legnano to Monte Pora.