Russia’s Ilnur Zakarin clinched a maiden cycling grand tour stage win after holding off the chasing pack following a brave break 20 kilometres from the finish of stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia yesterday.

The 25-year-old Katusha rider, who won the Tour of Romandie earlier this month, broke clear on a climb around the rain-sodden finishing circuit of the Imola race track and held on to take victory by 53 seconds.

Spain’s Alberto Contador retained the pink jersey with an unchanged three-second lead over Italy’s Fabio Aru.

Contador had launched a speculative attack with 6.5kms remaining, but was pulled back into the peloton at the finish.

“There wasn’t much terrain to have a go today but I knew that there were a few riders who weren’t enjoying themselves and weren’t feeling good, so I had a go,” Contador said.

It was a quiet day for Team Sky’s Richie Porte, who remains 3:09 off the pace in the general classification after receiving a two-minute penalty on stage 10 for receiving a wheel from another rider.