Tour de France champion Alberto Contador won the Giro d'Italia yesterday after extending his overall lead in the final individual time trial.
Contador finished 11th in the 28 kms stage from Cesano Maderno, 39 seconds slower than winner Marco Pinotti of Italy, but gained time on his rivals in the overall standings.
The 25-year-old from Madrid beat Italy's Riccardo Ricco by one minute and 57 seconds. Marzio Bruseghin, also of Italy, was third 2:54 further back. Contador is only the second Spaniard to win the Giro d'Italia after Miguel Indurain, who won in 1992 and 1993.
Contador's Astana team were invited to the Giro only six days before the start in Palermo and Contador cut short a holiday to arrive in time for the start of the race.
"Winning makes it worth interrupting my holiday," Contador told reporters.
"Everybody wanted to win this Giro, it was a very hard race. I only began to think I could win the Giro when I took the pink jersey but even then I knew I'd have to fight all the way."
Contador did not win a stage during the three-week race but rode astutely, saving his energy for the key moments of the race. He gained precious seconds during the time trials and then defended the pink jersey during the final week in the mountains.
"Every day of the final week of the Giro was a step forward towards overall victory," he said.
"The hardest day for me was the stage to Alpe di Pampeago (stage 14 on May 24). I didn't feel good that day, I got cold on the descent and felt very bad on the final climb.
"Friday's stage was very hard too. It was a delicate moment because I could have lost the Giro. Fortunately I used my head and managed to keep the pink jersey despite the attacks by Di Luca and Ricco.
"On the last mountain stage on Saturday I knew I only had to stay with Ricco. I struggled on the Mortirolo climb but I felt a lot better."
Despite his victory in last year's Tour de France, Contador will not ride in this year's race because the race organisers have refused to invite his Astana team following the doping scandals in the team in 2007.
"I honestly prefer to have won this Giro than perhaps a second Tour de France," Contador said.