Astana's Dario Cataldo won the 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Sunday 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.

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.