The Danish cyclist Chris Anker Sorensen battled to the top of a mountain to win the eighth stage of the Giro d'Italia after rain and snow just about held off on an already difficult route.
Alexander Vinokourov of the Astana team retained the overall leader's pink jersey after the top riders all finished reasonably close together in the central Italian hills.
The Kazakh, who overcame appalling conditions yesterday to take the lead, holds a one minute 12 second advantage over Australian world champion Cadel Evans with previous race leader Vincenzo Nibali edging back up to the third overall.
The two New Zealanders in the field, Greg Henderson and Julian Dean, both sprinters, are well back.
No Italian has won a non-team stage yet in this year's race and the chance of a home victory in tonight's 187-km flat route from Frosinone to Cava de' Tirenni south of Naples has been hit by Alessandro Petacchi's retirement.
The Lampre sprinter pulled out early on in the stage because of bronchitis.
