Giro d'Italia Stage 13: Fabio Aru takes race lead, Sacha Modolo wins sprint

Astana’s Fabio Aru is the new leader of the Giro d’Italia after Alberto Contador of Tinkoff-Saxo was caught in a late crash on Stage 13 of the race at Lido di Jesolo, won by Lampre-Merida’s Sacha Modolo.

The crash, which also held up Richie Porte to complete a miserable week for the Team Sky rider, happened jwith a little over 3km to go of the 147km stage from Montecchio Maggiore.

Had it happened beyond that point, all riders would have been given the same time, but as it was Contador now lies 19 seconds behind the Sardinian rider Aru on GC.

As it was, both Contador and Porte had to take bikes from team mates to complete the stage. Afterwards, Porte reflected that it had been a nervous day in the peloton, while Contador said he could see the crash coming.

It’s the first time in Contador’s career that he has lost a leader’s jersey at a Grand Tour, but it could take pressure off the Spaniard with Astana, who have attacked thoughout the race, now forced to defend the maglia rosa.

That won't happen tomorrow, however, when it's each man against the clock in the individual time trial from Treviso to Valdobbiadene - at 59.4km, a monster by Grand Tour standards.

That gives stronger time triallers such as Porte and Etixx-Quick Step's Rigoberto Uran a chance to make up some of the time they have lost in the opening fortnight of the race as it heads into its final week.

The new leader, Aru, said: "Today was very hard, in bad weather, on a route that was flat but with lots of roundabouts and other paraphernalia. I was always at the front, in a good position to avoid possible falls, and what happened, happened.

"Now I'm just thinking of tomorrow. It is going to be a very important stage. I will give it everything. But the Giro ends next Sunday in Milan, not before."

After missing out to the break two days ago, the sprinters’ teams weren’t going to let today’s pan-flat stage go to the break, and the leadout trains were jostling for position when the crash happened on wet roads, with the race once again drenched in rain.

Completing an all-Italian top three were Trek Factory Racing’s Giacomo Nizzolo and Team Sky’s Elia Viviani.

It's Modolo's fifth participation in the Giro, but his maiden stage win, and he said: "Finally I've won a stage. My great companion, colleague and friend, Max Richeze, gave me the perfect lead-out, and I just finished off the work of my team.

"At Fiuggi, I was disappointed with myself. At Forlì the breakaway made it so I didn't get the chance to sprint, so it was destiny that I would win my home stage.

"I have so many friends standing at the barriers from San Vendemiano, my home village, that this experience is unforgettable."