Apart from stage winner Vasili Kiryienka (Tinkoff), Alexander Efimkin (Quick Step), Steven Cummings (Barloworld), Kanstantsin Siutsou (Team High Road), Gabriele Missaglia (Serramenti PVC), Nicki Sørensen (Team CSC), Giairo Ermeti (LPR) were in the original breakaway group. The group began to collapse with nearly 10km to go, leaving Kiryienka to ride solo to the stage win. Tinkoff's sports director Orlando Maini said after the stage, "today Vasil has earned a great victory. Until yesterday, we weren't sure if he would have another opportunity for a stage win, but I encouraged him to try, and when he was alone on the Presolana, I told him that this should be his win and no one else's." A happy Kiryienka said: "after my second place finish at Alpe di Pampeago, I remained focused on a win. This victory I dedicate to our team President, Oleg Tinkov, and to the managers and sports directors as well. Without their direction, this win would not have been possible." 

Behind Kiryienka the battle for the overall was intense after LPR's defending champ Danilo Di Luca followed an impressive attack of teammate and two time Giro winner Paolo Savoldelli on the descent of the Passo del Vivione. Di Luca gained 1:12 on Alberto Contador (Astana) and is now third overall, 21 seconds behind the 2007 winner of the Tour de France. Di Luca told UK based website cyclingweekly.co.uk: "We've been criticised earlier in this Giro but we showed we know how to race well," the killer said.

Di Luca continued by saying: "Like always Savoldelli was exceptional. I went away first and then he came across to me. Giairo Ermeti was in the break and so he dropped back and give us a good hand as well."

And the winner of last years edition of Liège – Bastogne – Liège wants to fight for the 'Maglia Rosa': "We pulled off an impressive attack. The Giro is wide open and now we'll see what happens in Saturday's stage. I've gone deep but I'm ready to attack again. I've always said the Giro ends in Milan on Sunday."

Di Luca concluded: "I might not win the Giro but whoever does will have to beat me. Nobody should ever dismiss Di Luca."

Saunier Duval's young gun Riccardo Riccò attacked Contador at the final climb. Riccó was very angry at Emanuele Sella (CSF – Navigare) and Jürgen Van den Broeck (Silence - Lotto) , who did their turns in the group with Contador. Riccò said: "I was angry because I was this close to wearing the "maglia rosa," but in the last kilometre I couldn´t use the 53-tooth keyring and I had to make do with the 39-tooth keyring. Many people had said that Contador was stronger than me in climbs, but today I´ve shown I´m stronger. I´ve always stayed ahead of him in the mountains. Unfortunately, Contador always finds someone to help him. Today it was Sella and Pozzovivo. They´ve told me they were dragging from behind, and I just can´t understand why. They should´ve followed the leader´s route. I hope I can forge an alliance with Di Luca to dislodge Contador."

Sella responded to Riccò: "Riccò should be quiet. Its absolutely normal that I, together with Domenico [Pozzovivo, his teammate, editor] race my own race. We think about our own rankink and the team classification [CSF – Navigare is leading the team classifiction, editor]. I attacked myself as well. Is that also not allowed? Do I also have to let somebody else take care of that?"

Overall leader Alberto Contador was impressed by the performance of Di Luca and Riccò. "The team worked very well, they deserve a ten," said Contador post-race. "Compliments to Riccò and Di Luca, they have made this Giro very interesting. I will continue to say what I said yesterday, I will not be afraid of anyone. I came here to do one week and I have kept the maglia rosa. I am not going to obsess over Di Luca or Riccò." Contador also added that while the stage length on paper stated 228km, in reality it was 245km and was too long.

Rabobank's Russian rider Denis Menchov was part of the group with Alberto Contador. Menchov claimed the tenth place. Menchov's health has markedly improved over the last few days and he looked strong during the concluding climb. It was still thanks to his teammave Mauricio Ardila, however, that he was with the group-Contador at that time. Rabobank's sports director Erik Breukink said: "Everything came apart in the descent where Di Luca staged his attack, due to those narrow turns. Mauricio Ardila gave it his all for Denis. So he has again played a very important role."

The Colombian dropped him off at a bridgeable distance from the elite group; the Russian did the rest of the dirty work himself on a climb. "It might have been game over if it had not been for Mauricio," acknowledged Breukink. "But that was also an intense effort by Denis, though. So it is good to note that he can ride that solidly on the very last climb."

Todays stage 20 has already started and the latest news is that Astana's Andreas Klöden abandoned the race. Australian based website cyclingnews.com reported during their live coverage that Astana spokesman Philippe Maertens told Cyclingnews reporter Susan Westemayer that Klöden dropped out because he is sick. "He has been sick for a week, but stayed in the race in order not to weaken the team. Yesterday evening it already didn't look good for today. He probably went to deep yesterday." Maertens continued by saying, "Andreas has a respiratory infection. It is difficult to say now, but it could be a lung infection. He had a fever all night." Maertens concluded, "he was a super team-mate for Alberto Contador."