/world sport
VARESE, Italy -- Veteran German Jens Voigt claimed his first-ever Giro d'Italia stage victory when he took the 18th leg -- a 147km ride from the Swiss town of Mendissio, the venue for the 2009 world championships, to Varese, which will host this year's worlds.
Voigt crosses the line on his own to claim victory in the 18th stage of the Giro d'Italia.
Voigt, 36, dropped his fellow-escapees 40km from the finish and stayed out in front, finishing more than a minute in front of Italian trio Giovanni Visconti -- who wore the pink jersey for several days earlier in the race -- Rinaldo Nocentini and Gabriele Bosisio.
While it was Voigt's first stage win in the Giro, he has tasted success in the Tour de France winning two stages in 2001 and 2006 and wore the overall leader's yellow jersey for two days, once in 2001 and once in 2005.
"The rider who seizes the initiative, who attacks the first, is favored in this situation," said Voigt.
"When I found myself in the breakaway, my team director said to me that it wasn't a particularly good idea to find myself in such a group."
Spain's Tour de France champion Alberto Contador retained the overall leader's pink jersey, despite coming in nearly eight minutes behind with the peloton.
Contador, who is unable to defend his Tour de France crown this year because his Astana team were not invited by the race organisers owing to several drugs scandals not involving the Spaniard, admitted that Friday could prove a real test of his ability to protect his lead.
"It will be a difficult day. I am expecting to be attacked but I am confident," said Contador, who leads Italian duo Riccardo Ricco (41 seconds) and 36-year-old two-time Giro champion Gilberto Simoni -- who is over a minute in arrears.
On Friday, the Giro returns to the mountains for the 19th stage, a 228km run from Legnano to Monte Pora.
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