Contador sees Giro d'Italia lead slashed

(CNN) -- Alberto Contador held on to the pink jersey by his fingertips on a dramatic 19th stage of the Giro d'italia as he withstood determined challenges from reigning champion Danilo Di Luca and Riccardo Ricco.

Belarussian Vasil Kiryienka, of the Tinkoff team, took the stage as he emerged the stronger of a breakaway group on the 228km stage from Legnano to Monte Pora, but his victory went almost unnoticed as the battle for overall leadership played out.

Di Luca burst clear of a group containing the leading contenders with 45 kilometers to go and gave chase to the breakaway riders, eventually pulling all of them in bar the winner, who finished four minutes 36 seconds clear.

On the final climb to Monte Pura, fellow Italian Ricco also made his move as he distanced Astana's Contador and took chunks out of his lead.

With two days remaining, Tour de France winner Contador leads Ricco by just four seconds with Di Luca, who gained a 12-second bonus for second place, only 21 seconds back.

"I might not win the Giro, but I'm going to fight for it," Di Luca told the Associated Press.

"The Giro is still open, it ends in Milan and there is still a very difficult stage tomorrow and the time trial on Sunday."

"It was a very long and difficult day," Contador said. "I compliment Ricco and Di Luca on what they did today."

Italy's Gilberto Simoni, third overall at the start of the stage, slipped out of contention as he struggled to keep pace on the closing climbs.

But compatriot Marzio Bruseghin of the Lampre team finished in the same group as Contador and is still challenging in fourth place, exactly two minutes back.

Saturday's stage sees the peloton return to the mountains with Contador set to be under immense pressure on the 224-kilometer stage from Rovetta to Tirano.

Sunday sees the conclusion of the three-week tour with a time trial in Milan.

Kiryienka, 26, took the points race at the world track championships in Manchester in March and after finishing in second place on both the seventh and 14 stages in the Giro was gaining a well deserved victory.