Benat Intxausti stage eight, Alberto Contador extends lead

Intxausti, of the Movistar team, was one of 12 escapees that broke clear of the peloton after a fast and furious start to the 186km stage through the Apennines in southern Italy.

The Spaniard survived a late charge by Mikel Landa (Astana) on the second of two categorised climbs to secure the second Giro stage win of his career by 20 seconds.

Swiss Sebastien Reichenbach (IAM Cycling) took third place at 31 seconds just ahead of a five-man group that featured all of the race favourites.

Fabio Aru (Astana) led this select group over the line 35 seconds in arrears with Contador, Australia's Richie Porte (Team Sky) and Colombian Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-QuickStep) all finishing right in the Italian's wheel.

But two days after dislocating his shoulder in a fall, Contador, the pink jersey, managed to double his lead over Aru to four seconds after picking up two bonus seconds in the first intermediate sprint of a stage hampered by showers and chilly temperatures.

"I'm really happy because yesterday and today were very hard," Contador told Eurosport.

"The pace was incredible today until the break finally went and then Astana made it difficult at the finish. I knew Aru would try to attack today. Richie and Fabio have come to the Giro to win. But despite my fall, I was able to respond."

LONE LEADER: Rolling terrain after the start at the hilltop spa town of Fiuggi in Lazio made for an exhilarating opening hour of racing made all the more unpredictable by sporadic showers.

Numerous attempts to form a break were thwarted before Contador - unable to put on or take off a rain jacket owing to that shoulder injury - surprised his rivals by picking up those bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint at Sora.

Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) managed to break clear and led the race all the way up the first of two major tests, the long 30km Cat.2 climb to Forca d'Acero.

Eleven riders rode in pursuit of the lone leader, including Italian veteran Franco Pellizotti (Androni-Sidermec), Colombian Carlos Betancur (Ag2R-La Mondiale), Poland's Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre-Merida), American Tom Danielson (Cannondale-Garmin), Russian Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) and Belgian Kristof Vandewalle (Trek Factory Racing), as well as Intxausti and Reichenbach.

Behind, the peloton rolled along 10 minutes in arrears and controlled by the Tinkoff-Saxo team-mates of Contador.

Pellizotti and Betancur broke clear to join Kruijswijk shortly after the summit of the climb before Vandewalle made it a leading quartet near the bottom of the descent.

ASTANA PRESSURE: With Polish veteran Niemiec - just over five minutes down on GC - riding in the virtual pink jersey, the gap began to tumble after Astana increased the tempo on the front of the peloton.

The gap for the four leaders was still over eight minutes following a series of heavy showers. But once the sun came out with 45km remaining, the stage was turned on its head.

Pellizotti dropped back to the chasing group to leave three riders out ahead with a lead of just over four minutes going onto the final 13km climb to the finish.

Betancur attacked first, only to be caught and passed by Kruijswijk. Further back, both Intxausti and Reichenbach attacked following a failed effort from Zakarin, the recent surprise winner of the Tour of Romandie.

Meanwhile, a ferocious pace by Astana had blown the pack apart and slashed the deficit to less than three minutes. With Betancur passed, Vandewalle caught and Kruijswick in the sights of the chasing duo, Intxausti looked to be cooked as he struggled to keep up with his Swiss companion.

But the Spaniard had a second wind and made his decisive attack 3.5km from the finish.

ARU IN CONTROL: Back with the favourites, it was Aru who made the first move after some expert pace-setting by team-mate Tanel Kangert. His attack was followed by his big rivals before another Astana rider, Landa, took advantage of a lull to edge up the road.

Landa would catch and pass all the remnants of the day's break except Intxausti, who had time to clap his hands and wave at the crowds on the finishing straight before crossing the line with his arms aloft to add another win to his scalp from 2013.

The maglia rosa group's numbers swelled once again as the likes of Loepold Konig and Mikel Nieve returned for Sky's Porte and Astana'sDario Cataldo fought back alongside Aru. Both Contador and Uran found themselves isolated but acquitted themselves well to finish alongside their rivals in a nervy finale.

Contador now leads Aru by four seconds and Porte by 22 seconds, with Astana pair Cataldo and Landa completing the top five at 30 and 42 seconds respectively.

Sunday's 215km stage 9 from Benevento to San Giorgio del Sannio features a succession of testing hills including three categorised climbs that will further test Contador's injured shoulder.

"Contador? He's fine," said Aru when quizzed about his rival's condition after the latest showdown. Let battle recommence...