RODOLFO MASSI won the 10th stage of the Tour of Italy yesterday at Prato and fellow Italian Davide Rebellin kept the race leader's pink jersey.
After a series of abortive attacks, the turning point in the 155 kilometres from Arezzo came in the final six kilometres when a six-man break reached the outskirts of Prato.
Swiss, Pascal Richard attacked but was chased down by Massi, who surged clear for a solo victory four seconds clear of the pack.
Giorgio Furlan won the sprint from the charging peleton, ahead of Francesco Casagrande and Claudio Chiappucci.
A dozen riders including Russian Dimitri Konychev and Italians Fabio Fontanelli and Casagrande made a half-hearted break midway through the stage but they were caught well before the last climb - the short but steep 460 metres Schignano di Vaiano.
Alexandre Gontchenkov made the first attack there, but was reeled in by a dozen riders including his ZG Mobili team leader Piotr Ugrumov, Rebellin, world champion Abraham Olano and Richard at the summit before a hectic descent towards Prato on a twisting road made treacherous by rain. Olano finished fifth.
