The Norwegian rider Edvald Boasson Hagen powered away in the final straight to clinch an exciting seventh stage of the Giro d'Italia.
The 21-year-old Team Columbia rider came in ahead of South Africa's Robert Hunter and Russian Pavel Brutt, who were also part of a group that broke from the peloton on a long steep descent in the wet towards the end of the race.
LPR rider Danilo Di Luca, the 2007 champion, kept the overall leader's pink jersey at the end of the 244-kilometre stage from Innsbruck in Austria through Switzerland to the Italian town of Chiavenna.
Organisers decided to take the times for the overall standings with three kilometres to go because of rainy conditions to avoid a dangerous climax to the stage.
