Rodriguez still in pink as Bak wins Giro 12th stage

Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez retained the Tour of Italy race leader's pink jersey after Thursday's 12th stage won by Denmark's Lotto rider Lars Bak.

Bak finished 11sec ahead of France's Sandy Casar and five other members of a breakaway group, with the peloton at 3min 34sec at the end of the 155km ride from Seravezza to Sestri Levante on the Ligurian coast in northwestern Italy.

It was a first Giro stage victory for the 32-year-old Dane, who counts several national road racing titles among his accolades.

Rodriguez, of the Katusha team, lies 17sec ahead of Canadian Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda), although Casar moved into third place in the overall standings, at 26sec.

"I won a team time trial at the Giro d'Italia last year but this is my first solo win for about three years and my first stage victory in a grand tour," said Bak.

"I always believed I could win a big race and dreamed of winning a stage in a grand tour. Now I've done that. It seems everything is coming slowly to me. I'm 32 and I've been a professional for 11 years. Today I had the luck. When you win on the highest level, you can't be happier."

Bak has had 10 wins on the cycling circuit, and he acknowledged that he "won a lot of them with an attack in the last kilometre".

"This time I went to the back of the breakaway and waited for the right moment. Sandy Casar chased attacks three times and so then I went from behind. I got 200m and they couldn't catch me. I was lucky but it was perfect timing."

Overall leader Rodriguez said his success on the Giro had set people talking in Spain.

"My family and friends have said there's a lot of interest in me being in the pink jersey," the Spaniard said.

"Whoever wants to win this year's Giro d'Italia will have to show their hand from Saturday onwards. That's when I'll be able to say what chance I've got winning the Giro d'Italia."

Friday's 13th stage is the final chance for sprinters before the onset of the more mountainous stages, a 121km run linking Savone to Cervere, in the Piedmont.

And Team Sky Sports Director Nicolas Portal said his team would be going all out to set up Mark Cavendish for a third stage win.

"Mark made it through the day fine in the red jersey ahead of tomorrow (Friday)," said Portal of the Briton, who currently tops the points classification of the Giro.

"Friday's stage has the chance of a bunch sprint so we will look to put Mark in the best possible position and try to get that third stage win."