Landa takes Trentino lead as Nibali struggles

Rome - Spaniard Mikel Landa took command of the Giro del Trentino on Wednesday as he won the epic 220km second stage from Arco to Anras in Austria.

Favourite for overall victory Vincenzo Nibali, a twice former winner of the event, surprisingly struggled on the final ascent and only managed to finish the day 21st, more than 30-seconds back.

His Astana team-mate Jakob Fuglsang is second overall at 10sec after finishing fifth on the stage, 13sec behind Landa.

The Team Sky leader had attacked solo on the final climb to the finish in Anras after the day's breakaway had been reeled in 15km from the end.

Landa started to tire in the final kilometre but managed to hold off Russian Serguei Firsanov, who finished second at 4sec.

Italian veteran Damiano Cunego, a three time Trentino winner, was third at 13sec in a small group of chasers.

Nibali, who like Landa is preparing for May's Giro d'Italia, finally lost 32sec as even another team-mate in Michele Scarponi finished ahead of him.

Other potential overall contenders, Romain Bardet and Domenico Pozzovivo of the AG2R team, came in seventh and eighth respectively to sit fifth and sixth on the overall standings.

Results from the second stage of the Tour of Trentino, a 220.3km race from Arco in Italy to Anras in Austria:

Stage

1. Mikel Landa (ESP) Team Sky 5hr 18min 12sec, 2. Serguei Firsanov (RUS) at 4secs, 3. Damiano Cunego (ITA) 13, 4. Giulio Ciccone (ITA) 14, 5. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) s.t.

Selected:

8. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA) s.t., 21. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) 32

Overall

1. Mikel Landa (ESP) Sky 5hr 31min 46, 2. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) at 10ses, 3. Serguei Firsanov (RUS) 15, 4. Michele Scarponi (ITA) 22, 5. Romain Bardet (FRA) 24

Selected:

6. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA) s.t., 10. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) 28