The Dutchman, riding for Orica GreenEdge, made a late burst from an early breakaway group alongside Italian Davide Malacarne, with a sprint tussle falling in favour of Weening.

Behind them, a late attack by AG3R La Mondiale's Domenico Pozzovivo saw him gain a valuable 26 seconds on his general classification rivals to move up to fourth.

The Italian is now 1min 20sec behind Evans, who has a 57 second advantage over Colombian Rigoberto Uran in second.

"I think we have to be satisfied with our work today," said BMC leader Evans, of Australia

"The guys who are gambling are winning the stages, but I am very happy with the position we are in.

"I will rest happily tomorrow."

Race leader Cadel Evans held his 57 second leader over closest rival Rigoberto Uran ©Velo/Getty Images



Weening and Malacarne were part of a 14-man group which broke away from the peloton around 50 kilometres in to the 172 kilometres course.

By the time the breakaway group hit the foot of the third category Sant'Antonio, they were still out front by almost eight minutes with the largely BMC-led peloton seemingly happy to let them go.

That quickly changed as Garmin-Sharp took to the front and scrubbed two minutes off the breakaway group's advantage.

The peloton continued to gain as BMC and Garmin shared the effort to chase down the runaway riders.

With just under 19 kilometres to go, Weening saw the danger coming up from behind and jumped from the group at a roundabout.

The Dutchman was one of the few climbers in the break and went for his chance, shattering the group with his action.

Of the 13 others, Europcar's Malacarne was the only rider to catch Weening as the pair steadily pulled away from their former breakaway companions.

The two leaders started their cat-and-mouse game within the final kilometer, as if daring one another to start the sprint.

After a late breakaway from the lead group Pieter Weening outfought Davide Malacarne in a cat-and-mouse battle to the line ©Velo/Getty Images



As Weening and Malacarne rode to tempo at the head of the race, the peloton became a hive of activity when Pozzovivo attacked.

But it became clear that Pozzovivo would not be able to bridge the deficit, and that the major spoils from the stage would belong to the leading pair.

Malacarne finally went with 250 metres to go, but the Dutchman moved around him and stayed ahead to claim the victory.

Pozzovivo crossed the line only 42sec later, with Evans coming in at 1:08.

"The guys weren't working perfect in the group," Weening said of the breakaway.

"It went slightly uphill and people were taking the wrong side of the roundabout.

"I went on the other side and it was the right timing."

"I thought maybe we had to try to go before the climb.

"Malacarne came back and he was really strong.

"It was a steep part in the last climb, I made a fast speed but I couldn't drop him.

"I waited until the last few hundred meters, I could gamble a bit in the last hundred meters."

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