 After the 16 @-@ man leading group began splintering , only two were left out front — Leonardo Bertagnolli and Serge Pauwels . For unclear reasons , Pauwels sat up ( abandoned the breakaway attempt ) in the final kilometers of the stage and left Bertagnolli to take the stage win uncontested . Pauwels joined two behind him who were chasing , as several riders who had been in the pink jersey group but were not overall threats had been allowed to attack on the way into the finish . The pink jersey group finished 1 ' 56 " behind the stage winner , with another 13 riders about 7 minutes back , and the majority of the field between 18 and 26 minutes back , after the peloton had been one cohesive group for close to two @-@ thirds of the stage . 
