MONTE ZONCOLAN, Italy — Nairo Quintana virtually clinched the Giro d'Italia title Saturday with a strong ride up the demanding Monte Zoncolan, while Michael Rogers benefited from a fan interruption to post his second stage victory of the race. Quintana's 3:07 lead ahead of fellow Colombian Rigoberto Uran remained unchanged entering Sunday's final stage. “It's 99 percent done,” said Quintana, who shed some tears during the podium celebration. “They were tears of happiness. I've achieved one of the big goals in my life.” Francesco Manuel Bongiorno was right on Rogers' wheel with three kilometers (two miles) to go when a fan pushed him hard enough on the back that he had to break to avoid hitting Rogers and took his left foot off the pedal. By the time Bongiorno got going again on a stretch of road where the gradient was 15 percent, Rogers had already opened up a significant lead. Rogers, an Australian with Tinkoff-Saxo, clocked 4 hours, 41 minutes, 55 seconds over the 167-kilometer (104-mile) leg, which started in Maniago. Franco Pellizotti finished second, 38 seconds behind, and Bongiorno crossed third, 49 seconds back. Quintana finished 17th in the stage, 4:45 back, with Uran right behind him. Quintana was runner-up to Chris Froome in last year's Tour de France and this would be his first Grand Tour victory. The race ends Sunday with a mostly flat 172-kilometer (107-mile) leg from Gemona del Friuli to Trieste. — AP
