Tosatto takes 12th stage

Dario Frigo holds on to a slender overall advantage

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Matteo Tosatto captured the 12th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday, as overall leader Dario Frigo saw his advantage trimmed to just one second.

Tossato, an Italian racing for the Fassa Bortolo team, nipped Slovenia's Zoran Klemenic and Italy's Gilberto Simoni in a final sprint under heavy rains.

Simoni, who surprised the main pack by joining the breakaway pair of Tossato and Klemenic, moved from fourth to second place, trimming Frigo's lead ahead of three tough mountain stages.

Frigo, the lead rider for Fassa Bortolo, finished with most of the other top racers, 10 seconds off the lead.

Tosatto finished in a winning time of 3:33: 17.

Jeff Verbrugghe attempted a charge at the 55 kilometre (34 mile) mark.

But The Belgian - younger brother of Rik Verbrugghe, who led the Giro for the first four stages - was caught by the main pack at 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from the finish.

Friday's 225 kilometre (139.5 mile) leg is one of the Giro's toughest, taking riders through the Dolomite mountains in the first of three straight challenging stages in the three-week long race.

Stage results:

1. Pablo Lastras (Spa) Ibanesto.com 4hr 38min 31sec (average: 41.361 km/h)
2. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) at 10sec
3. Uros Murn (Slo) same time
4. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) s.t.
5. Alexis Rodriguez (Spa) s.t.
6. Giuseppe Di Grande (Ita) s.t.
7. Antonio Varriale (Ita) s.t.
8. Fortunato Baliani (Ita) s.t.
9. Joaquim Lopez Torrella (Spa) s.t.
10. Alberto Elli (Ita) 14
11. Andrea Peron (Ita) at 5min 14sec
12. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) s.t.
13. Roberto Petito (Ita) s.t.
14. Dario Frigo (Ita) s.t.
15. Davide Bramati (Ita) s.t.
16. Wladimir Belli (Ita) s.t.
17. Tadej Valjavec (Slo) s.t.
18. Paolo Bossoni (Ita) s.t.
19. Jose Azevedo (Por) s.t.
20. Pascal Herve (Fra) s.t.

Overall

1. Dario Frigo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 55hr 58min 34sec
2. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) at 1sec
3. Jose Azevedo (Por) 3
4. Abraham Olano (Spa) 14
5. Wladimir Belli (Ita) 19
6. Jan Hruska (Cze) 39
7. Andrea Noe (Ita) 44
8. Giuliano Figueras (Ita) 45
9. Unai Osa (Spa) 48
10. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) 57
11. Stefano Garzelli (Ita) 59
12. Ivan Gotti (Ita) 1min 04sec
13. Oscar Camenzind (Swi) 1:08
14. Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) 1:08
15. Marco Pantani (Ita) 1:11
16. Marco Velo (Ita) 1:17
17. Hernan Buenahora (Col) 1:24
18. Paolo Lanfranchi (Ita) 1:36
19. Jose Luis Arrieta (Spa) 1:38
20. Carlos Contreras (Col) 1:40