Keisse and Durbridge had as much as a minute advantage over the peloton during their effort to stay away. The field reduced the gap to 27" with 4km to go, but there was soon confusion on the front as to who would lead the chase. There also were several punctures on course during the pursuit. The gap ballooned to 41" as a result of the peloton's hesitation.

Keisse and Durbridge played cat and mouse in the final few hundred meters, with Keisse choosing to stay 2nd wheel as it was clear they had enough of a gap to decide the stage winner.

Durbridge launched his sprint first, but Keisse, known as the "King of Cool" after his solo victory at 2012 Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey Stage 7, came around him in time to raise both hands as the victor of the 185km stage. When Keisse crossed the line he pointed his fingers to the sky to dedicate the win to his teammate and friend Wouter Weylandt.

Rigoberto Uran wrapped up the Giro in 14th place overall (+28'26"), with a pair of podium places in the final two mountain stages after struggling with bronchitis in the first week of the grand tour. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) won the Giro d'Italia overall. Fabio Aru (Astana) finished 2nd, 1'53" down, and Mikel Landa (Astana) rounded out the podium in 3rd, 3 minutes and five seconds down.

"The team decided this morning that it would be up to either me or Fabio Sabatini to try and get the gap," Keisse said. "But even last night we talked about it with our team directors, and we wanted to finish the Giro by trying our best until the very last moment. This was a parcours that could be won without a sprint. It's a tricky circuit with a lot of corners. I'm a road rider with a track background, and can take corners pretty well. For sure I was going to try something. Maybe in the last two kilometers, maybe in the final corner, but I knew I would try. I thought there was a little bit of hesitation when we entered into the final circuit. The sprinter teams weren't controlling yet. I had a feeling that was a good moment to go. I went at a certain point and I had Durbridge as my breakaway partner in crime. We worked perfectly together and took every corner full gas. We had a pretty big advantage in the last lap, and I knew the move was likely for the win. I counted on my sprint and didn't do any more pulls in the last kilometer. I took my last pull with one and a half kilometers to go. I heard we still had more than 30 seconds with a kilometer to go. So I put a little bit of pressure on Luke's shoulders and it became a cat and mouse game. He stayed in front, and then inside the last 200 meters I went. I've learned a lot from Mark Cavendish of course, how he does the sprint, so I used some experience from watching him to get the victory, my best victory ever. I'm so happy for this win not only for me, but also for my team Etixx - Quick-Step. We had some bad luck and health in this Giro compared to the last two years. Rigo was struggling with a sickness and we lost two guys in the first week. But we really fought this week to try and get a good result whenever we had a chance. I'm proud to get a victory for Etixx - Quick-Step to conclude the 2015 Giro d'Italia. This is my first WorldTour win with the team finishing my third Giro d'Italia in a row, and I want to celebrate it tonight with my teammates after three weeks of hard racing. This race was really hard. There was always hard fights. Every moment, from the first to the last day was horrible, but also very beautiful. I'd like to congratulate Alberto on his win. I do my Giro a bit backwards. The other stages I always finished way behind, but this stage was mine."

more information

The up-and-down stage saw the peloton reduce in number kilometer-by-kilometer. A group of 10 riders had an advantage with 29.9km to go in the stage, with Lampaert doing his best to be in the action. But the pace of the group was too high and he was unable to reduce the gap and stay with the group.

Eventually the group was down to eight leaders, and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team), Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal), and Egor Silin (Katusha) distanced the others with 10.1km to go.

Greg Van Avermaet attacked heading into the finish, and while Benoot was able to close, he couldn't pass Van Avermaet. Van Avermaet also won the overall with the stage win out of a breakaway.

Etixx - Quick-Step rider Tom Boonen won the points classification after winning a stage, and finishing 2nd in two other stages. Arnaud Demare (FDJ), who was ahead of him in the points classification, abandoned the race on the final day.

"I'm happy with this result," Boonen said. "Of course when you look back on those two second places, there was probably potential for more, especially yesterday. But with one stage win and the points jersey, I am pleased. Today was a very hard stage. I went into the breakaway with a group of 24 for about 100 kilometers, but the peloton was doing a lot of work to catch us. In the final kilometers I was just empty. I ate everything that I had with me, and it was just enough to make it to the finish.Now I will recover a couple of days and start in Heist-Op-Den-Berg next week."

more information

The crucial point of the race was on the Cima Coppi, Colle delle Finestre (18.7km, 9.2% average gradient), which includes dirt roads as it heads toward the top. This tough climb was when Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Tanel Kangert (Astana) accelerated out of the maglia rosa group behind Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha), who was ahead solo. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) was forced to close the gap to the duo ahead. However, after he successfully did so, a select group already formed. Mikel Landa (Astana) attacked soon after, and was able to eventually bridge to Zakarin solo. Contador, meanwhile, was dropped with 29.1km to go as other riders of the group pressed on.

Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin) and Uran formed a chase group behind Landa before Landa caught up to Zakarin. Fabio Aru (Astana) eventually caught up to the two riders chasing. As Hesjedal, Uran, and Aru descended the Cima Coppi the gap was 38" to the Uran group, and 1'14" to Contador.

Kruijswijk joined Hesjedal, Aru, and Uran with 20.2km remaining in the stage. Kilometer-by-kilometer the group tried to put time into Contador in hopes of threatening his GC leadership. Uran, who was not in contention for the GC, remained with the group in hopes of contending the stage. The Uran group caught Landa and Zakarin with 8.5km remaining, but Contador had reduced the gap. Still, the race was far from over. The Cat. 3 summit finale of Sestriere (average gradient 5.4%, max ramp 9%) remained.

Zakarin lost contact with the lead group inside the final 5 kilometers. The gap was 1'39" to Contador with 2.5km left in the stage. Aru took his chance to initially attack at the 2km to go mark, but Uran continued to fight and he went around Hesjedal to bridge the gap to Aru. However, Aru accelerated again with 1.6km to go. This turned out to be the stage winning move.

Aru won Stage 20 18" ahead of Hesjedal, and 24" ahead of Uran in 3rd place. Uran crossed the line with Landa. Contador completed the stage 2'25" down, which means barring anything extraordinary in Stage 21, he will win the Giro d'Italia. Contador's advantage over Aru in the GC is now 2'02", and Contador also has 3'14" on Landa in 3rd place overall.

Uran, as a result of two podium finishes in the past two stages, is 14th overall going into the last stage. Sunday's finish to the Giro d'Italia is a 185km flat stage from Torino to Milano.

"Today we did everything to try and win this stage," Uran said. "After a few kilometers into the stage we had the feeling that the battle would start from the Colle delle Finestre. It was a matter of staying in the peloton and saving energy for the finale. On the Colle delle Finestre I felt good. I always reacted to the attacks and I was never in difficulty on that climb. I decided to try and stay on the wheels because there was the battle for the GC going on. I was only waiting for the last climb because it was a climb I knew, and I knew it was good for my skills. So, I collaborated in the final to catch the breakaway with Landa and Zakarin. Landa did a good tempo when we caught them, but at 2km to go Aru attacked and I reacted. However, when he saw me on his wheel he attacked again. Unfortunately, I couldn't follow. I hung on to take at least a podium place. I am a little bit sad, because we did everything to win the stage and it didn't work out. Still, considering everything, I also have to say how great it was on the Colle delle Finestre today. I think it was really a great show for the spectators and for cycling. The last 8 kilometers of the climb were gravel and it was really something unforgettable for the riders. In sports, even if you are not feeling your best, there are moments like this where you are so inspired by the public and the circumstances that you find the energy to go full gas anyway. This was a spectacular parcours. Now we are nearing the end of the Giro. I have to be satisfied with the reaction of myself and my team in the last week of the Giro, after a lot of problems. At the end of this Giro d'Italia we have the feeling things could be different if we had a bit more luck and health in the first part of the race. But, it is what it is. It's time to turn the page and start thinking about the next races. I want to thank the staff and riders for staying committed always. My race today is for them, for the effort they put into this race for me."

"After the rest day we had to change our tactic," Sport Director Davide Bramati said. "We decided to get into the breakaways to stage hunt. The team responded really quickly to our new strategy. They were motivated to try to get a victory. We tried even today, and in the last two days Rigo showed his quality on the climbs. It shows his potential if he had this condition for all three weeks, but we have to accept this Giro for what it was. We found our rhythm in the last days and we did our best to make sense of our Giro. We started with difficulties, but we showed we are also a team of fighters who will try until the last moment to get a good result."

more information

The race came back together on the last lap after there was a rider solo from the original breakaway. Etixx - Quick-Step had four riders in front keeping the tempo high and chasing down some late race attacks, including one just before the final kilometer. Niki Terpstra did his best with a long pull as the last leadoutman for Boonen on the front.

Demare launched his sprint very early, and while Boonen was able to pass him initially after going full gas from 3rd position, Demare came around him on the left side for the stage win.

Boonen is 4th GC going into the final stage of Baloise Belgium Tour. He trails Brandle by 8", which is the same time as Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) in 3rd overall. He is 7" down on Arnaud Demare (FDJ) in the GC. He also trails Demare by 5 in the points classification. Yves Lampaert is 8th overall, 24" down.

Etixx - Quick-Step looks next to the final 199.2km Stage 5 on Sunday in Sankt Vith. There are a total of 10 ascents including Cote de Brume, Cote de Wanne, Cote de Stockeau, Cote Bergstrasse, Cote Haute Levee, Cote de Rosier. Cote de Brume, Cote De Wanne, Cote de Stockeau, and Cote Bergstrasse are climbed more than once.

"I think I was a bit too early in front for the sprint," Boonen said. "I was in Niki's wheel on the descent and we were going fast. The move on the right side of the road from FDJ forced me to start my sprint early. At 300 meters from the finish I went. Demare was was on the right side of me and came in my wheel. So, perfect position Demare and congratulations to him for the win today. For the past two days I didn't feel great, but every time in the finale I was surprised how good it went even with that feeling. So considering everything, OK, that's cycling and you can't always win. I'll do my best tomorrow in this last day of the Belgium Tour, which will be decisive for the GC as it has been in the past."

more information

The Colombian rider found good legs on a stage with three consecutive Category 1 ascents, while the peloton split into small groups all over the road. Uran was in a chase group behind Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Mikel Landa (Astana), Steven Kruijswijk (Team LottoNL-Jumbo) and others, while Fabio Aru (Astana) led solo ahead of Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin) on the final climb.

Uran worked his way to the maglia rosa group just after a tunnel. He then accelerated away from the group with about 3.5km remaining, and held his power until the line. Aru won solo by 28" on Hesjedal in 2nd place. Uran rounded out the podium, a minute and 10 seconds down. Aru gained time on Contador in the maglia rosa group, which crossed the finish line a minute and 18 seconds down.

Contador remains the race leader by 4'37" on Aru, and 5'15" on Landa.

Etixx - Quick-Step looks next to the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday. Stage 20, from Sint Vincent to Sestriere, includes the Cima Coppi late in the race: Colle Delle Finestre. This very challenging ascent peaks at the 171.1km mark. The peloton will then have to descend before the Category 3 summit finale in Sestriere.

"The last week is a week to try to get the best out of each stage," Uran said. "My goal was to try to do a good race and see what can happen. At the beginning I tried to also enter into a few breakaways, but they didn't let us go. I stayed there in the peloton until we reached the last climb here in Cervinia. I felt good and comfortable. When they first started attacking I responded. We were with six riders. But when they attacked again I couldn't follow. I decided to take my tempo and recover. I found on the road Amador, Nieve, and Kangert. We collaborated with Amador, but he lost contact with us on the climb. I was there only with Nieve and Kangert. They had a teammate in front, so it was clear they wouldn't try something to compromise that. So in the tunnel I attacked them. At the end of the tunnel I could see Contador and the others. I attacked my group and came back to the maglia rosa group. Then, when I arrived there, I knew Aru was already gone along with Hesjedal. At that point I did my best to play my card. I went immediately and I took a small gap. I really did everything I could and at the end I was 3rd. So, considering everything, I am happy. As I said already, the Giro ends on Sunday, every stage is an opportunity. Every day we will fight, even with all the problems we've had here in this Giro. To be honest I am happy I was able to stay with the best and finish the stage among the top guys of the peloton."

more information