Gasparotto crossed the finish line after 251km from Bergamo to Lecco, 45 seconds behind Spanish rider Joaquim Rodriguez, after losing contact with the winner on the steep, wet final climb of the day that saw team captain Vincenzo Nibali crash out of the race with 90km remaining.

Astana Pro Team Director Sportif Giuseppe Martinelli said that in the absence of Nibali, Gasparotto's fifth place was the best possible outcome for the squad.

"Enrico [Gasparotto] could not respond to Rodriguez's explosive attack on the final climb, because nobody in the entire peloton could respond to that attack. Instead our rider used his intelligence to keep a steady pace on the hill and then ride an extremely brave and careful descent to make up a lot of time for the finish. To finish fifth today is a very good result for him, and it is a very good way for him to end the season," said Martinelli.

Wet roads and a difficult, technical race course with constant climbing and descending for more than six hours sent Nibali and dozens of other rider in the ground.

"I crashed on the same hip that I fell on at World Championship's last week, and I have a very deep bruise right now. I'm ok, but I couldn't stand up after the crash," Nibali said.

Astana Pro Team Doctor Andrea Andreazzoli escorted Nibali to the local hospital for examination, and said the Italian rider suffered some cuts, but otherwise he was ok.

"Vincenzo fell on his hip and needed to be examined, but he is fine. In the same crash Paolo Tiralongo also crashed, and he suffered more serious abrasions and a bruise to his abdomen. Later in the race Francesco Gavazzi came down on a wet descent, so in total we had three crashes today," Andreazzoli said.