Damiano Caruso finished 10th on Sunday's mountain-top finish at the Giro d'Italia to climb into seventh overall on the eve of the second rest day of the three-week race. The BMC Racing Team's leader lost contact with the leading group inside of seven kilometers to go in the 165-kilometer race.

But he said he did not give up, with encouragement from Sport Director Fabio Baldato.

"I was alone, but Fabio said into the radio to 'go, go, go, go," Caruso said to the BMC Racing team website. "I tried not to lose too many seconds from the leaders of the race."

Baldato said Caruso was close to making the ultimate selection that went to the finish.

"It was a pity because in one more kilometer, he would have been on the flat section," Baldato said. "But the guys who were pulling on the front knew that. So they made one last effort to drop everybody. Damiano was super after that, though. He really did like a time trial. Behind him, no one came back, so he managed the situation well."

With six stages remaining, Caruso said his original goal of a top five finish at the Giro is definitely within reach. In four previous appearances in grand tours, he has only finished in the top 10 once – last year, at the Vuelta a España, when he was ninth.

"We will try to get into the top five next week," Caruso said. "There are still many more hard stages to come."

Mikel Landa (Astana Pro Team) won the stage, two seconds ahead of Yury Trofimov (Katusha Team). Race leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) was third, five seconds back, and increased his lead to 2:35 over Landa's teammate, Fabio Aru. Caruso is 7:10 off the lead but only 34 seconds out of fifth place.