Giro d'Italia: Canada's Ryder Hesjedal has another 2nd-place finish

Canada's Ryder Hesjedal finished second for the second consecutive day at the Giro d'Italia on Saturday. 

The Victoria native, who won the event in 2012, was 18 seconds slower than Italy's Fabio Aru at the end of the 199-kilometre leg from Saint-Vincent to Sestriere.

Hesjedal moved up to fifth in the standings after the 20th stage. 

Alberto Contador had his overall lead sliced in half on the penultimate day of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday, although the Spaniard remained on course for the title.

Contador was dropped on the grueling climb up a dirt road on Colle delle Finestre as rivals Fabio Aru and Mikel Landa sped clear.

Aru, who moved back into second place overall with victory in Friday's 19th stage, soloed to a second successive win to close the gap to 2 minutes, 2 seconds.

Aru's Astana teammate Mikel Landa remained third overall, 3:14 back, ahead of Sunday's flat finish in Milan. Landa also won the Cima Coppi competition, as he was first up the Finestre — the highest point of this year's Giro at over 2,100 metres (2,295 yards).

The climb included 42 hairpin turns along 18 kilometres (11 miles), with gradients peaking at 14 per cent.

Contador, who never panicked despite having a bad day, gave a little fist pump as he crossed the line, knowing that the Giro title is still likely his — and the first part of an impressive double.

He had started the day more than four minutes ahead of Aru but crossed the line 2:25 off the pace.

Contador is attempting to become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win the Giro and Tour de France in the same year. He has had to dig deep during a troublesome three weeks in Italy, after enduring crashes and a dislocated shoulder, and is likely to face stiffer competition in the Tour.

A two-time Tour champion, Contador won the Giro in 2008 and was also triumphant in Milan in 2011 but was stripped of that title for testing positive in the 2010 Tour.