Till this 13 kilometer uphill race of truth, surprises have been few at this 90th Giro d'Italia. But Marzio Bruseghin's performance Friday was exactly that.

With nowhere to hide on the slopes leading to the Santuario Di Oropa, 32 year-old Bruseghin defied the odds to win the thirteenth stage and stun everyone including himself with a superlative ride against the clock.

The Lampre-Fondital man stopped the clock at 28 minutes and 55 seconds, and was one of only two riders to go under the 29 minute mark. The other was Saunier Duval's tireless domestique Leonardo Piepoli, just one second slower than Bruseghin.

Now, many critics have been saying Liquigasser Danilo Di Luca, who has been in top shape since his victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, will no doubt fade over the final week.

So far, however, the maglia rosa is showing no sign of that. His time of 29:03, just eight seconds slower than stage winner Bruseghin's, was good enough for third place, and is more indicative of a man maintaining his strength at the very least.

Consequently, Di Luca's GC advantage over Bruseghin is all but preserved, and the 31-year-old leads the race overall by almost a minute from his compatriot.

Doubtless the revelation of the 2007 Giro, CSC's Andy Schleck continues to impress, finishing tenth and moving up a notch to third overall. The brother of l’Alpe d’Huez winner Fränk is proving to be an equally prodigious talent, and should Bruseghin falter in the final week, he'll be ready to climb one rung higher. Schleck's teammate Dave Zabriskie turned an even stronger performance on Friday, finish fourth, just 19 seconds adrift of Bruseghin.

Overall champion in 2004, Lampre-Fondital's Damiano Cunego, was solid though not sensational, conceding 38 seconds in Friday's time test, and like double Giro winner Gilberto Simoni of Saunier Duval, who lost more than a minute, they'll have their work cut out for them in the coming week.

However, with three men in the top 10 on GC, they odds are on for a all-out Lampre offensive sooner rather than later.

Mid-afternoon start
At 1:45 Friday afternoon, T-Mobile's American connection at this year's Giro, Aaron Olson, was the first of 159 riders off the ramp.

More than two hours down on GC, the 29 year-old wasn't expected to pull any cats out of the bag on the six percent slopes of the Santuario di Oropa - and he didn't.

Two hours later, and with two-thirds of the field done for the day, Ceramica Panaria-Navigare's Julio Pérez topped the provisional leader board with a time of 29:38, 34 seconds ahead of Quick Step's Giovanni Visconti and 42 seconds in front of Acqua & Sapone's Andrei Kunitski.

At a quarter-past four, TT specialist Zabriskie a the new best time, the clock stopping at 29 minutes 14 seconds, 24 seconds faster than Pérez.

Realistically, with the favorites still come, Dave Z stood little chance of finishing first. Moments later, his hopes were dashed with the first sub-29-minute time of the day, set by Piepoli.

The serenity on the face of his teammate and leader, Simoni, 2:34 behind the maglia rosa, was in stark contrast to that of yesterday on the Col d'Izoard. After nine Giri d'Italia, experience told Simoni that this race was won not with words or displays of aggression, but in the final week.

Nevertheless, it was important for Simoni to maintain or reduce his deficit, and that he didn't quite do, finishing a second over the 30-minute mark.

Lampre-Fondital's Damiano Cunego, sixth on GC at 2:10, bettered his former team-mate-turned-adversary with a time of 29:33, showing he's all set for fireworks next week. And so, too, Schleck, two seconds slower than Kid Cunego, but clearly the revelation in this year's Giro.

However, arguably the day's biggest surprise came moments later. As the expectant tifosi pounded their palms on the aluminum barriers for the maglia rosa, Bruseghin drove across the line in 28 minutes 55 seconds; a solitary second faster than Piepoli, but faster nonetheless.

With just Di Luca to come, Bruseghin had little time in the “hot seat.” The overall race leader eventually conceded eight seconds but did more than enough to preserve the best part of his overall lead.

The road ahead - Saturday's stage from the Romanesque Cantù to the thriving northern Italian town of Bergamo will be raced entirely region of Lombardy.

Using part of the percorso for the Tour of Lombardy, the 192 kilometer route takes the peloton through Lecco, along the Lecco branch of Lake Como, running through Mandello del Lario, Varenna, Bellano, Dervio and then Colico, where the lake ends and the Valtellina valley begins.

From Morbegno at kilometer 86, it's up, up and away to the San Marco pass, 1985 meters above sea level, before the peloton descends into Bergamo.

The second and final climb to La Trinità reaches its crest roughly 50 kilometers from the finish. But when the riders reach the city, an unclassified, sharp little bump known as the "strappo della Boccola" may provide the ideal launch-pad for a hopeful stage winner.Results – Stage 13
1. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Lampre, at 12.6km in 28:55 (26.144kph)
2. Leonardo Piepoli (I), Saunier Duval, at 0:01
3. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas, at 0:08
4. David Zabriskie (USA), CSC, at 0:19
5. Franco Pellizotti (I), Liquigas, at 0:22
6. Stefano Garzelli (I), Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil, at 0:29
7. Evgeni Petrov (Rus), TCS, at 0:31
8. Eddy Mazzoleni (I), Astana, at 0:33
9. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre, at 0:38
10. Andy Schleck (Lux), CSC, at 0:40
11. Perez Cuapio Julio Alberto (MEX), Ceramica Panaria - Navigare, 0:43
12. Branislau Samoilau (Blr), Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil, 0:43
13. Gilberto Simoni (I), Saunier Duval, 1:06

Overall
1. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas, 57:11:28
2. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Lampre, 0:55
3. Andy Schleck (Lux), CSC, 1:57
4. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre, 2:40
5. Francisco J.Vila Errandonea (Sp), Lampre, 2:44
6. David Arroyo Duran (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne, 2:51
7. Evgeni Petrov (Rus), TCS, 3:11
8. Gilberto Simoni (I), Saunier Duval, 3:32
9. Emanuele Sella (I), Ceramica Panaria - Navigare, 3:52
10. Eddy Mazzoleni (I), Astana, 3:53