Kanstantin Siutsou (Sky) from Belarus finished four seconds ahead of Vini Fantini-Selle Italia's Mauro Santambrogio on Wednesday’s second stage of the Italian stage race Giro del Trentino.

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Tour de France champion Wiggins (Sky) were next to cross the finish line, trailing Santambrogio by a further 15 seconds, and they move to fifth and fourth respectively on general classification.

The winner of Tuesday’s morning stage, Maxime Bouet (AG2R), took back the overall lead from Josef Cerny of CCC Polsat. Yesterday the duo was part of an eight-man break in the short morning stage that finished nearly seven minutes ahead of the peloton.

Earlier in today’s stage Gregor Gazvoda (Champion System Pro Cycling Team), Filippo Savini (Ceramica Flaminia - Fondriest), Tomas Aurelio Gil Martinez (Androni Giocattoli), Michael Schwarzmann (Team Netapp - Endura) and Marco Coledan (Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox) made an attack stick just before the quarter point of the 224.8 km stage from Sillian.

They built up a 6:20 lead on Austrian roads before Savini left his fellow escapees on the 17 km long category-one ascent of the Passo Lavaze. But he was caught in the valley by the other four breakaway riders before Coledan attacked ahead of the stage-ending, category-one climb.

Coledan was the only man in front of the peloton when they began the 14 km long finishing ascent but his three minute advantage was quickly whittled down on the climb with ramps up to 10 per cent and he was caught with 10 km remaining.

Siutsou was then joined by Pierre Rolland (Europcar) and Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox) at the front with Wiggins, Nibali, Scarponi (Lampre-Merida) and Evans (BMC) sitting behind in a peloton reduced to less than 30 riders halfway up the climb.

Rolland was the first to crack and then Siutsou dropped Pirazzi to lead alone and take a spectacular stage win in the Dolomites. Nibali was attacking behind and although Cadel Evans managed to ride himself back on one occasion, the 2011 Tour de France champion was unable to deal with a second turn of pace.

Wiggins steadily rode his way back on to Nibali's wheel on both occasions before Santambrogio went off in pursuit of Siutsou inside the final 2 km.

He was unable to catch him, however, with Wiggins dutifully staying on Nibali's wheel to the line and finishing nine seconds ahead of the fading Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r La Mondiale) with Evans 46 seconds behind the stage winner in tenth.

Result, stage 3:

1. Kanstantin Siutsou - Sky
2. Mauro Santambrogio - Vini Fantini - Selle Italia 0.04”
3. Vincenzo Nibali - Astana 0.19”
4. Bradley Wiggins - Sky
5. Domenico Pozzovivo - AG2R 0.28”
6. Stefano Pirazzi - Bardiani Valvole - CSF 0.34”
7. Fabio Aru - Astana 0.37”
8. Alexandr Dyachenko - Astana 0.38”
9. Pierre Rolland - Team Europcar 0.45”
10. Cadel Evans - BMC Racing Team 0.46”

General classification:

1. Maxime Bouet – AG2R

2. Kanstantin Siutsou – Sky 3’ 19”

3. Pavel Kocheltkov – Rusvelo 3’ 35”

4. Bradley Wiggins – Sky 3’ 48”

5. Vincenzo Nibali – Astana 3’ 57”