Giro D'Italia 2015: Alberto Contador loses a Grand Tour lead for first time after crash

Fabio Aru took over the leader's pink jersey

Alberto Contador lost the lead of the Giro D'Italia (Getty Images)

Alberto Contador lost the overall lead of a Grand Tour for the first time in his career after he was involved in a crash towards the end of the 13th stage of the Giro d’Italia.

Fabio Aru took over the pink jersey after the stage, won by Sacha Modolo.

Aru escaped the crash, which took out a number of cyclists just before the final two miles, to move 19 seconds ahead of Contador. Mikel Landa is up to third, one minute and 14 seconds behind the Italian.

Had the incident happened a few metres further on, everyone would have been given the same time, as crashes within a certain distance of the finish line are neutralised.

Saturday could be the most important leg of the race as it features an unusually long individual time trial, at 36.9 miles, from Treviso to Valdobbiadene.

Modolo won the sprint at the end of Friday’s entirely flat 91-mile leg from Montecchio Maggiore to the resort of Jesolo, near Venice. The Italian edged out Giacomo Nizzolo and Elia Viviani.

Richie Porte’s faint hopes of winning the Giro are all but over after he was also involved in the crash and lost more time, finishing more than two minutes down on the leaders.

Aru recorded the same time as Modolo, while Contador – who was given a bicycle by a fellow rider in order to complete the stage – finished 46th, 40 seconds off the pace.