Spain's Aitor Gonzalez Jimenez won the eighth stage of the Giro d'Italia from Capannori to Orvieto in Tuscany after making a late break.

The Kelme rider left the other riders behind 700m from the line to win the longest stage of the race.

Germany's Jens Heppner of the Telekom team retained the overall race lead.

"Today my Telekom team rode very very well," said Heppner. "It was a hard race but we controlled things.

"The three-rider break helped us because they were not well placed in the overall standings so we let them go.

"My dream goes for as long as we keep the race lead."

Jiminez finished four seconds ahead of Italians Francesco Casagrande of the Fassa Bortolo team and Gilberto Simoni of Saeco.

"This is the best win of my career," said Jimenez. "Every win is special but this is even more so because it's in a major stage race.

"Today was the longest stage of the race and so I thought everybody would be tired. I felt good and so I went for it."

Fabrizio Guidi, Massimo Strazzer and Alessandro Petacchi went clear of the field after 67km, but Guidi was the last to be caught, three kilometres from the finish.

Tuesday's ninth stage of the Giro goes from Tivoli near Rome to Caserta near Naples over a distance of 201km.

Eighth stage (Capannori to Orvieto, 243km):
1. Aitor Gonzalez Jimenez (Spain) Kelme five hours 47 minutes 54 second
2. Francesco Casagrande (Italy) Fassa Bortolo four seconds behind
3. Gilberto Simoni (Italy) Saeco
4. Juan Manuel Garate (Spain) Lampre
5. Cristian Moreni (Italy) Alessio
6. Ruggero Marzoli (Italy) Formaggi Trentini
7. Eddy Mazzoleni (Italy) Tacconi Sport
8. Davide Rebellin (Italy) Gerolsteiner
9. Michael Boogerd (Holland) Rabobank
10. Paolo Savoldelli (Italy) Index

General classifications:
1. Jens Heppner (Germany) Telekom 41 hours 13 minutes 28 seconds
2. Garzelli 3:33 behind
3. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine) Landbouwkrediet 3:50
4. Mazzoleni 3:57
5. Casagrande 4:08
6. Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spain) Kelme 4:09
7. Savoldelli 4:27
8. Simoni 4:33
9. Wladimir Belli (Italy) Fassa Bortolo 4:39
10. Pietro Caucchioli (Italy) Alessio 4:41

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