May 14 (Reuters) - Pre-race favourite Remco Evenepoel stormed to victory in a rain-affected Giro d'Italia stage nine on Sunday, a 35-km individual time trial, to retake the leader's maglia rosa jersey.
The Belgian finished with a time of 41 minutes and 24 seconds, just one second ahead of Geraint Thomas and two seconds clear of Thomas's Ineos Grenadiers team mate Tao Geoghegan Hart.
Overnight leader Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM) relinquished his advantage in the overall standings, where Evenepoel now has a 45-second lead over Thomas, while triple Vuelta a Espana champion Primoz Roglic, who finished 17 seconds behind Evenepoel on Sunday, manchester united drakt is in third.
Geoghegan Hart and Joao Almeida are fourth and fifth.
"I don't think I paced it very well. I started too fast and my second part wasn't that great. I found some better legs in the technical part because I could recover a bit," Evenepoel said.
"I wasn't feeling too well in the second part with the head wind. It's another stage win but it wasn't my best time trial. To go to the mountains with the advantage I have now is pretty good but Ineos for sure will have some plans to attack me.
"But we have a strong team and a lot of confidence.

Tomorrow I will have to recover well because my last two stages weren't my best days. Firstly I want to enjoy this victory."
Monday is a rest day on the Giro.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Toby Davis)



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