Alessandro Petacchi wins second stage of Giro d’ltalia – Cycling News
Alessandro Petacchi of the Lampre –ISD team, has won the second stage of Giro d’ltalia cycling race, on Sunday, May 8, 2011. Petacchi crossed the finish line ahead of race leader, Mark Cavendish of the HTC-High road team and Manuel Belletti of the Colnago-CSF
Inox team.
The race started in Alba and ended at Parma. Petacchi covered the distance of 244 kilometres in 5 hours, 45 minutes and 40 seconds.
Mark Cavendish was happy with his overall victory but was livid over Petacchi, because in the final 200 metres, his opponent changed directions on three occasions during the sprint.
Petacchi dismissed Cavendish’s complaints and said, "I don't think I did anything wrong in the sprint. When you see someone coming up you go looking for him and I moved a bit, but I didn't do anything wrong. But I apologise if I did.”
The Italian continued his good run of form, as he has won the second stage of the Tour of Turkey and also the second stage of Vollta a Catalunya. Petacchi claimed this was his 27th victory, but his record books show that the rider had won a Giro
stage, for the 22nd time.
Sebastian Lang of Omega Pharma-Lotto was the first man who attacked, after three kilometres of the race and gained a maximum advantage of 20 minutes. The gap had dropped to four minutes with 50 kilometres to go, in the first sprint in Salsomaggiore Terme.
Lang crossed the line first, ahead of Wouter Weylandt and Jan Bakelants.
Lang got hold of the Italian in mountain one at Tabiano Castello and finished first, after covering a distance of 33.6 kilometres. The German took 1 minute and 32 seconds as an advantage, over the peloton.
In the last 1.5 kilometres of the stage, Garmin-Cervelo took a lead but Mark Renshaw soon moved up with Cavendish. Petacchi then increased his speed and passed Cavendish to claim victory, ahead of the other riders.
Mark Cavendish of HTC-High road team took an overall lead with the timing of 6 hours, 6 minutes and 27seconds. Kanstantsin Sivtsov was runner-up with a difference of 12 seconds, while Craig Lewis secured the third place.
The next stage will start in Reggio Emilia and end in Rapallo. All the riders will cover the distance of 173 kilometres, during the stage.
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