A beauty for Bettini
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ByEurosport
Published 22/05/2006 at 15:11 GMT
Paolo Bettini claimed his first stage-win of the 2006 Giro, pipping Olaf Pollack by millimetres in yet another photo-finish mass sprint on Monday. Looking to repeat as the Giro's points leader, Bettini's win was made easier by the absence of Alessandro Pe
Eurosport
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The Olympic champion had been foiled four times previously at this year's Tour of Italy, finishing third, fourth, and twice second in four mass sprints.
"This time things finally went right," Bettini told reporters. "It's a relief to win a stage after all my earlier placings and after my nasty crash in the Tirreno-Adriatico race in early March."
Davitamon's Robbie McEwen, who abandoned the race over the weekend due to stomach pains, won the first three of those sprints.
Vaitkus (AG2R) won the last Giro sprint-finish claiming Stage 9 literally milliseconds in front of Bettini, who actually raised his hands in the air in victory after the photo-finish, only to later be disappointed with news of Vaitkus' win.
The stage-win is Bettini's second career triumph in his home race.
"Things just didn't seem to be going my way. I tried to win bunch sprints, I tried to go in breakaways but I didn't win. I was getting a bit desperate but now I've finally done it."
Though for men rode in a break-away for nearly four hours, they were never able to take their lead above five minutes, and the flat 189-kilometre stage was destined for a sprint-finish.
Ivan Basso (CSC) finished with the peloton to easily retain his pink jersey and his strong three minute and 27 second lead over his next closest rival, José Enrique Gutierrez.
"It's going to be five extremely hard days and I expect attacks from my rivals," Basso said. " "I can't chase everybody but I'll see how I feel and then decide whether to ride defensively or go on the attack."
The Giro now moves into the Dolomite mountains before ending on Sunday in Milan.
Follow LIVE coverage of the Giro D'Italia all the way up to the last finish line in Milan on May 28 right here on www.eurosport.com.
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