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By Stephen Farrand
LIDO DI CAMAIORE, Italy, May 21 - Italy's Danilo
Napolitano spoilt Alessandro Petacchi's hopes of winning stage
nine of the Giro d'Italia in his home town on Monday.
Petacchi has dominated sprint finishes in recent years and
wanted to win his third stage of this year's Giro in Lido di
Camaiore but he was edged into third in a mass sprint finish
behind Napolitano and Australia's Robbie McEwen.
Petacchi led the sprint for home but Napolitano had the
strength and speed to beat him to the line by half a wheel and
win his first ever stage at the Giro.
"Petacchi has won and celebrated a lot during his career and
so it's only fair I celebrate some times," Napolitano said.
Napolitano has learnt to win sprints by racing on the track.
He was fifth in the scratch race at the 2006 world championships
and finished 11th this year.
"The two disciplines are very different but racing on the
track helps you in lots of ways," he told reporters.
"I'm not afraid of touching shoulders with other riders and
fighting for a place on a wheel. I like the fear and thrills of
sprinting."
Italy's Marco Pinotti finished in the same time as
Napolitano and retained the overall lead. Compatriot Andrea Noe
is second at 28 seconds with Kazakhstan's Sergei Yakovlev third
at 54 seconds.
Tuesday's 250-km 10th stage is from Camaiore to Santuario
Nostra Signora della Guardia near Genoa. It ends with a nine-km
climb and Pinotti does not expect to keep his lead much longer.
But he said: "If I lose the race leader's pink jersey I'll
still be happy because it's been an emotional few days and
something I'll never forget."