Tiralongo claims Giro d'Italia seventh stage

Paolo Tiralongo out-sprinted one of the overall favourites in Michele Scarponi to win the seventh stage of the Giro d'Italia over 202km from Recanati to Rocca di Cambio on Saturday. Canadian Ryder Hesjedal took fifth on the stage, five seconds back, to take over the pink jersey from Italian Andriano Malori. The stage finished with a 19km climb up to Rocca di Cambio that really ramped up in the final 1.5km. Escapees Stefano Pirazzi and Jose Herrada were caught in that final steep part after which Scarponi made a break for home from 400-metres out. Tiralongo gritted his teeth and stuck with his Italian countryman before nipping past in the final 50 metres. Luxembourg's Frank Schleck took third on the stage, three seconds back, with Joaquim Rodriguez in fourth with the same time. It was the first stage in which the overall favourites started to show their class with the likes of twice former winner Ivan Basso taking eighth on the stage, nine seconds down, to move up to that same position overall. Czech Roman Kreuziger also stuck with the leading group and is now seventh overall. Tiralongo's 20-second time bonus for winning the stage helped him up to second overall, 15 seconds down on Hesjedal, with Spaniard Rodriguez now third just another two seconds back. American Garmin pair Christian Vande Velde and Peter Stetina round out the top five. The stage began with an immediate four-man break comprising Matteo Rabottini, Mirko Selvaggi, Japan's Fumiyuku Beppu and Reto Hollenstein. It lasted until just over 20km left when Rabottini decided to go solo with the peloton quickly closing in. The other escapees were soon caught while first Pirazzi and then Herrada attacked off the front of the group. They briefly made a three-man group with Rabottini but the Italian could not keep going with it and soon dropped off. Herrada made a sole break when Pirazzi lost time by almost going the wrong way at a junction. The Spaniard held on until 600-metres from the line when the group caught and passed him, leaving Scarponi and Tiralongo to fight for victory.