Mario Cipollini sprinted further into Giro d'Italia history yesterday with his 30th stage win in 11 years. The villain of Tuesday's sprint became the hero as he shot past Russian Dmitri Konyshev and Italian Silvio Martinello in the final 50 metres of the 235-km fourth stage from Scalea.
The overall lead of Italian Cristian Moreni was undisturbed by the day's racing.
Twenty-four hours ago Cipollini, who likes to be known as The Lion King, was disqualified from first place after nearly colliding with Czech Jan Svorada in the Scalea finish - a repeat of an incident between the two men in Cento five years ago.
Then, as on Tuesday, victory was awarded to Svorada, but the lofty Tuscan succeeded a day later to match the 30 stage wins of compatriot Costante Girardengo.
Girardengo scored seven of his wins in 1919 when he also had the first of two overall Giro triumphs.
Cipollini's victory was also the 152nd of his career. One more will lift him into equal second in the most successful stage-winners' list with Learco Guerra who won the Giro 66 years ago.
The all-time best of Alfredo Binda is still at least 11 sprint finishes from Cipollini's reach. Binda also won the Giro five times but Cipollini is of a different cycling era.
Cipollini triumphed in a hilly finish where usually he would not succeed. After ambitious flurries over the 25 kilometres it came down to a mass sprint.
Some 15 kilometres from the finish Swiss rider Daniel Schnider was attacking when he was felled by an official's motorcycle.
The motorcycle clipped Schnider's handlebars and he crashed heavily, regaining his feet as the pursuing bunch parted to avoid him.
"I did not know what had happened. Suddenly I was on the ground," said the Swiss who completed the course.
Waterford rider Ciaran Power completed yesterday's stage in the main bunch 11 minutes and 37 seconds behind. Power, with the Linda McCartney team, finished an excellent fifth in Tuesday's sprint finish with the top riders. Although in 145th position Power is enjoying a good spell in his first year on the professional circuit.
