The leading contenders in this year's Giro d'Italia bike race climbed the overall standings in the longest stage on Saturday, and the first in the mountains.
Serguei Honchar took the overall leader's pink jersey back from T-Mobile teammate Olaf Pollack as last year's winner Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery) and favorite Ivan Basso (Team CSC) climbed into second and third place overall.
Belgian cyclist Rik Verbrugghe (Cofidis) won 146-mile stage between Cesena and Saltara by attacking as the 5-man leading group entered the town. Verbrugghe wore the Giro's pink jersey in 2001 after the prologue.
Also among the top 10 finishers in the stage were Savoldelli (2nd), Basso (6th), Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval, 8th) and Damiano Cunego (Lampre, 10th).
Overall, Savoldelli trails by 5 seconds, Basso by 11 seconds and American Tom Danielson (Discovery) in 7th, 56 seconds behind.
T-Mobile's Jan Ullrich had a good finish today, just one-minute 5 seconds off the winner. Perhaps he's been motivated by Lance Armstrong, who recently withdrew his support of Ullrich and now says Basso is the man to the beat in this July's Tour de France.
Sunday marks the first of four mountaintop finishes in this year's Giro. The 106-stage ends after a steep 7.4-mile climb to Maieletta.
More results and commentary at CyclingNews and VeloNews. OLN hosts live video streaming of the Giro; OLN also broadcasts the Giro from 5-7 pm (ET) on Sundays (check local listings).
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