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Scarponi takes Tirreno-Adriatico lead
Italy's Michele Scarponi broke away late the fourth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico, taking the win and the overall lead.
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The defending champion, who was banned in 2007 for his involvement in the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, crossed the line 14 seconds ahead of Benoit Vaugrenard (Francaise Des Jeux ).
The Frenchman wrongly thought he had won but will be comforted by moving up to second in the standings, 18 seconds behind Scarponi, and his Androni Giocattoli teammate Leonardo Bertagnolli, who was third in the stage.
Daniele Bennati, the overnight race leader, finished well back but world champion Cadel Evans was handily-placed in sixth overall after the Australian BMC rider came eighth in the stage.
Another Australian, team HTC-Columbia's Michael Rogers, winner of last months Vuelta a Andalucia, moved up the standings and is now inside the top ten on the general classification, 29 seconds behind Scarponi.
The 243-kilometre winding route from San Gemini to Chieti in central Italy, the longest stage of the first big Italian race of the season, was characterised by several tough climbs and occasional patches of snow on the ground.
Organisers have been forced to change the route for Sunday's stage because of more snow further up the Apennine mountains.
Stage 4: 243km, San Gemini - Chieti.
1 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 6:23:47, 2 Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux 0:00:14, 3 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli, 4 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone, 5 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne, 6 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana 0:00:17, 7 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank, 8 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team, 9 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox 0:00:19, 10 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia.
General classification:
1 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 18:08:14, 2 Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux 0:00:18, 3 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:00:20, 4 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone 0:00:24, 5 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne, 6 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:26, 7 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana 0:00:27, 8 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank, 9 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia 0:00:29, 10 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox.
