The China Mail - Dainese becomes first Italian winner in 2022 Giro

Dainese, 24, who had never previously won a stage in the Giro, beat the Colombian Fernando Gaviria in the dash for the finish. Another Italian Simone Consonni took third.

The Spaniard Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek) retained the leader's pink jersey after a 203-kilometre stage which was relatively comfortable other than the heat and wind.

Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, however, pocketed three bonus seconds in an intermediate sprint to climb two places into second, equal in time with the Portuguese Joao Almeida, 12 seconds behind Lopez.

Eritrea's Biniam Girmay, who on Tuesday became the first black African to win a stage at the Giro, pulled out before the start following a podium accident after his win.

The unfortunate Girmay was hit in the left eye by a prosecco cork while celebrating his historic stage victory.

Intermarche's team doctor Piet Daneels said tests showed "haemorrhage in the anterior chamber of the left eye".

With temperatures hitting 30 degrees, the peloton largely stuck together apart from one wishful breakaway by Luca Rastelli and Filippo Tagliani which was reeled in just after halfway.

Belgian Dries De Bondt embarked on a solo raid 58 kilometres from the finish, which ended just 1,300 meters from the line.

In the sprint, French rider Arnaud Demare, who already has two stage wins to his name in this Giro, attacked from deep.

He was hunted down by Gaviria before Dainese, taking full advantage of the slipstream, came through to take the third victory of his career.

Last year, he finished second in a Vuelta stage, behind Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen.

The peloton faces its longest day in the saddle on Thursday with a mountainous 12th stage of 204 kilometres which crosses the Apennines from Parma to Genoa.

W.Cheng--ThChM