GIRO D'ITALIA: Goss claims ninth stage sprint finish victory

 MATT Goss expertly sprung clear of a crowded pack to claim the ninth stage of the Giro d'Italia in Cava De' Tirreni.

The HTC-Colombia rider outsmarted Garmin's Tyler Farrar in yet another success for an Australian rider. Farrar was forced to settle for third while Filippo Pozzato claimed second.

Cyclists from Down Under have now claimed three stages wins, while they also hold three of the main jerseys and are well placed in the others.

Team Sky's Michael Barry and Katusha's Mikhail Ignatiev were the stars in an early breakaway - that bravely hammered their way through appalling weather conditions before finally being caught just five kilometres from home, in a 188km stage that started out from Frosinone.

Cadel Evans and Alexandre Vinokourov - the main challengers for the maglia rosa - both made bids for bonus seconds in the closing kilometre before being swallowed up by the sprint specialists, meaning the latter maintains his healthy one minute 12 second overall advantage.

 

Tuesday’s tenth stage could see a breakaway stick - a 230km run, with a much tougher profile, from Avellino to Bitonto.