ARENZANO, Italy (AP) — Mark Cavendish won the 11th stage of the Giro d'Italia in a mass sprint Wednesday, and Danilo Di Luca held on to the overall leader's pink jersey.
It was the second victory in this year's race for Cavendish, the British standout of Team Columbia-High Road. Cavendish also wore the overall leader's pink jersey for a day after Columbia won the team time trial that opened the race.
Cavendish clocked 4 hours, 51 minutes, 17 seconds over the mostly flat 214-kilometer (133-mile) leg from Turin to Arenzano, adding to his victory in Milan on Sunday.
Teammate Mark Renshaw set Cavendish up for the sprint.
"I've got the best guys to deliver me to the finish," said Cavendish, who won the Milan-San Remo single-day classic along these roads in March. "It brought back good memories. It was nice seeing the water. This was where the race started in the Milan-San Remo and that's where it finished today."
Tyler Farrar of the United States crossed second and Alessandro Petacchi of Italy was third, both with the same time as Cavendish.
Di Luca, an Italian with the LPR squad, maintained a 1:20 lead over Russia's Denis Menchov in the overall standings entering the much-anticipated 60.6-kilometer (37.6-mile) individual time trial along the coastal area known as Cinque Terre on Thursday.
Michael Rogers of Australia is third overall, 1:33 behind, and Levi Leipheimer of the United States is fourth, 1:40 back.
Lance Armstrong moved up from 18th to 16th overall, still 5:28 behind Di Luca.
Leipheimer fell 109 kilometers (68 miles) into the stage when another rider hit him as he was drinking in the feeding area. The Montana native said he "lost a lot of skin," but did not think he had any serious injuries.
After the accident, Leipheimer changed bikes and quickly caught back up to the main pack.
Race organizers reported that Leipheimer had cuts and bruises on his elbow, hip and left shoulder.
Another American Astana rider, Chris Horner, did not start the stage due to a muscle tear in his left calf following a crash Tuesday.
Horner's withdrawal is a blow for Leipheimer, since he has been an important support rider and sat 11th overall. Armstrong will now have to ride more in a supporter's role.
Spanish rider Joaquin Rodriguez of the Caisse d'Epargne team pulled out early in Wednesday's stage due to a left knee problem.
The stage began in Piazza Castello, the medal plaza from the 2006 Turin Olympics, and riders reached the Ligurian coast following the minor Turchino climb, a staple of the Milan-San Remo.
Vladimir Isaichev of Russia broke away from the pack at the 214-kilometer (133-mile) mark and gained an eight-minute lead before the pack caught up.
Armstrong moved to the front and set the pace down from the Turchino pass, then pulled up and dropped to the back of the pack when the road flattened out again for the final 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
"Armstrong just wanted to play it safe, that's why he went to the front. Then Leipheimer couldn't keep up, so I stepped in," Di Luca said. "Lance is looking better and better. I think he'll be one of the probable winners at the Tour."
A minute of silence was held at the start of the stage in memory of Fabio Saccani, the motorcyclist who died in an accident heading toward Tuesday's stage.
The race ends May 31 in Rome.