Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval) has won Stage 10 of the Giro d?Italia. The Italian climber rode away from the lead group in the last four km to win the 250-km ride from Lido di Camaiore to Santuario Nostra Signora Della Guardia in 6:19:07. Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) finished second at 0:18, and Andy Schleck (CSC) took third at 0:27. Andrea Noe (Liquigas) has taken the maglia rosa from Marco Pinotti (T-Mobile).

The stage was ridden under partly cloudy skies. From the start, the racing was aggressive. Twenty-seven riders made an early escape, but the bunch reeled them in. Another early move containing Fortunato Baliani (Panaria), Francesco Bellotti (Credit Agricole), Paolo Bettini (Quick Step), Iban Mayo (Saunier Duval), Olivier Bonnaire (Bouygues Telecom), and Mauricio Ardila Cano (Rabobank) occurred, but T-Mobile and Liquigas shut it down.

At about 72 km, Ivan Parra attacked, and Alberto Losada (Caisse d?Epargne), Cano, Hubert Dupont (Ag2r), Baliani and George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) joined him. At 85 km, the break led the bunch by 4:24, and Hincapie, who had begun the day 10^th overall, was the virtual maglia rosa.

Lampre and Liquigas chased, and at 183 km, the break?s advantage was down to 3:15. With 43 km left, the fugitives led the field by 2:40, and 13 km later, the break was 1:50 ahead of the bunch. Hincapie punctured but received a wheel from the neutral service car and rejoined the break.

At the summit of the climb to Campi (222 km), the break, which was down to three riders (Hincapie had not yet rejoined), was 1:10 ahead of the maglia rosa group, which was led by Lampre. Pinotti had struggled on the ascent but had stayed with the group. Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval) punctured, but a teammate gave the two-time Giro winner a wheel and two others towed him back to the chase group.

Liquigas led the field into the climb. Ahead, Parra dropped his companions, who were eventually absorbed. With six km remaining, Di Luca bridged up to Parra but realized that he had attacked too early and sat up. Both riders were absorbed.

Piepoli attacked. Only Schleck could follow the Saunier Duval man. The Luxembourger closed to within 0:08 of the Italian, but Di Luca attacked with about a km left and overtook Schleck. Piepoli, however, was beyond reach.

In the overall, Noe leads Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre) by 1:08 and David Arroyo (Caisse d?Epargne) by 1:15. Stage 11 will not change this state of affairs. A sprinter will probably win the rolling, 198-km ride from Serravalle Scrivia to Pinerolo. Which one will win? Check in at www.roadcycling.com and find out!