Team Omega Pharma-Lotto's Bart De Clercq hung on to win stage 7 of the 2011 Giro d'Italia earlier this afternoon and Team Rabobank's Pieter Weening retained the overall lead.

De Clercq immediately dedicated his victory to fellow Belgian Wouter Weylandt, who died in a crash Monday during the third stage of the Giro d'Italia.

"During the race I tried not to think about Wouter," De Clercq said after being celebrated on the podium and added "But now that I've won it I want to dedicate this win to Wouter Weylandt and his family."

De Clercq attacked on the long final climb to Montevergine di Mercogliano with about six miles remaining and finished in 2 hours, 54 minutes, 47 seconds. Italian Michele Scarponi (Team Lampre) led the pursuing group, but fell just short in the 68-mile stage that started in Maddaloni.

"I left it a touch too late at the end," Scarponi commented and added "Overall it was a good performance, though. We didn't have a good rhythm in the peleton and I tried to increase it, but doing that is never easy."

Roman Kreuziger of the Czech Republic was third in the same time.

Netherlands' Weening finished in the chasing pack to hold onto the pink jersey for a third day.

Italian champion Giovanni Visconti, Matteo Montaguti, Federico Canuti, Jerome Pineau and Team HTC-HighRoad's Lars Bak (Denmark) made the initial break and held it until De Clercq attacked halfway up the final climb.

Three time Tour de France winner and overall Giro d'Italia favorite Alberto Contador (Team Saxo Bank-SunGard) finished ninth in the pack and remains ninth in the standings, 30 seconds behind Weening. Other Giro favorite Vincenzo Nibali of Team Liquigas-Cannondale crossed the finish line in 5th position.

"It was a really fast stage where the bunch wanted to catch the escapee and crossing the finish line I wasn't sure if they managed to. It was also a finish where we really watched each other because we knew that the final was not that demanding. Now, I'm looking forward to Sunday's stage where we will probably see big changes in the GC," Contador told Roadcycling.com and our mobile sister site Roadcycling.mobi after today's stage.

Saturday's eighth stage is 134.5-miles from Sapri to Tropea. The 21-stage Giro d'Italia 2011 finishes in Milano on May 29. Why not support Roadcycling.com by signing up for a cycling traning log in our diary section before the Giro reaches Milan? Our training log service is used by pro team Sky and Saxo Bank in the Giro.

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You'll find complete results and more photos from stage 7 here.