Mark Cavendish (HTC) has won his second stage of the 2011 Giro. The Manxman took a bunch sprint to win Stage 12, a pancake-flat, 184-km run from Castelfidardo to Ravenna, in 4:17:25. Davide Appolonio (Sky) finished second, and Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) took third. Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank) remains the maglia rosa.

With the Dolomites looming, today's ride was the last chance for sprinters to shine. When Stef Clement (Rabobank), Michal Golas (Vacansoleil), Miguel Minguez (Euskaltel), and Davide Ricci Bitti (Farnese Vini) escaped at five km, the peloton kept an eye on them. HTC went to the front and pegged  the fugitives' lead at about four minutes.

The bunch chipped away at the break's advantage. With 25 km left, the peloton trailed the escapees by two minutes. The field accelerated and snuffed out the break with 14 km remaining.

HTC led the bunch into the final km. Omega Pharma, Liquigas, Lampre, Acqua e Sapone, and Movistar moved up to organize the sprint.

With 1.6 km left, an Androni Giacattoli rider near the front of HTC's leadout train slid into the barriers, causing a crash. Only about 20 riders contested the sprint. Petacchi had Cavendish's wheel but could not come around the HTC rider. Cavendish held off Apollonio to win by about half a bike length.

In the overall, Contador leads Konstantin Sivtsov (HTC) by 0:59 and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) by 1:21. Stage 13 will be a standing shaker. The first of three Dolomite stages will take the riders 167 km, from Spilimbergo, Italy to Grossglockner, Austria. The riders will take on two Category 2 ascents and one Category 3 climb before tackling the Category 1 climb to the finish. A long break will probably take the stage, while behind that break, the GC contenders will fight for the maglia rosa. Who will win the battle? Contador? Nibali? Check in at www.roadcycling.com and find out!