FOLIGNO, Italy — French sprint ace Nacer Bouhanni claimed his second victory of the Giro d'Italia Friday as Australian Michael Matthews held on to the race leader's pink jersey. Bouhanni handed the French their first win in Italy's biggest race in three years after overcoming a late puncture during Tuesday's rain-hit fourth stage to triumph at the finish line. On Friday's transitional 211km stage, the 24-year-old of the FDJ.fr team doubled his tally when he left Italian Giacomo Nizzolo and Slovenian Luka Mezgec with the minor placings. Matthews finished fourth. After Mezgec had launched the final dash for the finish line, Bouhanni used a combination of sheer speed and tactical nous to squeeze past the Slovenian and on towards victory, with Nizzolo finishing runner-up half a wheel behind. Despite benefiting from the early exit of German ace Marcel Kittel, who won two stages in three days before abandoning due to illness, 2012 French champion Bouhanni's exploits have prompted praise from retired Italian legend Mario Cippollini. “He's the archetypal sprinter, he's afraid of nothing,” said Cipollini, who still holds the record of 42 Giro stage wins. Matthews, a sprint specialist who rides for Orica, leads compatriot Cadel Evans (BMC), a favorite for overall victory, by 21sec overall ahead of Saturday's rolling eighth stage from Foligno to Montecopiolo, which ends after a 6.4km climb. Before many of the race's major climbing difficulties, Evans is in a favorable position having seen pink jersey rival Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) crash out of the race with three broken ribs Thursday. Evans is a former Tour de France and world champion and his closest rival, Colombian Rigoberto Uran, is third overall at 1min 18sec behind Matthews. Wiggins retains lead In California, American Taylor Phinney raced to a 12-second victory Thursday in 100-degree heat in the fifth stage of the Tour of California as Britain's Bradley Wiggins retained the overall lead. Phinney, riding for BMC, escaped from the front group with 19 miles (301 kilometers) left and completed the 107.4-mile (173-km) stage from Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara in 3 hours, 59 minutes, 33 seconds for his seventh career pro win. “I wasn't sure it was the smartest move,” Phinney said. “But I know I can go downhill faster than anyone because I weigh more than anyone.” Wiggins, the Sky rider who won the 2012 Tour de France, took the race lead after winning the second stage. He finished in the field Thursday to keep a 28-second margin over Australia's Rohan Dennis of Garmin-Sharp. Portugal's Tiago Machado of NetApp-Endura, was third overall — 1:09 back. Slovakia's Peter Sagan of Cannondale was second in the stage, and Australia's Matthew Goss of Orica GreenEdge was third. The 23-year-old Phinney is the son of Davis Phinney, who won more than 300 pro races, and Connie Carpenter Phinney, the 1984 Olympic road race champion. Phinney is now 52nd overall. — Agencies
