ITALIAN sprint king Mario Cipollini notched his third stage win of the Giro d'Italia in Marina di Massa yesterday, convincingly taking the 11th leg in a sprint finish.

Cipollini, who won the fourth stage at Ostuni and the eighth at Naples, was almost a bike's length clear as he crossed the line ahead of Uzbek Djamolidine Abdujaparov and early race leader Silvio Martinello.

Fellow Italian Davide Rebellin kept the leader's pink jersey for the fifth day in a row after the 130km run from Prato.

In one of the easiest stages of this year's race, a group of 27 separated early from Rebellin's main peloton, but a lack of organisation, saw their lead of nearly two and a half minutes frittered away.

Three men broke away for the final 40 kilometres Daniele Contrini, who had also made an inspired two man break on Monday, Fabiano Fontanelli and Maurizio De Pasquale.

Contrini fell behind during the descent to Marina di Massn, but Di Pasquale lasted only another couple of minutes, failing to take a bend and ending up in a heap by the roadside, eight kilometres from the end. Fontanelli surrendered to the advancing peloton two kilometres from the line.