GIRO DITALIA:RACE LEADER Danilo Di Luca stormed to victory in the 10th stage of the crisis-hit Giro d'Italia yesterday to extend his overall advantage. The Italian LPR rider broke away from the pack late on during the 262-km stage, the longest in the three-week race, which included this year's highest climb to the ski resort of Sestriere.

The 2007 winner, who fought off doping allegations last year, finished the route in six hours 30 minutes and 43 seconds, ahead of compatriot Franco Pellizotti in second and Russian Denis Menchov.

Overall, Di Luca holds a one minute 20 second lead over Rabobank’s Menchov with Australian Michael Rogers third.

The Giro, which had a rest day on Monday, was hit by controversy on Sunday when riders decided the route through the streets of Milan was too dangerous and it was agreed stage-nine times would not count for the general classification. Di Luca, who fronted the protests and was booed by the Milan crowd, was keen to draw a line under the incident. “We’ve returned to racing,” he said.

The protest was partly prompted by Spain’s Pedro Horrillo Munoz falling down a ravine on Saturday and being seriously hurt. The race, in its centenary year, had to deal with more bad news yesterday when a motorcyclist who followed the peloton with a photographer was killed in a crash on his way to the route in north-west Italy.

A minute’s silence was held for Fabio Saccani during the jersey presentations after the stage.

Lance Armstrong, racing his first Giro after coming out of retirement, was 13th on the stage but is not expecting to challenge for the pink jersey having only just recovered from a broken collarbone.

Yesterday’s stage was altered so as not to enter France where radio communications would have been difficult at altitude. The 214-km 11th stage today goes from Turin to Arenzano near Genoa. The race ends in Rome on May 31st.