Cycling: Wust is first to the line

Marcel Wust emerged from a tight sprint finish yesterday to take the seventh stage of the Giro d'Italia, while Pavel Tonkov held on to the overall leader's pink jersey.

The German crossed the line first after the 130-mile leg from Lanciano to Mondragone, which had a flat finish conducive to a tight dash.

Mario Cipollini, the Italian who has taken three Giro stages already in closing sprints, lacked support from his team-mates yesterday. He made an early break, but as Wust moved past in the final yards, Cipollini let up and coasted home with the main pack.