Cycling: Wiggins' hopes hit hard by crash

(GETTY IMAGES)

Belgium's Wouter Weylandt was the surprise winner of the third stage of the Giro d'Italia yesterday when crashes again marred the race and helped Alexandre Vinokourov seize the lead.

Britain's Bradley Wiggins, who held the pink leader's jersey after day one, was involved in a pile-up for the second day running to leave his chances of challenging in the three-week race almost as tattered as the ripped shirt on his shoulders.

Fans running too close to the peloton and tight corners on the seafront at the finish in Middelburg, in the Netherlands, appeared to contribute to the collisions, with American Christian Vandevelde clutching his shoulder in agony after one crash.

The Giro has been touring the Netherlands for the first three days before returning to Italy. Quick Step's unheralded Weylandt took the 224km third stage in a time of five hours and six seconds, ahead of Australia's Graeme Brown and Robert Foerster of Germany.