Sam Bennett takes stage seven of Giro as Simon Yates retains pink jersey

Yates retains a 16-second lead over Elia Viviani

Yates holds a 16-second lead (Getty)

Ireland's Sam Bennett won stage seven of the Giro d'Italia as Britain's Simon Yates retained the pink jersey.

Bennett pipped stage favourite Elia Viviani in a sprint finish in Praia a Mare to claim his maiden grand tour stage victory.

Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) finished safely in the bunch to retain his 16-second lead over reigning champion Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) in the general classification standings.

Team Sky's Chris Froome, aiming to win a third successive grand tour, remains eighth, 70 seconds behind his race-leading compatriot.

The peloton swept up Davide Ballerini, the last survivor of the day's breakaway, with 14 kilometres left of the 159km stage from Pizzo.

The sprint teams then took charge ahead of a technical finish on Italy's west coast.

And it was Bora-Hansgrohe left celebrating victory as Bennett latched on to the wheel of Quick-Step Floors' Viviani and overcame the Italian in the closing metres.

Bennett is the first Irish winner of a Giro d'Italia stage since Stephen Roche in 1987.