Peter Sagan secured victory in the fourth stage of Tirreno-Adriatico while Chris Horner rode into the overall lead.
Liquigas-Cannondale rider wins in Chieti, Horner takes overall lead
Peter Sagan of Liquigas-Cannondale secured victory in the fourth stage of Tirreno-Adriatico while Chris Horner (RadioShack-Nissan) rode into the overall lead.
Sagan outsprinted an elite five-man group that survived the steep drag up to the finish line after a mammoth 252 kilometre trip from Amelia to Chieti.
Roman Kreuziger (Astana) and Sagan's team-mate Vincenzo Nibali were second and third respectively, with Danilo di Luca (Acqua & Sapone) fourth and Horner completing the top five.
Horner, whose team were second in the opening team time trial, therefore claimed the leader's blue jersey seven seconds ahead of Kreuziger and 13 in front of Cameron Meyer (GreenEDGE).
Team Sky suffered a blow before the start as general classification hope Thomas Löfkvist, who had been battling a fever, withdrew from the race on doctor's advice.
The stage was originally supposed to go over the gruelling Passo Lanciano climb, but snowfall and low temperatures forced the organisers to modify the route.
Tough
The peloton instead tackled the less challenging Valico della Forchetta before heading back to the tough finale in Chieti.
Seven riders were allowed to form a breakaway, at one point stretching their lead above the 10 minute mark.
Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Stefano Pirazzi and Angelo Pagani (both Colnago-CSF) Pablo Urtasun (Euskaltel), Kevin Hulsmans (Farnese Vini), Pavel Brutt (Katusha) and Manuele Boaro (Saxo Bank) were the men up the road, but their advantage was brought down towards the business end of the stage.
Brutt took off on his own with just over 20kms remaining but that only delayed the inevitable as he was swept up by the main bunch shortly afterwards.
There were a few more fleeting attacks before the kick up to the line started, with Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM) the first to make a major move in the steep penultimate kilometre.
Di Luca and Kreuziger then had digs of their own before Nibali struck for home, but team-mate Sagan powered round him to take the win.
