TERMOLI, Italy, 16 May 2006 — Tomas Vaitkus became the first Lithuanian to win a stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday.
The 24 year-old Ag2r team rider from Klaipeda was given the verdict in a photo finish from Italy’s Paolo Bettini and Olaf Pollack of Germany after a mass sprint at the end of the 132-km stage.
Italy’s Ivan Basso finished 27th in the same time as Vaitkus to retain the overall race lead.
“This is a special victory for me because I’m the first Lithuanian to ever win a stage at the Giro,” Vaitkus told reporters.
“I’ve been close in all the other Giro sprints but never managed to win and when I saw Bettini put his arms up I thought I’d lost again. Fortunately the photo finish proved I’d got it.” Vaitkus was under-23 world time trial champion in 2002 but now uses his speed for sprint finishes. He has been a professional for four years and won seven races, including the Lithuanian road and time trial titles.
Bettini accused Vaitkus of squeezing him toward the roadside barriers during the final meters of the sprint but the Lithuanian was not punished by race judges and said any movement was unintentional. Three-time stage winner Robbie McEwen was fourth after struggling on the short climbs in the final 30 km of the stage from Francavilla al Mare to Termoli.
