continue in the Giro, but he thought better of it. The Italian did, however, take 30 minutes before appearing at the maglia rosa ceremony. When he arrived, Bettini poured his bottle of champagne on the podium instead of gleefully spraying everyone in sight as is the custom.

In the overall, Bettini leads Di Luca by 0:13 and Mazzanti by 0:16. Bettini might still lead the race after Stage 5. The hilly, 223-km ride from Celano to L?Aquila features three climbs, including a 1,300-m finishing ascent. Will the Olympic champion hang on to the maglia rosa ? Check in at http://www.roadcycling.com/ and find out!