Hondo just in time

Rik Verbrugghe hangs onto the leader's pink jersey

German Danilo Hondo timed his sprint perfectly to reward the Telekom team's appearance in the Giro d'Italia with a stage win.

The 27-year-old was first to the line after Monday's 167km (104-mile) second stage from Giulianova to Francavilla al Mare.

Hondo's third victory of the season was Germany's first stage win in the Giro since Marcel Wust in 1997.

Telekom, Germany's leading team, have not raced at the Italian tour for half a decade.

They are mainly in the race to support Tour de France hopeful Jan Ullrich, who is using the Giro as a tough warm-up for July.

I pushed hard in the final metres - it was a finish for a cyclist with strong legs

  Danilo Hondo

Hondo ruined the hopes of runner-up Spaniard Rafael Mateos Perez.

The Colpack rider had broken free for the line as the finish approached but did not have the legs to stay away.

Italian Gabriele Missaglia of Mapei was third, while Belgian Rik Verbrugghe held on to the overall leader's pink jersey.

Verbrugghe, who won the first-day prologue for his Lotto team, saw his overall lead reduced to four seconds by another Italian, Dario Frigo.

Hondo celebrates after passing Perez

The stage finished in a sprint after an early attack by five riders was caught 50km from Lucera.

The finish was in the centre of the small town with a slight climb to the line.

The sharp hilly section ruined the hopes of top sprinters such as Mario Cipollini and Jeroen Blijlevens.

Perez attacked as a sharp left turn 600 metres from home strung out the riders, but Hondo came past him just before the line to win.

"I kept quiet [on the climb] because I knew that the last 200 metres were flat," said Hondo.

"It was a finish for a cyclist with strong legs."

Leader's promise

Verbrugghe said it was a tough stage, well controlled by his team.

"I will do my best to retain the jersey in the next days," he said.

As expected, favourite Francesco Casagrande did not start in Monday's stage after breaking his wrist in in one of Sunday's many crashes.

There were other tumbles on Monday. Australian Nathan O'Neill bruised his left thigh but managed to make it to the finish line.

Tuesday's third stage, a hilly 149km course, will take the cyclists to Potenza.

Stage result

1 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Telekom 3hr 39min 35sec
2 Rafael Mateos Perez (Spa)
3 Gabriele Missaglia (Ita)
4 Wladimir Belli (Ita)
5 Massimo Strazzer (Ita)
6 Gabriele Colombo (Ita)
7 Stefano Garzelli (Ita)
8 Massimiliano Gentili (Ita)
9 Fredy Gonzalez (Col)
10 Ivan Gotti (Ita)
11 Dario Frigo (Ita)
12 Andrej Hauptman (Slo)
13 Joaquim Lopez Torrella (Spa)
14 Laurent Dufaux (Swi)
15 Fortunato Baliani (Ita)
16 Mario Manzoni (Ita)
17 Andrea Noe (Ita)
18 Mario Cipollini (Ita)
19 Fabio Baldato (Ita)
20 Roberto Sgambelluri (Ita) all same time