Quaranta finds extra gear

Ivan Quaranta milks the applause in Parma

Click here for 16th stage standings

Italy's Ivan Quaranta, of the Alexia team, won a sprint finish to win the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia.

Gilberto Simoni, of Lampre, retained the leader's pink jersey.

In one of the most dramatic finishes of the Giro so far, Quaranta left compatriots Endrio Leoni and noted sprinter Mario Cipollini behind to grab his second stage win of the Tour.

Germany's Danilo Hondo came fourth just ahead of Italian Marco Zanotti and the rest of the peloton after a 142km-long mainly flat stage between Erbusco and Parma.

Quaranta brace

Simoni retains the lead and will look forward to Tuesday's rest day in order to prepare his final assault on the ultimate stages.

Italian Stefano Casagrande launched a solitary attack early on which ended once the peloton's sprinters had rolled into action.

Quaranta, 26, claimed his sixth career Giro stage and keeps up his tradition of winning two stages every year since 1999.

He won the fifth stage of the Giro on 24 May in Nettuno, where he also beat Cipollini to the line.

The 21-leg Giro ends in Milan on 10 June. A rest day is scheduled for Tuesday.

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Leading placings for the 16th stage (142km between Erbusco and Parma).

1 Ivan Quaranta (Ita) Alexia 3hr 52min 55sec
2 Endrio Leoni (Ita) same time
3 Mario Cipollini (Ita) s.t.
4 Danilo Hondo (Ger) s.t.
5 Marco Zanotti (Ita) s.t.
6 Massimo Strazzer (Ita) s.t.
7 Stefano Zanini (Ita) s.t.
8 Andrej Hauptman (Slo) s.t.
9 Mauro Gerosa (Ita) s.t.
10 Guido Trenti (USA) s.t.

Selected others: 30 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) s.t. 37 Jan Ullrich (Ger) s.t. 42 Dario Frigo (Ita) s.t. 100 Marco Pantani (Ita) s.t.

Overall standings:
1 G Simoni (Ita) Lampre 73hrs 41mins 44secs
2 D Frigo (Ita) at 15secs
3 A Olano (Spa) at 4mins 32secs
4 U Osa (Spa) at 5:22
5 S Honchar (Ukr) at 6:10
6 J Azevedo (Por) at 7:14
7 A Noe (Ita) at 7:35
8 I Gotti (Ita) at 7:39
9 H Buenahora (Col) at 7:40
10 C Contreras (Col) at 8:20

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