Hondo wins chaotic sprint in Iglesias

Image 1 of 50

The Lampre-Farnese Vini team celebrated their sixth win of the 2010 season at the Giro di Sardegna on Friday but a spectacular crash in the finish straight took out team leader Alessandro Petacchi and several other sprinters.

Petacchi's lead-out man Danilo Hondo avoided the crash and went on to win ahead of Giovanni Visconti (ISD-Neri) and Sacha Modolo (Colnago-CSF Inox).

Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas-Doimo) kept the overall race lead with just one day of racing remaining in the five-stage event.

America's Chris Horner (Team Radioshack) is still second, just four second down on Kreuziger after finishing second to the talented Czech rider on stage two. France's Thomas Voeckler (BBox Bouygues Telecom) is third overall at six seconds. They will fight for final victory during Saturday's hilly final stage from Sant' Antico to Cagliari.

Petacchi hits spectator

The crash happened just 100 metres from the line as the sprinters were tucked tight close to the barriers trying to shelter from a headwind. Petacchi was on Hondo's wheel ready to launch his sprint but hit a spectator who was leaning out to watch the race.

He crashed heavily and took down Fabio Sabatini (Liquigas-Doimo), Oscar Gatto (ISD-Neri) and Daniele Colli (Ceramica Flaminia). Fortunately none of them were seriously injured but Petacchi was left stunned, resting his head on Sabatini's shoulder as both of them lay on the road.

"The team had done a great job setting up the sprint and Hondo had just lead me out," Petacchi explained. "I moved over to the barriers and was riding with my head down when I hit a spectator that was leaning over the barriers. I couldn't avoid him. I landed on my right hip and left elbow and also my back. It doesn't seem anything serious but it was a scary crash."

Petacchi got up and finished the stage. He was taken to hospital for a check-up but managed to avoid serious injury. He promised he would be at the start on Saturday's final stage.

"Fortunately the flying crash didn't leave me with any serious injuries, just a lot of cuts and bruises that are normal when you hit the ground at high speed like that. Unless things get worse over night, I'll be at the start tomorrow (Saturday) to try and win the last stage."

Yet again the stage was fast all day with a six riders going on the attack after just two kilometres. The six became only four on the main climb of the stage and then the bunch swept them up 30km from the finish.

The Lampre-Farnese Vini and Liquigas-Doimo teams controlled the bunch for Petacchi and Sabatini and lead out the sprint but nobody expected the crash would leave them on the road as Hondo powered clear to win. Fortunately nobody was seriously injured and all the riders who crashed managed to finish the stage.