Mixed fortunes for CSC

CSC had a modest day on Wednesday, with Kurt-Asle Arvesen's eighth place in Dwars door Vlaanderen being the team's best result. But team director Scott Sunderland was pleased with his riders' form, as he noted on team-csc.com. "The team looked ok out there today, and I think it's a good indication that the form is getting there. Karsten Kroon did well up front when the favourites' group was split, and generally we were well represented when the race entered its decisive phase. There are two very tough races this weekend, which are both important ahead of the Tour of Flanders. As I see it we have a fair chance of making good results there."

In Italy's Settimana Coppi e Bartali, David Zabriskie had to give up his leader's jersey after the 199 kilometre second stage from Cervia to Faenza. Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) captured the jersey by winning the mountainous stage after having attacked on the penultimate climb.

"It was a tough stage, which wasn't made any easier by the fact that it rained from start to finish," said director Alain Gallopin. "Nibali was tremendous and dropped everyone on the climb. We had Nicki Sørensen and Volodymir Gustov in the group, which tried in vain to catch him, but they were both involved in a crash on the final descent. None of them were seriously injured so we were lucky today."