• Giro d'Italia, Stage Three

Paolini wins stage three, Froome Team Sky leader

Bradley Wiggins will play second fiddle to Chris Froome at this year's Tour de France © Getty Images

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Bradley Wiggins is 17 seconds behind new Giro d'Italia leader and stage three winner Luca Paolini in the standings on the day it was confirmed the Briton will not be Team Sky leader at this year's Tour de France.

Paolini - making his debut at the Giro - stormed to victory to claim the pink jersey in the 222-kilometre ride from Sorrento to Marina Di Ascea, with former Tour de France champion Cadel Evans finishing 16 seconds adrift, and current champion Ryder Hesjedal coming home in third.

Wiggins was down in eighth for the day and crossed the finish line in the chasing pack, and he currently sits second in the general classification.

Meanwhile, principal of Team Sky Sir Dave Brailsford announced Chris Froome will be the leader of the side for this year's Tour de France - ahead of Wiggins.

There had been much debate over who out of current champion Wiggins and runner-up Froome would be Team Sky leader. However, with both riders fighting their own corners and believing they were worthy of the responsibility, Brailsford has settled the issue.

"As always, the team selection is a management decision and it will be evidence-based. However, it is crucial there is clarity of purpose and, for that reason, we will go to the Tour with one leader," Brailsford told teamsky.com.

"Taking that into consideration and given Chris's step up in performances this year (winning in Oman, the Criterium International and the Tour de Romandie), our plan, as it has been since January, is to have him lead the Tour de France team.

"With over seven weeks until the Tour and the Giro [d'Italia] to focus on, our final selection of nine won't be confirmed until after the [Criterium du] Dauphine. Everyone here is 100 per cent focused on this race [the Giro] and the next three weeks."

Stage Three, Sorrento - Marina di Ascea
1. Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha 5:43:50
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing + 16s
3. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin
4. Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini
5. Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskaltel Euskadi
6. Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha
7. Pieter Weening (Net) Greenedge
8. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky
9. Benat Intxausti (Spa) Movistar
10. Robert Gesink (Net) Blanco

General classification
1. Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha 9:04:32
2. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky +17s
3. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Team Sky
4. Benat Intxausti (Spa) Movistar +26s
5. Vincenzo Nbali (Ita) Astana +31s
6. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana
7. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin +34s
8. Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha +36s
9. Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha
10. Sergio Luis Henao (Col) Team Sky +37s

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