• Giro d'Italia

Millar loses pink jersey after crash

David Millar lost the lead in the Giro d'Italia © Getty Images

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Garmin rider David Millar lost the pink jersey in the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday, after crashing during the fifth stage.

Millar, who held a slender seven-second advantage in the event at the start of the 191 kilometre stage, was involved in a painful tangle with his nearest challenger, Angel Vicioso, as the two men battled to be first to the intermediate check-point midway through the stage.

Both men were thrown to the ground, with a battered and bruised Millar losing plenty of time as he rejoined the race.

The stage, and possession of the pink jersey, was eventually claimed by Dutch rider Pieter Weening, who caught breakaway man Martin Kohler - who had led the stage on his own for more than 100km - with just 10km remaining, before kicking for the finishing line with just under 8km to go.

And the Rabobank man held off late challenges from Fabio Duarte and Jose Rodolfo Serpa to take stage victory in a sprint, eventually finishing nearly three minutes clear of Millar - who had valiantly fought his way back into the peloton, before hitting the wall with the stage finish almost in sight - to jump to the top of the overall standings.

Weening's lead is small, however, with just two seconds separating him from the HTC pair of Marco Pinotti and Kanstantsin Siutsou.

With the race still recovering from the shock of Wouter Weylandt's death during stage three on Monday, there were fears of further tragedy after Rabobank rider Tom-Jelte Slagter was involved in another horrible incident with less than 15km to go.

Fortunately, however, the Dutchman showed signs of consciousness as medics rushed to treat him.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.