Italy’s Elia Viviani used his knowledge of home roads to snatch victory in stage two of the Giro d’Italia yesterday with Australian Michael Matthews taking over as race leader.

Team Sky’s Viviani triumphed on the 177-kilometre ride from Albenga to Genoa, pipping Moreno Hofland and Andre Greipel on the line.

“It’s incredible to win my first stage in the Giro. We’re here to help Richie Porte in the general classification, so I don’t have many riders for the sprints,” he told reporters.

“I knew the final metres were uphill and I knew when to go.”

Matthews, whose Orica-GreenEDGE outfit won the opening team time trial on Saturday, finished seventh on the stage to take the pink jersey.

Spanish favourite Alberto Contador is sixth overall for Tinkoff-Saxo as he bids to become the first man to achieve a Giro/Tour de France double since the late Marco Pantani of Italy in 1998.

Stage three today is a 136-km trek from Rapallo to Sestri Levante with several tough climbs and bends.

The world’s second greatest stage race finishes in Milan on May 31.

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