McEwen in the pink after stage win
 |  McEwen sprints home in the second stage and takes the pink jersey |
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SANTA MARIA DEL CEDRO, Italy -- Australia's Robbie McEwen took the race leader's pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia after sprinting to victory at the end of the 182-km second stage on Monday.
The Davitamon rider beat Spain's Isaac Galvez Lopez and Robert Forster of Germany in the dash to the finish.
Home favorite Alessandro Petacchi was fourth in the stage from Catanzaro Lido to Santa Maria del Cedro.
Thanks to the 20-second time bonus awarded to stage winners, McEwen leads the overall standings by eight seconds.
Petacchi complained that McEwen and Estonia's Jaan Kirsipuu blocked him and his lead out man Marco Velo during the sprint but the race judges decided there was no case to answer.
"I'm very happy to have won another stage at the Giro after just two stages and even happier to have pulled on the pink jersey," McEwen said.
"This is the seventh Giro stage win of my career and it's a gift for my son Ewan because it's his third birthday on Wednesday."
McEwen used the BMX skills he learnt as a boy in Brisbane to weave his way past the other sprinters, moving to the head of the peloton in the final 500 meters and then jumping past Kirsipuu to win.
"Kirsipuu decided to go a bit early and that helped me get a good lead out to the line," McEwen said.
"I don't think it was a dirty sprint but when the finish of a race is on a long straight road like today it's easy for riders to come through from behind and that caused some problems for Petacchi."
Stage two winner Paolo Bettini of Italy is second overall at eight seconds back, with Petacchi third at 22 seconds down.
Wednesday's third stage is over 205km from Diamante to Giffoni Valle Piana.
Munain horror
Spain's Alberto Lopez De Munain was badly injured in a crash during the second stage.
"Injuries that have been diagnosed include a fractured left collarbone, a fractured left shoulder and several broken ribs," said the race doctor's medical reports.
The reports added that his life was not in danger.
The 33-year-old Euskaltel rider hit the guardrail after 132-km and landed on his face and left side but remained conscious.
Lopez De Munain will be kept under observation in hospital in the town of Cetraro.
