McEwen sprints to third stage win
 |  McEwen 'enjoys' claiming his third victory in this year's Giro |
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ROSSANO VENETO, Italy -- Australia's Robbie McEwen claimed his third victory of this year's Giro d'Italia when winning the 201.5km 10th stage from Ravenna.
The Davitamon rider beat Italy's Alessandro Petacchi and compatriot Stuart O'Grady in a close sprint decided by a photo finish.
Italy's Danilo Di Luca finished in the same time as McEwen to retain the race leader's pink jersey.
McEwen beat Petacchi by launching his bike at the line in the final meters.
"It's great to have won a third stage at the Giro and it's nice to have beaten Alessandro Petacchi. It's given my victory something extra," said McEwen.
"Some people say Petacchi's unbeatable but that's why I'm here, to show that there are other winners in the bunch."
McEwen shared his triumph with his Davitamon colleagues, who helped him in the final kilometers.
"I'm very, very happy for me but also for my Davitamon team mates," he said.
"Nick Gates, Henk Vogels, Christophe Brandt and Bjoern Leukemans rode for me on the dangerous finishing circuit and played a big part in my win.
"They helped me get on Alessandro's wheel in the last two kilometres and then I rode a perfect sprint.
"I let Petacchi jump first and then came up alongside him with 150 metres to go. He went up a gear but I responded and timed my lunge to the line perfectly."
Petacchi said he had sprinted too early.
"My lead out was great but I made a mistake," he said. "I thought Robbie would jump out of the final corner and decided to anticipate him but it meant I went too early. I tried to throw my bike at the line but lost by inches."
Thursday's 11th stage takes the Giro into the Dolomite mountains with a 150km ride from Marostica to the Zoldo Alto ski resort.
