Petacchi records second stage win
 |  Petacchi set a record of nine stage wins in last year's Giro |
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ROVERETO, Italy -- Alessandro Petacchi won the 12th stage of the Giro d'Italia in a mass sprint finish, to record his second stage win at this year's race.
Ivan Basso kept the overall leader's pink jersey after all the race favorites finished the 178-kilometer (110-mile) route from Alleghe to Rovereto in four hours, 50 minutes.
Australian sprint ace Robbie McEwen, who was the points leader, quit the race after the stage.
McEwen pulled out of the event before the mountain stages on his three previous appearances, and although he he had won three stages this year he decided to drop out again.
He had been questioned during Italian anti-drugs squad investigations into his Davitamon team into the use of a hypobaric tent, which recreates a high-altitude environment and contravenes Italian law.
McEwen said that he did not use the tent but another rider from the team did.
"I'm sorry to leave," said McEwen, "but after the Giro I've still got the Tour de France and the world championships. To race everything would be too much."
Petacchi, who was helped by a perfect setup from his Fassa Bortolo team, overtook fellow Italian Paride Grillo in the final meters.
Grillo finished second and Spain's Isaac Galvez Lopez was third.
"Grillo went first, I waited and was able to have enough speed to beat him. It was a great sprint," Petacchi said. "Today we showed we have a great train and a great team."
Petacchi set a record of nine stage wins in last year's Giro.
Basso crossed 33rd and Paolo Savoldelli, who is second overall, was 30th.
Basso holds an 18-second lead on Savoldelli in the overall standings.
After the first tough mountain stage the previous day, Friday's stage was raced at a relatively slow pace until the finish with few attacks. There are two more difficult legs Saturday and Sunday.
Some pain
"We all felt some pain in our legs today," Petacchi said.
Shortly after the group completed the route's only major climb, Swiss rider Philippe Schnyder broke away from the pack and maintained his one-man breakaway for about 100 kilometers (62 miles).
The main group caught him with 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) to go, setting up the mass sprint finish.
Saturday's 13th stage is a 218-kilometer (135-mile) mountainous route from Mezzocorona to Ortisei, including several tough climbs that will take around seven hours to complete.
On Sunday, the Giro heads for the Stelvio pass, the highest altitude point of this year's race at 2,758 meters (9,101 feet).
Savoldelli beat Basso to win Thursday's stage in a two-man mountain duel.
"Today was a fairly easy stage, but tomorrow and the day after tomorrow I'm going to have to pay close attention," Basso said.
