By Mike Price

Blijlevens inched out Czech Jan Svorada in a mass finish to the 176-kilometre stage from Catania, with Italy's Massimo Strazzer third. On the first two days the Dutchman finished second to Italian rivals -- first to Ivan Quaranta on Saturday and then to Mario Cipollini on Sunday. A crash 40 kms from Monday's finish set back overnight leader Cipollini, who finished 45th among 155 riders given the same time as Blijlevens. A winner's time bonus -- a deduction of 12 seconds from his aggregate race time -- put Blijlevens in the leader's pink jersey by eight seconds from Cipollini.

The success was doubly welcome after the misery of last year's Tour de France in which Blijlevens and three team mates were subjected to hospital tests for illegal drugs after officials of his TVM team were detained. The Dutchman quit, "disappointed and sad", at Albertville, five days before the Tour finished.  "I said then that the Tour did not merit thinking about. That was because I was dejected but now I want to be there again this year to win stages," Blijlevens said on Monday. He is the first Dutch leader in the Giro since Erik Breukink in 1989.

Earlier Cipollini finished flat on his back when leading riders tangled and fell. Aided by team mates, he was soon back in the main field but not the fray.  As the pack raced along the coastal road into the Sicilian port Cipollini eased up when the decisive charge began.  "I thought Cipollini would be there," Blijlevens said after his seventh victory of the year. "I saw his team mates racing hard and when I did not see him I began sprinting.  "For the last five years Cipollini has been the best sprinter but now younger riders can beat him."