That gave the Lampre rider the leader's yellow jersey from opening stage winner Tom Boonen of Belgium.

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The first rider to break on the home straight was Lampre's Michele Scarponi but nobody could live with the finishing pace of Goss.

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But Gerolsteiner and Lampre worked together to reel the breakaway in and Bennati snatched victory on the line as Australian Baden Cooke and Swiss Fabian Cancellara powered through late on to take second and third respectively.

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