Embattled Tour of Italy champion Danilo Di Luca claimed his first victory of the season winning stage four of the Settimana Ciclista Lombarda to take the overall lead.

The former UCI ProTour victor, who is facing a two-year suspension if a re-analysis of a doping test comes back positive, beat out Switzerland's Roger Beuchat to claim the triumph after the 192.6-km circuit around Vertova.

The LPR rider will wear the leader's jersey into Saturday's penultimate fifth stage a 163.5-km around Flero.

STAGE THREE

Italy's Gabriele Balducci won stage three of the Settimana Ciclista Lombarda beating out Dutchman Dennis Van Winden and race leader Alberto Loddo in a sprint.

The 32-year-old Acqua e Sapone rider, who won stage two at the event two years ago, adds a second victory this season to the triumph he claimed in the opening stage of the Giro della Provincia Di Reggio Calabria.

Balducci finished on top after 174.4-km riding around Dalmine to improve on his fourth-place finish in Wednesday's second stage.

Last year's controversial Giro D'Italia victor Danilo Di Luca was fourth behind Loddo, while his LPR Brakes team-mate and another former Tour of Italy winner Paolo Savoldelli finished seventh.

Loddo, who won the opening stage of the race, maintains his overall advantage heading into Friday's 192.6-km fourth stage around Vertova.

STAGE TWO

Italian Mattia Gavazzi pipped compatriot and race leader Alberto Loddo to take victory in stage two of the Settimana Ciclista Lombarda.

Loddo, whose Tinkoff team won the opening stage time trial, retains the overall lead after finishing second behind Preti Mangimi's Gavazzi following the 163.8-km trip from Brignano to Costa Volpino.

Argentine Mauro Abel Richeze rounded out the podium, finishing third in the sprint finale in front of compatriot Guillermo Ruben Bongiorno.

The 24-year-old Gavazzi claims the biggest win of his career on a palmares that includes stage victories last year on the Vuelta Ciclista a Navarra, the Tour de Normandie, and the Jadranska Magistrala.

Stage three takes the peloton 174.4-km through the city of Dalmine.

STAGE ONE

Tinkoff Credit Systems won the opening stage of the 38th Settimana Ciclista Lombarda - an 18.3km team time-trial around Brignano.

Tinkoff finished the course just eight seconds ahead of LPR Brakes, with Rabobank Continental, CSF Group Navigare, and Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo coming next.

The result means that former Tour of Qatar winner Alberto Loddo takes the leader's jersey.

Amongst the starters from second-place LPR Brakes was last year's controversial Giro winner Danilo Di Luca who remains under doping investigation from the Italian Olympic Committee.

The race runs until April 6th with the second stage seeing the riders make the 163.8km trek from Brignano to Costa Volpino.

Eurosport