Italian Daniele Pietropolli claimed overall victory from the grasp of Briton Steve Cummings with a stage three triumph in the 58th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria.

The LPR sprinter beat out Australia's Baden Cooke (Barloworld) in a final mass sprint to claim the ten-second bonus and edge ahead of previous leader Cummings in the final general classification.

Argentine Maximiliano Richeze was third in the sprint, while defending Tour of Italy champion Danilo Di Luca helped lead out Pietropolli to victory finishing fourth.

Cummings was relegated to second place overall after struggling in the final sprint, while Italy's Francesco Failli rounded out the final podium.

"I'm disappointed because I messed the sprint up a bit," Cummings told Cycling Weekly.

"I got in the decisive front group and Baden Cooke was leading me out but the LPR riders were all over the place and were really fast in the finish, with even Danilo Di Luca helping out Pietropolli in the sprint.

"I waited a little bit too long and was a little bit boxed in. It's a pity because it was so close but I couldn't have done much better."

STAGE TWO

Briton Stephen Cummings of Barloworld won the second stage of the 58th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria between Piana and Chiaravalle to head the general classification with one stage to race.

Cummings completed the 190km stage in 5:32.45, leading home Italians Daniele Pietropolli (LPR Brakes) and Francesco Failli (Acqua Sapone) in the sprint.

The pair are four and six seconds respectively behind Cummings's 10:15.08 in the overall standings.

Two more Italians, Emanuele Sella of CSF and Dody Ratti of Nippo-Endeka, were fourth and fifth into Chiaravalle, leading home Soren Nissen (Amore & Vita), Francesco Reda - who is fourth overall - Niklas Axelsson (Serramenti PVC) and Massimilian Gentili (Acqua Sapone) in he leading pack.

The final stage of 168km runs from Chiaravalle back to Reggio Calabria, from where the riders originally set out on Monday.

STAGE ONE

Italian Gabriele Balducci of Acqua Sapone won the opening stage of the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria, the second race of the Italian cycling season.

Balducci, who finished second in the GP Costa Degli Etruschi on Saturday, led a large sprint finish for a time of 4:42.33 on the 183km stage between Reggio Calabria and Gioia Tauro.

Second was Argentine Ariel Richeze of CSF while Ukraine's Yury Metlushenko - sixth at the weekend - of Amore & Vita came in third.

Another home rider Daniele Pietropolli, riding an LPR Brakes bike, was fourth ahead of Australian Baden Cooke for Barloworld.

Four more Italians took the following four places: Antonio d'Aniello (Ceramica Flaminia), Tiziano Dall'Antonia (CSF), Danilo di Luca (LPR) and Luca Paolini (Acqua Sapone).

German Daniel Musiol of Team Volksbank was 10th.

Di Luca, winner of the 2007 Giro d'Italia, was making his comeback after four months of rest.

Eurosport