Bradley Wiggins loses lead after day of crashes

BRITAIN'S Bradley Wiggins lasted just one stage in the pink jersey of the Giro d'Italia leader, losing it to world champion Cadel Evans after a day of crashes in the Netherlands.

The second of three stages on Dutch roads took the peloton from Amsterdam, across 210 kilometres to Utrecht.

But on a wind-blown route studded with road furniture, there were a series of crashes at least one of which brought down Wiggins who could be seen straightening his own wheel before setting off in pursuit of the others.

Another crash 7km from the end fractured the peloton again, separating the Englishman from the race leaders.

Inevitably for an almost pancake-flat stage, there was a sprint finish at the close which was won by Garmin-Transitions rider Tyler Farrar with Evans doing enough to take the pink jersey from Wiggins' shoulders.