Cipollini wins second serial stage

Associated Press, Roquetas del Mar, Spain

Italian Mario Cipollini won his second consecutive stage victory in the Tour of Spain cycling race Tuesday, while Spaniard Joseba Beloki retained the overall leadership.

Cipollini of the Acqua e Sapone team covered the 153 kilometers (92 miles) of the fourth stage in 3 hours, 33 minutes, 32 seconds, winning on the sprint, just ahead of countryman Alessandro Petacchi and Erik Zabel of Germany.

Beloki, of ONCE, came in along with the main pack, clocking the same time as the winner to ensure he retained the overall leadership with a total time of 11:07:11.

The pace was quick from the start of the day's racing, with 26-year-old Dario Gadeo making the main breakaway attempt. He opened up a lead with just 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) gone but was caught by the pack at the 136-kilometer (84-mile) point.

Wednesday's fifth leg will enter the mountains of southern Spain and will cover 198 kilometers (123 miles) between El Ejido and Sierra Nevada.

The race begins with a second category mountain pass followed by a third category pass reaching its highest point with a finish 2,510 meters (8,275 feet) above sea level in the Sierra Nevada.

This year's tour features a record 207 competitors representing 23 teams and covers a total of 3,297 kilometers (2,061 miles).

The 57th edition of the race lacks three-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and banned riders Jan Ullrich of Germany and Marco Pantani of Italy.

The Vuelta, as it is known in Spanish, ends on Sept. 29 with a 41.2-kilometer (25.8-mile) individual time trial in Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium, home of the Real Madrid soccer team, to mark the club's centennial celebration.