Silva Wins Giro Stage 2, Takes Maglia Rosa Lead

Uruguayan cyclist Guillermo Silva won the crash-marred second stage of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday, sprinting to victory in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, and seizing the overall lead with the maglia rosa for the first time in his career.

The 221-kilometer hilly route from Burgas featured three moderate climbs amid rainy conditions and ended in 5 hours, 39 minutes, and 25 seconds. Silva, riding for XDS Astana, held off Germany's Florian Stork in second and Italy's Giulio Ciccone in third after a reduced bunch sprint. His teammate Christian Scaroni positioned him perfectly for the uphill finish.

"I'm over the moon. It's only my second stage at the Giro d'Italia and I've already managed to win and even take the maglia rosa," Silva said. "I was feeling good but I never imagined I could achieve something like this. I have to thank Christian Scaroni, who helped me both in the chase to the leaders and in setting up the sprint. I don't think I'll ever forget this day."

The stage began without Italy's Matteo Moschetti, who abandoned after a crash on Friday's opening leg. Early on, Italy's Mirco Maestri and Spain's Diego Pablo Sevilla formed a breakaway, building a lead of more than five...