Australian Robbie McEwen, riding for the Lotto team, won the fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia to deny Mario Cipollini a second consecutive stage win.

McEwen got the better of his Italian rival in a thrilling sprint finish with Cipollini's compatriot Enrico Degaano of the Panaria team third.

Cipollini, of the Acqua e Sapone team, was bidding for what would have been his 37th win in the Italian tour.

Italy's Stefano Garzelli, of the Mapei team, retained the overall leader's pink jersey for the third consecutive day as he finished in the main group in the same time as the winner.

"It was a beautiful win," he said.

"I was sure I could beat him [Cipollini] this season."

Cipollini, a 35-year-old Tuscan, praised McEwen "enterprise" and added that he had paid for starting the sprint too early.

McEwen completed the 232-kilometer (143.8-mile) distance from Luxembourg to Strasbourg in five hours, 37 minutes, 13 seconds.

It was the last Giro stage outside Italy. The 22 teams will cross into Italy on Thursday, when a rest day is scheduled.

The first Italian stage is Friday, an uphill leg from Fossano to Limone Piemonte.

Stage 4 results
Esch-sur-Alzette (Lux) to Strasbourg, 232 kms

1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto 5 hrs 37 mins 13 secs
2 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Acqua e Sapone same time
3 Enrico Degano (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria same time
4 Graeme Brown (Aus) Ceramiche Panaria same time
5 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo same time
6 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Team Coast same time
7 Aert Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto same time
8 Sven Teutenberg (Ger) Phonak same time
9 Massimo Strazzer (Ita) Phonak same time
10 Moreno Di Biase (Ita) Formaggi Trentini same time

Overall classification

1 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) 22 hrs 34 min 55 secs
2 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) at 9 secs
3 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) at 19 secs
4 Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa) at 21secs
5 Matthias Kessler (Ger) at 27 secs