Cavendish races home to clinch his second individual win in the 2009 Giro

Briton Mark Cavendish sprinted to his second stage win in this year's Giro d'Italia in Arenzano.

The Team Columbia rider took the lead with about 100 metres to go and held on to narrowly win the 214km stage 11.

Cavendish also won stage nine but the times for that will not count for the overall classification after the riders mounted a go-slow protest.

LPR's Danilo Di Luca, the 2007 winner, hung on to the race leader's pink jersey for the seventh straight stage.

A minute's silence was observed before the start of the stage in memory of 69-year-old motorbike rider Fabio Saccani, who died in a crash on the way to the start of Tuesday's stage.

Russian Vladimir Isaichev launched a solo break in Wednesday's first attack but was caught by Lampre veteran Maro Marzano.

Marzano passed the Xacobeo-Galicia rider before he was swept up by the chasing peloton.

Lance Armstrong briefly led but ended his attempts to win the stage with 8km left and the peloton engulfed any other escapees prior to Cavendish enhancing his growing reputation with yet another win in a mass sprint.

The Briton clocked four hours, 51 minutes, 17 seconds to claim victory ahead of American Tyler Farrar in second and third-placed Alessandro Petacchi of Italy.

Stage 12 on Thursday is the much anticipated 60.6km individual time trial between Sestri Levante and Riomaggiore - a stage that is certain to shake up the overall standings.

Stage 11 results (Wednesday):

1. Mark Cavendish (Britain / Columbia ) 4 hrs 51 mins 17 secs
2. Tyler Farrar (U.S. / Garmin ) "
3. Alessandro Petacchi (Italy / Team LPR ) "
4. Allan Davis (Australia / Quick-Step ) "
5. Sebastien Hinault (France / AG2R ) "
6. Davide Vigano (Italy / Fuji ) "
7. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway / Columbia ) "
8. Alexander Serov (Russia / Katusha ) "
9. Oscar Gatto (Italy / Team ISD ) "
10. Robert Foerster (Germany / Milram ) "

Overall standings

1. Danilo Di Luca (Italy / Team LPR ) 48hrs 51mins 28secs
2. Denis Menchov (Russia / Rabobank ) +1 min 20secs
3. Michael Rogers (Australia / Columbia ) +1:33"
4. Levi Leipheimer (U.S. / Astana ) +1:40"
5. Franco Pellizotti (Italy / Liquigas ) +1:53"
6. Carlos Sastre (Spain / Cervelo ) +1:54"
7. Ivan Basso (Italy / Liquigas ) +2:03"
8. Thomas Lovkvist (Sweden / Columbia ) +2:12"

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