Verona (Italy), May 9: Ramunas Navardauskas of Lithuania took the lead in the Giro d'Italia after his Garmin-Barracuda squad won the team time trial on Wednesday.
Previous leader Taylor Phinney visibly struggled with a swollen right ankle following a crash on Monday. The American rode off the road at one point onto grass and nearly fell into a ditch.
Garmin clocked 37 minutes, 4 seconds over the mostly flat 33-kilometer (21-mile) route in Verona -- the first stage back in Italy following three legs in Denmark. Katusha finished second, 5 seconds behind, and Astana and Saxo Bank were next, both 22 seconds back.
Garmin riders are 1-2-3-4 in the overall standings, with Navardauskas 10 seconds ahead of American sprinter Tyler Farrar and South African veteran Robert Hunter.
Phinney dropped to fifth.
