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Sports in Brief: Contador keeps big lead in Giro

Spain's Alberto Contador closed in on his second Giro d'Italia title Saturday, comfortably keeping his lead during a next-to-last stage won by Vasili Kiryienka of Belarus after a solo breakaway. Contador finished eighth to maintain his lead of 5 minutes, 18 seconds over second-place Michele Scarponi in the overall standings. Vincenzo Nibali is third, 6:14 behind.

Spain's Alberto Contador closed in on his second Giro d'Italia title Saturday, comfortably keeping his lead during a next-to-last stage won by Vasili Kiryienka of Belarus after a solo breakaway. Contador finished eighth to maintain his lead of 5 minutes, 18 seconds over second-place Michele Scarponi in the overall standings. Vincenzo Nibali is third, 6:14 behind.

It will take a mishap for Contador or a massive effort by Italians Scarponi or Nibali in the 19.5-mile individual time trial around the streets of Milan on Sunday to prevent Contador from winning.

Kiryienka was in the lead for most of the 20th stage, and finished the 150-mile ride from Verbania to Sestriere in 6 hours, 17 minutes, 3 seconds. Jose Rujano was second, 4:43 behind, with Joaquin Rodriguez third in 4:49.

David Zabriskie won the U.S. pro cycling time trial championship for a fifth time, completing the 20.7-mile course in Greenville, S.C., in 40 minutes, 23.5 seconds. Zabriskie, who won four time trial titles in a row from 2006 to 2009 before sitting out 2010, finished 31 seconds ahead of Tom Zirbel. Matthew Busche finished third and Brent Bookwalter was fourth.  The 112-mile road race U.S. championship is Monday in Greenville.

TRACK AND FIELD: Area athletes either medaled or were awarded all-America status by finishing eighth or better at the NCAA Division III track and field championships held at Ohio Wesleyan.

The Rowan men's 4x400 meter relay team - junior Jayce Maxwell (Toms River, Monsignor Donovan), sophomore Taylor Purdue, sophomore Ali Ejaz (Glassboro), and sophomore Demetrius Rooks (Galloway, Absegami) - won the championship with a time of 3 minutes, 11.45 seconds. Rooks was second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 51.98 seconds.

Haverford junior Tim Schoch finished third in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3 minutes, 55.17 seconds. And Delaware Valley College junior Tom Masterson was third in the javelin with a toss of 207 feet, 10 inches. Rutgers-Camden sophomore Tim VanLiew (Deptford) finished seventh in the javelin with a throw of 203-10.

In the 1,500 meters, Widener junior Michael Garrity (Cardinal O'Hara) was seventh with a time of 3 minutes, 56.18 seconds, and Haverford junior Eric Arnold was eighth with a time of 3:56.34. Delaware Valley junior Travis Pitts was eighth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.90 seconds. Delaware Valley junior Meghan Donovan was seventh in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 53/4 inches.

LACROSSE: Four-time champion Virginia will meet unseeded Maryland in the NCAA men's lacrosse finals Monday in Baltimore.

In the semifinals, seventh-seeded Virginia beat sixth-seeded Denver, 14-8; and Maryland shocked fifth-seeded Duke, 9-4. - Staff and wire reports