By Mike Price

Marco Pantani at the end of todays stage

CESENATICO, Italy, May 25 (Reuters) - History-makers are nothing new in Marco Pantani's hometown but there was a hero's welcome on Tuesday for the man who carved a niche in cycling history last year.

It was not his day to triumph as Frenchman Laurent Jalabert doubled his overall lead to four seconds, but Pantani's fans fully expect to celebrate again in 11 days when the Giro d'Italia finishes in Milan.

Amid the flags and bunting for the homecoming, Jalabert must have felt a bit of a party pooper as he took second place in an intermediate sprint to earn a deduction of four seconds from his aggregate time.

The day's victory was destined for the sprinters, but Mario Cipollini, seeking Giro win number 28, was upstaged by compatriot Ivan Quaranta at the end of the 122 kms leg from Sansepolcro.

Pantani was in the pack but his time will come in the final week as the Giro tackles the Dolomite mountains. Tuesday evening was for partying and seeing his family and fans.

After his Giro and Tour de France double last year Pantani's stock entered the stratosphere and his fan club, Club Magico Pantani, pulled in 500 new members.

Now they are hoping to make it 3,000 before the year ends, especially if he wins a second Giro.

Everywhere there were Pantani look-a-likes, wearing the bandana headdress that with an ear-ring earned their man his "Il Pirata" sobriquet.

He raced into the Adriatic resort on roads plastered with his name, and "Il Pirata No 1" plus a painting of a pirate's head stretching for 200 metres along the route.

"Skull and crossbones" flags mixed with those of A.C. Milan, because this is also the home of Milan manager Alberto Zaccheroni and Pantani is an A.C. fan.

There was a pink cake, three metres in diameter, for Pantani's return to the town he put on the cycling map.

It has seen its share of history-makers. In 1502 it was captured by Cesare Borgia who called in Leonardo da Vinci to improve the harbour, and in the last century another Italian hero, Giuseppe Garibaldi, took refuge.

CESENATICO, Italy, May 25  (Reuters)  - Leading placings in the 122-km 11th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Sansepolcro to Cesenatico on Tuesday: