SIAULIAI, Lithuania  --  The second round of the 2011 European Championship begins here on Wednesday, with all the favorites and some surprises still in the race for the title and spots at next year’s Olympics.

After five games in six days for the teams in the first round, the action starts again on Wednesday in  Vilnius with the two six-nation   groups alternating game days until next Monday, when the quarter-finals will be decided.

Groups A and   B went largely as expected, with the top favorites all  advancing to Group E.

Group A was won   by reigning champions   Spain, while hosts Lithuania were second and 2010 world championship runners-up Turkey took third place.

The results from the first round against the other advancing teams carry over and count in the second round standings, with the top four finishers reaching the last eight.

The two finalists will book automatic berths for the 2012 Summer Games, while teams finishing third to sixth advance to next summer’s 12-team pre-Olympic qualifying tournament for the final three spots in London.

All three teams from Group A take 1-1 records into Group E, while France enter with a 2-0 record after taking Group B honors with a perfect record, including a thrilling overtime victory over second-placed Serbia.

One main issue in Group E is the sprained ankle that kept superstar Pau Gasol out of Spain’s final first-round game against Turkey, which the Spaniards lost.

With only four teams advancing to the final eight, two traditionally strong teams from Group E will leave Lithuania before the biennial tournament reaches the knockout stage in Kaunas on September 14.

Group F, made up of the top three teams from Groups C and D, is the home to two real shock contenders, one surprise package and a trio of usual contenders. In Group D, 2007 European champions Russia emerged with a perfect record to enter the second round with two wins.

Head coach David Blatt has his men playing the best defence in the tournament and his team must be considered a title contender.

Slovenia went through Group D in second place and would not be a surprise quarter-finalist.

The other Group D team is Georgia, who not only are making their European Championship debut but booked their first victory and their first spot in the second round.

Group C proved the most balanced and the most surprising of the first-round groups, with four nations from the former Yugoslavia --  Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro  --  as well as 2005 champions Greece and late qualifiers Finland.

Macedonia surprisingly come into the second round as Group C winners at 2-0.