Giro d' Italia 2014

[Cav']

The gap drops to 4'12 so the leaders are steadily losing ground.

[Cav']

Orica and Cannondale are matching each other on the front, both team placing riders at head of the race with the odd FDJ rider breaking the pattern. Bouhanni, Matthews and Vivianni are the favourites for today but there are other riders to watch too. For example, Giacomo Nizzolo.

[Cav']

The bunch are coasting along, down a wide but twisty descent as the sprinters' teams dictate a pace that's comfortable for them. Right at the back, Eisel stretches his back and sits up in the saddle.

[Cav']

There are a few non-categorised climbs coming up. Will a few teams try and make the pure sprinters suffer? Matthews isn't taking any chances and remains near the front of the peloton. He's been really impressive in his debut Giro, just just for his form but also his mental toughness. He doesn't panic and he uses his team so well.

[Cav']

The gap has gone back out to 4'37 as Haas leads the pack of five down another short, tight descent.

[Cav']

The gap grows again, it's back out to almost five minutes with 53km to go.

[Cav']

Former race leader Tuft is setting the pace on the front of the peloton. He has a Cannondale rider on his wheel but then it's all Orica.

[Lou Zealand]

Commentators mentioned double or triple fracture of Caruso's femur

Yoh!

 

Caruso's out but seems the fractured femur belonged to Vicioso:

The first crash came when one rider lost control of his front wheel on a straight portion of road – like the pile-up that put Ireland's Dan Martin out on the opening day – causing about 10 to slide down the left. That was followed 50 metres later by a 25-man crash on the entry to a roundabout. The Italian Giampaolo Caruso, who has a badly bruised hip and leg, was unable to continue but there was a whole string of wounded with their jerseys and shorts ripped who pedalled painfully up the climb to the finish and he was not the only casualty.

The incident brought a premature end to Joaquim Rodríguez's race. The Spaniard had hopes of a high overall placing but after the stage, on which he lost 7min 43sec, he was taken to hospital, where x-rays revealed two broken ribs and a fractured thumb. Worst-injured was Rodríguez's Katusha team-mate Angel Vicioso, who suffered a femur fracture and is also out.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/may/15/matthews-cadel-evans-giro-d-italia-2014-stage-six

[Cav']

And it's now over five minutes and there's more urgency in the break as they realise that they really have a chance today.

[Cav']

The gap says 5'20 but race radio is telling us it's 4'30.

[Cav']

The break are near the foot of the fourth cat climb, the last major obstacle before the finish. The gap is still at five minutes.

[jcza]

TV says 40km to go and gap is 4:50

[jcza]

Gap is 4:18 at top of Cat 4 climb

[jcza]

33km to go....not sure if the break will survive. Going to be close

[jcza]

30km and gap is 3:58

[jcza]

Giant & Cannondale driving peloton. Gap now 3:41