The Giro, my favourite tour of the year is only 2 weeks....

['Dale]

Betancur has come back to the peloton.

 

The front of the peloton has looked similar for the last hour and that's because Rory Sutherland (Movistar Team) hasn't moved at all. He's been a rock at the front for Amador and Valverde during the stage.

['Dale]

Lopez crests the summit of the climb with Roche second. Cunego is a few places further down. The break is down to around a dozen riders or so. The bunch at 7'13.

['Dale]

 

Rory Sutherland has the peloton strung out as the peloton continue to climb. A few riders are starting to slip back at the rear of the peloton due to the efforts made by the Australian. Amador/Valverde have four men left. Astana have their full quota though, Tinkoff too.

['Dale]

The gap between the leaders and the peloton is up to 8'32 as Movistar hit the top of the second climb. 96km to go and four major climbs.

['Dale]

Lopez has been caught by a number of chasers, including Plaza, Roche and Atapuma. This is critical part of the race of the break because they need to keep their lead increasing over the next two climbs. They've dropped a number of riders who were not working and their down to around 10 in numbers.

[Bonus]

Those are some grinding climbs!

 

Ryder Hesjadal has abandoned :-(

['Dale]

Those are some grinding climbs!

 

Ryder Hesjadal has abandoned :-(

Hope to see him at Le Tour then

['Dale]

Riders left in the break are Domont, Zeits, Atapuma, Moser, Siutsou, De La Cruz, Monfort, Cunego, Plaza, Preidler, Kochetkov, Lopez, Roche. (via Cyclingpro.net).

Plaza has made a move from the front of the group.

['Dale]

The gap between the leaders and the peloton is up to 8'32 as Movistar hit the top of the second climb. 96km to go and four major climbs.

['Dale]

Plaza has found a new lease of life in the last couple of years and is now on the Orica GreenEdge team. 93km to go but he's gone for a long one.

['Dale]

Who needs a team of nine when you've got Sutherland in your ranks? The Australian has been pulling on the front all morning and he's still there, three climbs into the stage.

['Dale]

De la Cruz and Lopez have gone after Plaza and they've now been joined by Atapuma.

['Dale]

Plaza has 18 seconds on the chasers and he continues to press on alone. He has three men hunting him down at the moment.

['Dale]

Atapuma, De la Cruz and Lopez are 23 seconds down on Plaza, with 82 km to go.

['Dale]

A group containing Ulissi and his Lampre teammates is nearly four minutes down on the leaders, with the peloton another five back.

['Dale]

Movistar have lost a couple of men from the peloton and they're down to five or six as we hit the Passo Campolongo. There's no let up from Plaza as he continues to put time into the peloton.