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

[Eugene Oppelt]

Plaza is obviously starting to fade

I'm hoping the DiData rider can make it count today

[Eugene Oppelt]

The Passo Giau ????

[Eugene Oppelt]

48km to and Nibali and his men take over as Rojas goes backwards. Up the road and Siutsou has Roche, Atapuma and Preidler with him. Cunego has been dropped.

[Eugene Oppelt]

Amador has moved up to Valverde's wheel once more. All the other GC riders are there, apart from Hesjedal who quit the race earlier today due to illness.

[Eugene Oppelt]

Back to the front and Plaza has 56 seconds on the chase but he's all over the road at the moment as he looks to keep the pace as high as possible.

Visconti now dropped by the bunch. Formolo also out the back.

[Eugene Oppelt]

Uran still has two men with him though. Jungels is in the pink jersey group too.

[Eugene Oppelt]

Atapuma and Siutsou have gone clear and dropped Roche though, as they cut Plaza's lead to 27 seconds.

[Eugene Oppelt]

Plaza looks eina now

 

Four Astana riders at the front of the peloton and they're cutting the lead to the break to 8 minutes with 46km go to. Plaza has just 17 seconds on the two riders hunting him down.

[Eugene Oppelt]

[Eugene Oppelt]

Pain etched everywhere

Concentrated faces

 

All the GC riders seem to maintain that straight face????

[Eugene Oppelt]

Superb ride by Siutsou

????????????????

[Eugene Oppelt]

Uran still has man with him. Chaves, Zakarin, Majka, Pozzovivo, and Kruijswijk (Team LottoNl-Jumbo) all there too.

[Eugene Oppelt]

Amador is slipping back and Nibali only has Scarponi with him.

[Eugene Oppelt]

And Jungels has been dropped. And Fuglsang too. He looked comfortable but he's cracked.

[Eugene Oppelt]

Up the road and Plaza has been dropped.

Brave ride by the OGE man

[Eugene Oppelt]

44km remaining from 210km

 

And Amador is hanging on for dear life as Scarponi ups the pace once more. Amador is the last man in the group.