And so the first hilly stage has arrived. The crash on Stage 1 affected the hopes of a couple, but many potential winners still lie in a strong position - albeit 40 seconds down on Granjel Cabrera. Favourite Frank Schleck has been riding close to the front, and is in 37th overall - being as high as 18th in the Stage 3 bunch sprint. The rest have been more anonymous, but remain on the same time nonetheless - Ulissi, Di Luca, Bakelandts, Van Garderen. Plenty of other riders will be eager to go fir though, while the sprinters such as Granjel and Van Stayen could also try to follow the wheels.
Its also a big day for the KoM jersey. Plenty of climbs - and many giving as much as 10 points for 1st. If Pate wants to keep his jersey, he needs to be aggressive. But its Gaudin who takes KoM#1, ahead of Mendes and Wallays.
12 riders go clear, but split into 3 separate groups. Wallays, Vaugrenard and Stenersen; then Berthou, Brizuela, Rosseler and Gaudin; then Scheunemann, Aulas, Nolf, Frei and Mendes.
Vaugrenard is keen for the points, and jumps away from Wallays and Stenersen to take KoM#2.
He takes the 3rd aswell, with Stenersen 2nd and Wallays 3rd. And its Wallays who now hold the provisional KoM lead on 24 points, with Vaugrenard on 23, and Stenersen on 22.
The first 2 groups of the break come together soon after that climb
And we approach the steepest climb of the day so far, the break leading by abotu 2 and a half minutes - as Dowsett attacks out of it. While all the riders in the break have finally come together as 1 group
Vaugrenard takes the points at the top from Rosseler and Berthou
While Dowsett has already managed to bridge to the break - a very quick junction - and able to add some much needed impetus, the gap now down to 1'30.
Drama in the peloton though, Van Stayen crashes! He was clearly being seen as the Jack Wolfskin GC man, as the whole team drops back.
All except Vaugrenard that is, who is ensuring that whatever happens, the team still holds a jersey at the end of the day - he wins another KoM
Vesuvio, Pearl, Sony and B&O hold influence at the front of the peloton, closing the gap, before everything erupts with 27km to go.
Duque, Baugnies, Santambrogio, and Talabardon attack the peloton, while Wallays leads some attacks from the breakaway, and now Kruijswijk, Kolesnikov and Clement are attacking from the pack. As is Granjel Cabrera!
Its all a bit chaotic as attackers merge with the breakaway, and some are caught by the Vesuvio-led peloton. Bennati is now attacking aswell.
Vaugrenard is clearly no longer in the picture at the front as Talabardon crosses the next climb in 1st. Santambrogio is 2nd, ahead of a 6 man group of Clement, Dowsett, Kolesnikov, Stenersen, Granjel Cabrera, and Baugnies.
Then next we have Kruijswijk, Duque, Berthou, Rosseler, Bennati, Gaudin, Casar and Di Maggio.
This group is all caught however as only 7 riders remains clear. Talabardon, with a gap on Santambrogio, Dowsett, Clement, Granjel Cabrera, Kolesnikov and Stenersen
Van Garderen now attacks, Duque, Ulissi and Di Luca follow
And up front its Granjel Cabrera the aggressor. Bringing back Hulsmans, but followed by another Warner Bros rider Kolesnikov
And with 8km to go, Frank Schleck finally emerges from the peloton! Hagen, Casar and Visconti are also there looking to follow him.
5km to go, and Kolesnikov has dropped Granjel Cabrera.
Then comes Di Luca, a small gap to Talabardon, a 3rd Warner Bros rider Flecha, Clement and Bennati. Closely followed by Ulissi, Kruijswijk, Santambrogio, Dowsett - and then Schleck - with another group of riders also looking to close the gap.
Kolesnikov is maintaing his lead. Clement and Di Luca have caught Granjel Cabrera, but Schleck is looming close, tracked by Ulissi.
Clement and Granjel Cabrera start to fade though as the sprint gets going, Di Luca heading things but Schleck looming ominously - having broken away from Ulissi, aswell as Hagen and Visconti who both made late moves to even get to this front group in the first place. But lets not forget Kolesnikov!
But the Russian could really have done with checking over his shoulder, he is caught unawares as Schleck and Di Luca come charging through.
And Frank Schleck wins the stage!
2nd for Di Luca, from Kolesnikov, Ulissi, Visconti, Hagen, Casar, Clement, Santambrogio and Flecha.
Granjel Cabrera fell back to 14th in this 15 man group, but his efforts are well rewarded, he remains the leader of this race.
Vanendert is next, with the group just behind the group a little behind - this is led by Van Garderen - a rider who should have made the front group - along with Gautier, Mugerli, Anza, Busche, Pereiro, Duque and Di Maggio.
They lost 55 seconds to Schleck/Granjel Cabrera and co. while Marinangeli leads in the pack at 1'59 - a pack that still inclues Bakelandts - why on earth didnt he attack?
Van Stayen meanwhile, never managed to get back, and so Jack Wolfskin's GC hopes for the race are all over.
Speaking of GC, of the 15 man lead group, only Santambrogio and Hagen had previously lost time - so will this race now be decided by these 13 riders? Only Granjel Cabrera and Bennati have made the cut from the sprinters, if so.
