The breakaway came mighty close on yesterday, and the road from Fano to Forli may provide an even greater opportunity. The challenging climbs of Monte Casale and Monte Trebbio, coming late in the stage, will surely either play havok with the chasing peloton or the sprinters trying to hold in it - or both!
But if it does come down to a sprint, then Daniele Bennati will be the favourite to make it 4 stage wins. Ben Swift will be determined to make it 3-3, but seemed slightly off Bennati's pace yesterday. Allan Davis appears to be the next best sprinter to have recovered after the mountains - while Juan Van Heerden just needs to learn a more sensible tactic.
Given that this stage is harder than yesterday though - maybe Taylor Phinney and Yuri Trofimov could claim to be surprise contenders for a sprint victory?
The first move of the day failed to stay clear for long, as Pokerstars.com seem to have reverted back to their sprint support role today and help with the chasing.
Ramon Sinkeldam Tim Kennaugh Johann Tschopp Elia Viviani Adrian Malori Taylor Tolleson
The second attempt will surely fail as well, as Wes Sulzberger has gone with it.
But ... no. Shock of all shocks, Sulzberger has finally made it into a breakaway that sticks! They ride up and through the first KoM of the day, La Siligata.
Matteo Trentin Wes Sulzberger Dmitriy Gruzdev
Trentin also won the intermediate sprint as they built their gap up.
The peloton are content to let it go - just for now, or for good? Time will tell.
With around 60km to go, Johim Ariesen attempted a sneaky move to regain the Lanterne Rouge by puncturing. But the peloton were still in off mode, so he is forced to rejoin them.
At 50km to go, it is time for the crucial part of the stage:
The breakaway lead by 8 minutes and will fancy their chances here.
Wikipedia are alone in leading the peloton. No sign of interest from the sprinters teams just yet.
Inevitably the peloton do claim back some time here - the temp pace of the likes of McCarthy and Mai being able to reduce that to 6 minutes by the time Wes Sulzberger leads the break over the Monte Trebbio.
The order over both climbs was Sulzberger -> Trentin -> Gruzdev. Giving Sulzberger a haul of 19 points from today, with 17 for Trentin and 9 for Gruzdev to add to his previously earnt 4.
Since Monte Trebbio is a Cat 2 climb, there are 4 points available for the first rider in the peloton. If Aleksandr Efimkin were to take those 4 points then he would reclaim the King of the Mountains lead.
But there is no attack, and so Atapuma takes 4 points, with 2 for McCarthy.
Bizarrely Aleksandr Efimkin does then attack on the descent. A little late there!
And also quite shortlived - it would appear that the sprinters teams were just waiting for the climbs to be out of the way before setting to work. Pokerstars, Vesuvio and Puma-SAP thus set to work.
The lead of the break is already reduced to 3'30 at 16km to go. Dmitriy Gruzdev tries to attack away from his stronger companions.
The chasing efforts are strong though - led by Delage, Nuyens, Kvasina, Paterski, Gastauer and Wallays.
The gap stands at 2 minutes with 10km to go. Not necesarrily a guarantee of capture, but the peloton did wipe out a larger gap at this stage yesterday.
Gruzdev is off on another attack, after his previous effort failed.
At 6km to go, Pokerstars.com have completely disappeared from the front of the peloton.
Why? Erik Mohs has been dropped.
The pace may not have been too high over the climbs, but they seem to have done their gap - either that, or Mohs simply isnt cut out for racing well in Grand Tours. Kobe Vanoverschelde is also dropped a little further on.
And it is soon to be bad news for the breakaway as they are caught soon after the 5km to go banner. The usual two sprint trains are out in force and take the lead.
Merino Criado, Caethoven and Swift versus Gasparotto, Kvist and Bennati.
Allan Davis has taken Bennati's wheel, while also up here are Maximiliano Richeze, Paride Grillo, Romain Vanderbiest, Juan Van Heerden and Andreas Stauff.
There's some concern for Puma though as Enrico Gasparotto pulls out of the train at 2.6km to go, forcing Thomas Vedel Kvist to take to the front before launching his leadout. You would have thought that Gasparotto would be stronger on a stage like today.
Reports of a crash over race radio though, and it's ROMAIN SICARD!
Disaster for the rider sat in 4th overall, meanwhile Kvist is having to launch his sprint early. Pedro Merino Criado still leads the Vesuvio train.
Kvist does move into the lead as Steven Caethoven waits a little before starting Vesuvio's sprint and now will look to chase the Dane down.
Sicard will now rely on the Pokerstars.com train to limit his losses. The Green team have sent all of their team back to support Mohs - therefore including Degenkolb.
Back to the front though as Steven Caethoven is once again delivering a storming leadout, and used his fresher legs to overhaul Kvist. This has forced Bennati into going for a long sprint.
But Daniele Bennati is struggling here. The best he can do is match Caethoven!
Paride Grillo is very well placed on Swift's wheel, and it is suddenly all Koenigsegg with Santo Anza looking dangerous, and just behind him Yuri Trofimov is surging forwards alongside Riccardo Ricco.
Ben Swift launches his move now, knowing that Bennati is already beaten.
Grillo tries to be the man to finally break the Swift/Bennati sprint monopoly, while Trofimov has moved into 4th, and Simon Spilak now moves alongside Bennati.
It doesnt look like Trofimov is going to close down Swift - so what about Grillo?
It's a good effort, but ultimately not even close. Ben Swift sails to his 3rd Giro stage win - again indebted to the work of his always consistent lead out train.
Koenigsegg have a 2-3 with Grillo's best result of the race and Trofimov collecting 8 bonus seconds.
Spilak and Ricco collect Top 5s, while Caethoven is the 3rd best sprinter in 6th.
Bennati was beaten by Taylor Phinney as well and any hopes he once had of the Points jersey are surely over.
It's a miserable stage for Romain Sicard as he loses 2'46. No teammates dropped back to help him, but at least he had Pokerstars trying their best. He suffers a 5 place drop to 9th overall.
Gianpaolo Caruso tripped over the Frenchman, and then finished a further minute behind. He is down to 20th in GC.
Tomorrow is a long flat time trial - and Taylor Phinney already has the race lead. Be afraid, be very afraid.
1
Ben Swift
Vesuvio - Accumalux
4h24'18
2
Paride Grillo
Koenigsegg
s.t.
3
Yuri Trofimov
Koenigsegg
s.t.
4
Simon Spilak
Aker - MOT
s.t.
5
Riccardo Ricco
Team Bacardi
s.t.
6
Steven Caethoven
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
7
Taylor Phinney
Wikipedia
s.t.
8
Santo Anza
Koenigsegg
s.t.
9
Daniele Bennati
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
10
Juan Van Heerden
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
11
Kristjan Koren
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
12
Pedro Merino Criado
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
13
Matteo Trentin
Project 1t4i
s.t.
14
Thomas Vedel Kvist
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
15
Romain Vanderbiest
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
16
Allan Davis
Hollister Pro Cycling
s.t.
17
Thomas Faiers
Pendleton's
s.t.
18
Andreas Stauff
Lotto - Cervelo
s.t.
19
Wes Sulzberger
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
20
Nico Keinath
Team B&O
s.t.
21
Martin Hacecký
Team B&O
s.t.
22
David López Garcia
Santander
s.t.
23
Alexandre Shushemoin
Aker - MOT
s.t.
24
Gediminas Bagdonas
Team Bacardi
s.t.
25
Ioannis Tamouridis
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
26
Enrico Gasparotto
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
27
Peter Velits
Project 1t4i
s.t.
28
Petar Panayotov
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
29
Vitor Rodrigues
Hollister Pro Cycling
s.t.
30
Kenny Elissonde
Wikipedia
s.t.
31
Brian Vandborg
Team B&O
s.t.
32
Thibaut Pinot
Wikipedia
s.t.
33
Jesus Del Nero
Santander
s.t.
34
Ryan Eastman
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
Ramon Sinkeldam
Tim Kennaugh
Johann Tschopp
Elia Viviani
Taylor Tolleson
Wes Sulzberger
Dmitriy Gruzdev
