Stage Favourites:
***Battaglin(EML) **Moser(EML) *Ulissi(JDE)

A similar stage to yesterday, with everything amplified in difficulty. We start with the Miglia climb (15 kilometres @ 5%) and end on a climb which is 7.3 KM at 7%. The GC men may well tear up the race, Kritskiy starts the day in pink.

Someone even produced this mosaic of him as he passes through the early stage countryside.

Despite these attacks we will start the final climb all together with Kritskiy towards the front. The Russian Beast is really feeling the race today, he vows to fight through the pain in his last kilometres in pink in this Giro.

Battaglin put in a massive attack, early on, on the final climb and has '30 before Henao puts in a super attack himself..... everyone has no answer whatsoever as the quality riders disappear up the road. The riders are well clear before Kelderman puts in the next attack.

Henao never could get on terms with the Italian, and on the plateau finish the Colombian even lost time. Henao, however, is well on his way to a fourth Giro win as Battaglin traditionally flails in the mountains.

Kritskiy finishes 4'36 down in the first decent sized group, led by Felline. Our last day in pink, it was a good one.

Stage Favourite:
***Kittel(EUS)

It was your typical sprint stage until this happened. Some massive names go down in this melee. Few bigger than HENAO and KITTEL!

We pushed along the pace with van Overberghe, who was in the original break, until Kritskiy attacked with 5 KM to go. We thought this was a great move as sprinters teams were depleted in numbers as only 36 avoided the crash.

But, not today! Kritskiy will not win our second stage today, he is caught. Swift has avoided the crash today and is being lead towards the finish by super lead out man Oss.

Swift can not make it 3 wins as Colbrelli comes out of the wheel in the dying meters to snatch a close win. Swift was perhaps over confident after his dominant performances, along with Kittel, in the first few sprint stages.

The pink jersey made the lead group and puts big time into Henao. If Henao is injured, Battaglin could be the unlikely winner of this Giro.

Stage Favourites:
***Battaglin(EML) **Salas(HLE) *Sicard(YTE)

A hilly stage with a steep uphill finish to the historic cycling city of Assisi.

The break amassed a huge advantage and would contest the win today.

After picking up a combative win in Romandie, Bravo is the best of the break today and takes another big win. Euskaltel's second here, some season after languishing in the continental ranks last season.

Pink jersey, Battaglin, extends his lead on a finish which really suits the world class puncheur with help from ExxonMobil teammate and former world champ Moser. He puts a further '30 into Henao. Kritskiy puts in a solid ride to hang on for his podium.

Stage Favourites:
***Kittel(EUS) **Swift(LAM) *Viviani(JDE)

A long flat stage.

Our long time rider, Long, went into the break which also included King and Stannard. After the break made it yesterday we had hopes of another break success today.

The sprint teams of Euskaltel and Lampre were too strong for the smallish break, not that it mattered for us as Long was already dropped. Long and Stannard were dropped by TT machine King with the stage coming to an end. King, even with all of the new space age technology, wouldn't hold off the peloton after being in the break for 230 kilometres.

Kittel regains his lead in the points classification over arch nemesis Swift by 5 points after his second stage win. Kittel and Swift have been head and shoulders the fastest here. Today, Kittel was head and shoulders too fast even for Swift.

Stage Favourites:
***Battaglin(EML) **Ulissi(JDE) *Moser(EML)

A hard hilly stage, but no uphill finish.

Good exposure .... well not really. Long was dropped early on when strongest in the break Riis pushed on the pace when the climbs started. Long would recover and ride back up ... only to be dropped with those steep unforgiving climbs never too far away.

Battaglin and Salas have been caught with 3 KM to go when we tell Kritskiy to put in a counter attack.... A nice tactic. But he is soon caught by a rampant Battaglin with plenty of riders in tow.

Salas takes the win!

The Spanish champ wins the sprint from the selective group. Battaglin holds a commanding lead in the GC but with the steep mountain stages, including the Stelvio, to come Henao and Salas are not too far out of reach.