STAGE 12: Seravezzi - Sestri Lavante 157 KM's

Stage Favourites:
****Roy(ALC) ***Niemiec(NEM) **Nieve(TBG)
*Gadret(BOE)

We have a really hilly stage today. The last climb summits 10 kilometres from the finish so it will take a special attack to distance the favourites.

The four men in the break are: Dombrowski; Cheula; Vilela and Bak. Offredo was in the break momentarily but was dropped on the first climb.

Dombrowski would mop up many KOM points and move into the KOM lead at the end of the stage.

Other than Millar falling with 88 kilometres to go no major events happened in the 'middle' of the stage.

With 24 kilometres to go the break is proving to be as stubborn as a mule and has 3:00 over of the bunch. Gadret and Nieve attacks on the final climb but surely they have left it too late.... Gadret drops Nieve at the top of the climb.......

Gadret catches the break and pulls back a late attack by Dombrowski on the descent. He is doing all the riding with Bak in his wheel. The peloton are '45 behind...... The original break and Gadret would fight out the finish....

Gadret takes the win. Win no.2 for him and Boeing.

With Bak in his wheel you would have fancied the Dane to come round but Gadret is riding like a man possessed here. After a few barren stages, two good stages in a row sees Festina return to the top of the UC rankings. Verdugo lead home the GC group.

Stage favourites:
***Forster(AVI) **Hunter(GAT)
*Bagdonas(MCD)

121 kilometres and a flat run in means this stage is one of the easiest in the Giro.

With 90 kilometres to go we have a two man break of Saramotins and Marlon Perez (again!).

With 65 kilometres to go Izagirre of Festina reaches the break and Cardoso, Sieberg, Ignatiev, Anacona and Bak attack out of the pack.

Tuft also attacks but can't reach the five escapees who finally catch the three man break with 15 kilometres to go with the peloton @ '40 as Keizer attacks out of the bunch.

Navardauskus leads the peloton

All breaks, despite a gallant effort, are caught with 8 kilometres to go and a sprint is destined. Many riders have been dropped with the high pace and the bunch only totals around 100 riders.

.................

Despite Fenn showing well in the last bunch sprint he did not have it in the legs today. Duque leads us with some work to do....

Ruben Perez, shows himself for the first time and passes Duque but there is still around 200 meters to go, the points jersey of Felline is coming up fast, but is he fast enough?

Win no.2 for Felline. The riders up there in the end show how hard a finale it was despite the terrain looking easy on paper. Credit Suisse rock up the UC rankings with that one!