Possibly the only chance the fast men have to make their mark on this race is today. We expect a fairly standard flat stage.
As expected, a break gets away. It's fairly large - 12 riders, and interestingly, Warner Bros have managed to get 3 of their riders into it. The guys in the break do not bother contesting either of the intermediate sprints and the Warner Bros contingent are outfoxed first by Santambrogio (Gazzetta) and then by Hoffman (BA).
Perhaps the Warner Bros three are looking to take the KOM jersey later in the stage?
They can forget the stage victory anyway, as when the climb is reached it certainly doesn't look as the break will make it. 44k to go and a gap of 2'14".
So, KOM as a consolation for Warner Bros?
Well, no. It is Santambrogio who ensures La Gazzetta pick up yet more points.
The break do their best to stay away - there are some attacks, but this one looks as if it'll be a sprint. 10k to go the break is caught and we are about to hit the last little uphill drag before the finish.
Up and over and down and there are 3k to the finish. There's not much in the way of sprint trains and on the front it is Salerno from White Bear driving things along.
1000 meters down the road, and Coppel has obviously been studying Schleck at the Vuelta. Surely he's not going to win this?
Inside the final kilometer and it's not even close. Only team mate Burghardt can stop Coppel in another (not) surprisingly ridiculous finish.
