Stage 2 and the big guns are ready, two big climbs, with a summit finish, only the best will be left in with a shot after this. Favourites are the two Venezualans, Rujano and Alarcon, as well as Caruso.
8km into this stage and we are already on an 11% climb, Pirelli have Montana at the front making it difficult for people
A strong lead group of 7 is formed: Sagan, Stetina, Quintana, Be Nasser, Gustov, Blanco and Possoni
Lots of riders attack across to join them
This gets Export on the front chasing with Nazaret and Navarro, despite having put Piamonte in the breakaway. Are they just taking the piss?
Most of the break are pulled back
The 4 who remain and Maisto, Raabe, Scholz and Nordhaug
Ban Naaser, Quintana and Piamonte attack across to them
Rabou, Blanco and Brolin now also try to get across
They suceed, so now Stetina, Silva and Rajala make a move, although the break are now 2'36" ahead
With Abdullah left to control the peloton their advantage quickly grows
And with 125km to go we have a 13 man lead group 4 minutes clear.
As the break crest the days 3rd climb, their gap has ballooned to 7'32" and 105km to go. A much bigger gap and Stetina will become a threat to the overall.
Stetina wins the sprint from Nordhaug and Brolin as the gap hits 8'20"
Pirelli and Vesta now take control at the front of the bunch
Although the gap hits 9'00" with 90km to go, the peloton is now strung out and chasing hard
As the break start the first big climb of the day their gap is down to 7 minutes with 75km to go.
These early sections hit 13% as Maisto leads them up. He, Stetina, Piamonte and Rajala all have moved to the front
Pirelli have total control as the peloton hit the climb
Blanco is the first casualty in the break.
While behind, the peloton is splitting as well.
As the climb flattens out halfway, Scholz is just hanging on to the break. The peloton are still 6'30" back so have made almost no ground on the climb so far.
Meanwhile the yellow jersey is now off the back. Now he just has to finish
As the break start the second half of the climb they are a man down as Piamonte falls. Thats a real blow to their chances of staying away
When the peloton hit thats spot it's not falls that liven up the action, as Nazaret attacks, and is soon followed by Vasquez, Ndbri and Pellizotti.
The 4 men quickly build up a minutes gap, as Pirreli stay calm. There are still 58km to go, although none of it is flat.
They catch Nazaret's teammate, Piamonte, with the gap to the peloton at 95 seconds. If he can help them for a bit then I guess the fall wasn't in vain.
With 5km to the top Ben Nasser has also been dropped by the break.
Pirelli have let the gap grow to two minutes, are they worried yet?
Some people are, Schwab, Efimkin, Parra Bustamante and Kern decide that the best defence is attack
Marzano's lack of team mates begins to bite, as he is dropped trying to get water, it could be a tough fight for him to get back.
Efimkin drops Schwab as he comes up to Blanco and Scholz, the other two have been pulled back by Saldarriaga, who has done a lot of good work today
Stetina leads Rajala and Maisto over the top with 50km to go, as the break is still 9 riders and has an impressive lead.
2'10" behind comes the attackers, who have just dropped Ben Nasser. Piamonte has lead them since the moment he was caught
Efimkin is next at +3'28"
Then Schwab at 4'25"
The Peloton, still doggedly lead by Pirelli, come through at 4'52". Someone else will have to help if they are to pull the break back.
Marzano is still picking his way through back markers, 2 minutes further back, and probably out of it.
The decent seems Schwab pulled back, while Efimkin is decending like a demon and has cut his deficit to the chasers to just 50 seconds
And halway down the decent Efimkin catches the chasers, they really are decending gingerly.
If you can't catch them going up, get them on the way back down. That seems to be Pirelli's strategy, as they have taken 90 seconds out of the leaders in 15km of decending.
This climb is the steepest of the day, nothing below 8% and the break are now in sight for the chase group.
As the peloton hit the climb, 3'28" off the pace, they are about to catch Ben Nasser.
The helicopter allows us to see the three groups on the road as they inch their way up this climb
A little increase in pace from Rajala allows him, Maisto and Stetina to go clear of the rest at the top of the climb.
The chasers were disorganised and actually lost a minute on that climb, topping it at +1'48"
In the peloton, Van der Velde, Parra Bussamonte and Schwab attack
But as Van der Velde goes solo over the top, 3'32" off the lead, with 28km to go. You are starting to think the break might have this one.
Ferrari are now helping Pirelli, but that might just be to save Maisto's legs, as the peloton are fully 4'12" off the pace.
On the downhill the chasers catch the break, they need to keep their speed up if they want to catch Maisto, Stetina, Rajala, and even Brolin, who is solo behind the first three,
Saldarriga keeps up his good work, as he pulls back the three attackers.
the three leaders go under 20km to go, lead by Maisto.
Brolin comes 51 seconds later
The main chase group at 1'46"
Then the peloton who are closing slowly, as the gap is now 3'53" Expect fireworks from Van den broeck on the final climb thats for sure.
And so the final climb begins, 15.3km at an average of 6.4% Not one for the faint hearted
Pellizotti pulls back Brolin, with the leaders 73 seconds ahead
The lesser riders are attacking again, Casar, Eltink, Schwab, Kern and arra Bustamante. How long will the leaders wait before they try and close this gap?
Pellizotti is in no rush, as he lets the gap go up to 1'30" before pulling over for Efimkin.
Silva and Quintana are now dropped as Nazaret picks up the pace on this 10% section.
Now we have just 6 chasers, Pellizotti, Ndbri, Nordhaug, Efimkin, Nazaret and Vasquez
Stetina drops his companions now, can he hold his 1'20" lead over the last 10km?
Ortega and Van der Velde now attack as Pirelli seem to be tiring.
Brandt also makes his move
The 6 chasers can't seem to get it together, some disorganisation allows their gap to Stetina to climb to 1'40"
Saldarriaga has been amazing today as he pulls the most recent attackers and most of the break back in.
7.5km to go and Caruso makes his move, Alarcon is right on his wheel
Eltink and Pozzovivo follow
Alarcon moves past Caruso as they catch Nordhaug, he and Pozzovivo are about to get to the break, where Vasquez is waiting. Stetina has extended his lead massively though.
Rujano and Van den Broeck now attack
Stetina goes under the 5km banner
2 minutes later!!! come Maisto and Rajala
40 seconds behind them are a group of 12, containing the chasers and the big name attackers
Although all the others are only just behind
Nazaret lays down some power after taking it easy on the first half of the climb, he now pulls back Maisto and Rajala.
Nazaret keeps up the power, and Stetina has cracked, the gap is dwn to just 1'18"
2300m left for the American, can he hold on to his lead?
Nobody wants to make a move, they are playing into Stetina's hands!
5 riders go clear: Caruso, Nazaret, Pozzovivo, Rujano and Alarcon, Van der Broeck and Efimkin are just behind, but Stetina is going under the kite.
It's a steep windy finish, as Pozzovivo starts the sprint from the front.
It's too late for them, as Stetina celebrates an epic solo victory
Pozzovivo sprints to second place ahead of Nazaret, who has shown amazing strength today.
Alarcon, Efimkin and Caruso are next
Then Rujano and Van den Broeck, who has seriously let his team down.
Pellizotti then leads in the peloton.
So Stetina takes the overall lead by 28 seconds over Pozzovivo, with Caruso th only other man within a minute. After his performance today it will be tough to dislodge him from any of the jerseys come stage 4 as well.
