General Classification

1   Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Barracuda   59:55:28   
2   Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team   0:00:09   
3   Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team   0:00:41   
4   Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat   0:01:05   
5   Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale   0:01:06   
6   Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Astana Pro Team   0:01:07   
7   Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team       
8   Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling   0:01:19   
9   Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD   0:01:20   
10   Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox   0:01:21   

Mountains Jersey

1   Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quickstep   34    pts
2   Jan Barta (Cze) Team NetApp   24   
3   Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Androni Giocattoli   24   
4   Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team   22   
5   Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli   15   
6   Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team   11   
7   Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox   9   
8   Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan   9   
9   Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team   7   
10   Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Team NetApp   7   

Young Rider

1   Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling   59:56:47   
2   Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling   0:00:20   
3   Damiano Caruso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale   0:01:37   
4   Peter Stetina (USA) Garmin - Barracuda   0:01:47   
5   Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox   0:02:18   

It is the day before the rest day which should be good for the stage.

It is however the weakest of the 5 mountain stages and I don't think anybody will use the Valcava to attack, simply too far from the finish. It is however a very good climb as shown below.



I expect the green train to control things on this climb and the first Cat 2 is nothing that difficult.

The finishing climb is quite decent and should see some attacks. In the profile below I think they join the climb about the 6.5km mark and go to the top.

At the moment, Scarponi looks the strongest to me. This stage doesn't suit Basso, so his Liquigas train will try to kill off this stage like they did with the ones before. No one will attack before the final mountain, but that climb could well be carnage. I think Scarponi can break Basso here and take time from him, even if it won't be minutes (or even more than one minute) he'll need all the time he can get for the final 2 MTF's.

Will be interesting to see what Schleck does here. Normally I'd say this stage is not bad for him, but in his current form, I don't know what he'd do. Rodriguez seems likely to lose some time here, even if it's not much.

My prediction: Scarponi to finish alone in front of a small group of Basso, Gadret, Uran, Tiralongo and Schleck at about 20 seconds. Kreuziger, Rodriguez and Hesjedal to lose some time here, but not more than a minute.

For those lovers of Colnago, Ernesto is a guest on RAI today for todays stage. Will no doubt be interviewed before and after the stage. Definitely after if Possovivo wins or another CSF rider.

apparantly Schleck has abandoned.

what a loser

Stage
1    RABOTTINI Matteo    ITA    FAR    5:15:30    0:00    
2    RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin    ESP    KAT    5:15:30    0:00    
3    LOSADA ALGUACIL Alberto    ESP    KAT    5:15:53    0:23    
4    HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Luis    COL    SKY    5:15:55    0:25    
5    SCARPONI Michele    ITA    LAM    5:15:55    0:25    
6    BASSO Ivan    ITA    LIQ    5:15:55    0:25    
7    PIRAZZI Stefano    ITA    COG    5:15:59    0:29    
8    KREUZIGER Roman    CZE    AST    5:15:59    0:29    
9    GADRET John    FRA    ALM    5:15:59    0:29    
10    TXURRUKA Amets    ESP    EUS    5:15:59    0:29
11 NIEVE ITURALDE Mikel ESP EUS 5:16:06 0:36
12 HESJEDAL Ryder CAN GRM 5:16:09 0:39
13 CATALDO Dario ITA OPQ 5:16:09 0:39
14 INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA Benat ESP MOV 5:16:14 0:44
15 TSCHOPP Johann SUI BMC 5:16:22 0:52
16 TIRALONGO Paolo ITA AST 5:16:24 0:54
17 DE GENDT Thomas BEL VCD 5:16:41 1:11
18 MORENO FERNANDEZ Daniel ESP KAT 5:16:41 1:11
19 CUNEGO Damiano ITA LAM 5:16:41 1:11
20 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA COG 5:16:47 1:17
21 CASAR Sandy FRA FDJ 5:16:47 1:17
22 URAN URAN Rigoberto COL SKY 5:17:16 1:46
23 NIEMIEC Przemyslaw POL LAM 5:17:28 1:58
24 POZZOVIVO Domenico ITA COG 5:17:35 2:05
25 SZMYD Sylvester POL LIQ 5:18:27 2:57

GC
1    RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin    ESP    KAT    65:11:07    0:00
2    HESJEDAL Ryder    CAN    GRM    65:11:37    0:30
3    BASSO Ivan    ITA    LIQ    65:12:29    1:22
4    TIRALONGO Paolo    ITA    AST    65:12:33    1:26
5    KREUZIGER Roman    CZE    AST    65:12:34    1:27
6    SCARPONI Michele    ITA    LAM    65:12:43    1:36
7    INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA Benat    ESP    MOV    65:12:49    1:42
8    HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Luis    COL    SKY    65:13:02    1:55
9    CATALDO Dario    ITA    OPQ    65:13:19    2:12
10    CASAR Sandy    FRA    FDJ    65:13:20    2:13
11 URAN URAN Rigoberto COL SKY 65:14:03 2:56
12 DE GENDT Thomas BEL VCD 65:14:23 3:16
13 POZZOVIVO Domenico ITA COG 65:14:24 3:17
14 TSCHOPP Johann SUI BMC 65:14:31 3:24
15 GADRET John FRA ALM 65:14:31 3:24
16 MORENO FERNANDEZ Daniel ESP KAT 65:14:40 3:33
17 CUNEGO Damiano ITA LAM 65:14:52 3:45
18 NIEVE ITURALDE Mikel ESP EUS 65:15:27 4:20
19 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA COG 65:15:52 4:45
20 PARDILLA BELLON Sergio ESP MOV 65:16:38 5:31

Stage
1    RABOTTINI Matteo    ITA    FAR    5:15:30    0:00    
2    RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin    ESP    KAT    5:15:30    0:00    
3    LOSADA ALGUACIL Alberto    ESP    KAT    5:15:53    0:23    
4    HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Luis    COL    SKY    5:15:55    0:25    
5    SCARPONI Michele    ITA    LAM    5:15:55    0:25    
6    BASSO Ivan    ITA    LIQ    5:15:55    0:25    
7    PIRAZZI Stefano    ITA    COG    5:15:59    0:29    
8    KREUZIGER Roman    CZE    AST    5:15:59    0:29    
9    GADRET John    FRA    ALM    5:15:59    0:29    
10    TXURRUKA Amets    ESP    EUS    5:15:59    0:29
11 NIEVE ITURALDE Mikel ESP EUS 5:16:06 0:36
12 HESJEDAL Ryder CAN GRM 5:16:09 0:39
13 CATALDO Dario ITA OPQ 5:16:09 0:39
14 INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA Benat ESP MOV 5:16:14 0:44
15 TSCHOPP Johann SUI BMC 5:16:22 0:52
16 TIRALONGO Paolo ITA AST 5:16:24 0:54
17 DE GENDT Thomas BEL VCD 5:16:41 1:11
18 MORENO FERNANDEZ Daniel ESP KAT 5:16:41 1:11
19 CUNEGO Damiano ITA LAM 5:16:41 1:11
20 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA COG 5:16:47 1:17
21 CASAR Sandy FRA FDJ 5:16:47 1:17
22 URAN URAN Rigoberto COL SKY 5:17:16 1:46
23 NIEMIEC Przemyslaw POL LAM 5:17:28 1:58
24 POZZOVIVO Domenico ITA COG 5:17:35 2:05
25 SZMYD Sylvester POL LIQ 5:18:27 2:57

GC
1    RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin    ESP    KAT    65:11:07    0:00
2    HESJEDAL Ryder    CAN    GRM    65:11:37    0:30
3    BASSO Ivan    ITA    LIQ    65:12:29    1:22
4    TIRALONGO Paolo    ITA    AST    65:12:33    1:26
5    KREUZIGER Roman    CZE    AST    65:12:34    1:27
6    SCARPONI Michele    ITA    LAM    65:12:43    1:36
7    INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA Benat    ESP    MOV    65:12:49    1:42
8    HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Luis    COL    SKY    65:13:02    1:55
9    CATALDO Dario    ITA    OPQ    65:13:19    2:12
10    CASAR Sandy    FRA    FDJ    65:13:20    2:13
11 URAN URAN Rigoberto COL SKY 65:14:03 2:56
12 DE GENDT Thomas BEL VCD 65:14:23 3:16
13 POZZOVIVO Domenico ITA COG 65:14:24 3:17
14 TSCHOPP Johann SUI BMC 65:14:31 3:24
15 GADRET John FRA ALM 65:14:31 3:24
16 MORENO FERNANDEZ Daniel ESP KAT 65:14:40 3:33
17 CUNEGO Damiano ITA LAM 65:14:52 3:45
18 NIEVE ITURALDE Mikel ESP EUS 65:15:27 4:20
19 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA COG 65:15:52 4:45
20 PARDILLA BELLON Sergio ESP MOV 65:16:38 5:31

Thanks.

Big Losing time today:
Hesjedal, Cataldo: +39 to J-Rod and +13 to Scar/Basso/Henao
Tiralongo
Casar
Uran
Pozzovivvo

32nd RUJANO GUILLEN Jose +4:15 down on today's winner

GC

22 RUJANO GUILLEN Jose   +7:50

He is from Pescara and the local grape is Montepulciano a lovely red.

Thanks, lovely wine for sure 8)

Sergio living up to the hype in style, great to see.   

Nieve being a huge disappointment  (so far...) 

J Rod looks super strong, and 1.30plus will not be easy to pull back for the rest, but I have a nagging suspicion that he will crack big time at some point in the final big mountain stages

1 - Rabattini !!!   that was an amazing ride.   Hats off.

2 - JRod.  That was fantastic.  I am officially now a fan.  That was classy stuff, and he is worthy of wearing pink.

Seems like he is getting a nice little buffer, a few seconds here and there and all of a sudden its a minute and a half. 

As his TT seems to have improved a fair bit, and the rest of the contenders arent exactly TT specialists, I would say this year is his first as a genuine contender.    I hope for his sake he manages to get up on the podium.