CYCLING Live

Giro d'Italia - *Pizzo Calabro - Catanzaro-Lungomare

Live Comments

  1. 0km - CAVENDISH WINS IT!!!! WHAT A FINISH FROM THE BRITISH RIDER!!!! THERE WAS A MIGHTY PILE-UP CLOSE TO THE END...DETAILS TO FOLLOW IN THE REPORT.

  2. 2.8km - Mark Cavendish is also well placed. Team High Road are trying to engineer a good situation for him to break.

  3. 7km - Robbie McEwen is in the chasing pack, and his sprinting capabilities put him very much in contention.

  4. 13km - World champion Paolo Bettini of Quick Step is in the lead, pushing the group faster - possibly testing them a touch.

  5. 15km - A tight pack is vying for places now.

  6. 19km - He's in sight now! And past they go. One by one, leaving the tired Belgian in their wake.

  7. 25km - Around two minutes and counting...his lead is being eaten up faster than a buffet at a wedding.

  8. 30km - Gap down to four minutes now...

  9. 34km - Bingen Fernández (Cofidis) requires a wheel change. Lots of snack eating going on in the peloton at the moment. Verbrugghe is downing energy bars like a gym rat, but I don't think even a full English could stop the inevitable now.

  10. 40km - The gap is closing rapidly now, down to about 7:30 and falling. Verbrugghe must be tiring.

  11. 45km - Rain in Italy, and slippery conditions could mean for some interesting riding in the closing stages.

  12. 62km - Teams Euskaltel, Milram and High Road are now leading the chasing pack.

  13. 75km - Verbrugghe is 10:50 ahead now and cruising.

  14. 85km - The winds are picking up a bit now, which could make things interesting for the closing stages.

  15. 90km - Verbrugghe has passed the refreshments station at Monasterace, with a lead of 9:15

  16. 99km - It's grey and threatening rain. Not great conditions for the massive sprint finish we're hoping for.

  17. 100km - Frantisek Rabon (High Road) and Dario Cataldo (Liquigas) and in second and third spots after the descent. Verbrugghe's lead is around 10mins now.

  18. 120km - Emanuele Sella leads the mountains category after the Passo di Pietra Spada, with nine points.

  19. 120km - Verbrugghe starts the descent down Passo di Pietra Spada towards Monasterace Marina.

  20. 129km - Verbrugghe is over the Passo di Pietra Spada with a 9:20 lead over the peloton. He will be caught...it's just a question of time.

  21. 138km - Verbrugghe's lead has been cut to 8:33. Nothing to worry about yet, but the first signs of what's to come perhaps.

  22. 145km - The riders are approaching the climb up Passo di Pietra Spada, where points are available for the mountains classification. Emanuele Sella (CSF Group)is currently leading this discipline.

  23. 147km - Verbrugghe's lead is now 8:30. The pack are letting him get away, but he won't stay that far ahead for long.

  24. 155km - Average speed for the first hour of the stage - 32.4km/h

  25. 162km - Verbrugghe's lead increases to 5:20 and the Confidis team are well placed.

  26. 168km - Rik Verbrugghe has the lead. He's in front of the pack by just under 5mins.

  27. 183km - And they're off! Time for a history lesson...Luigi Marchisio won in Cantanzaro-Lungomare in 1930, Nino Defilippis in 1954 and Belgian Franz Branz in 1965. Swede Gosta Petterson beat Eddy Merckx to the line in 1972 and, most recently, Frenchman Pascal Herve won in 1996. Who's it gonna be this time? Find out right here.

  28. - - We should be away shortly...

  29. - - This stage is cut out for the sprinters, and we should have a frantic finish. Riccardo Ricco has recovered from his fall yesterday and will race.

  30. - - Today's stage runs from Pizzo Calabro to Catanzaro-Lungoma and is 183km in length. We have a category three climb along the way, but it's predominantly flat.

  31. - - Good morning and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE!! coverage of Giro d'Italia stage four. The race gets under way at 11.35am.