CYCLING Live

Giro d'Italia - Milan - Milan

Live Comments

  1. 0km - No change in the GC after that day of protest. Be sure to return on Tuesday following tomorrow's rest day.

  2. 0km - Tyler Farrar took third, Matt Goss (Saxo) third and Petacchi fifth.

  3. 0km - That's three in a row for Team Columbia who are really dominating this year's Giro!

  4. 0km - It's too easy for MARK CAVENDISH who comes home ahead of Allan Davis for the victory!

  5. 0.5km - Boasson Hagen and Cav are right at the front.. what strength...

  6. 1km - Julian Dean now pacing for Garmin and Farrar. One click to go now... Haedo is out of place and so is Hunter.

  7. 2km - Without any team-mates out there, Petacchi is freelancing today. He's on Cav's wheel.

  8. 3km - Wiggins drops off, his work now done. It's now Columbia's Lovkvist and Rogers setting the pace. Allan Davis is there too.

  9. 4km - Millar joins Wiggins on the front. The two Brits are really going strong.

  10. 5km - Wiggins' pace is causing quite a few gaps behind. He's really putting the hammer in. Meanwhile, all the GC contenders are riding well back off the peloton.

  11. 6km - TV cameras flash to a couple of Italian beauties before returning to the less attractive sight of Bradley Wiggins driving on the front of the bunch.

  12. 7km - It's now Garmin Slipstream on the front for Tyler Farrar.

  13. 8km - Cavendish is sitting in the wheel of Petacchi... this is going to be interesting.

  14. 9km - Attack by little Tommy Voeckler! Good on him, the Bouygues Bbox rider has finally decided to have a pop. It won't last the distance, but at least he has given it a go.

  15. 10km - In truth, anyone with GC pretensions will have dropped back, leaving it for the sprinters. Cavendish, Petacchi, Farrar, Haedo, Paolini etc will all be getting their legs ready and primed.

  16. 10km - Lots of riders have dropped off the back, knowing that the results will not count towards the GC today. They include Lance Armstrong and most of Astana...

  17. 12km - It's all Garmin-Slipstream now, with Columbia and Saxo Bank getting in on the act.

  18. 14km - Lars Bak of Saxo Bank is on the front. The pace is really fast now, thankfully.

  19. 16km - The bell rings and the final lap is upon us! There is no sign of the rain that looked a certainty earlier today... the action will surely hot up now.

  20. 17km - The familiar pate of Jens Voigt is now on the front of the peloton. Maybe Saxo Bank team-mate Fabian Cancellara is going to have a pop at one of his long-distance finales?

  21. 19km - The pace is now a whopping 54 km/h, the fastest so far today.

  22. 20km - The garish shirts of ISD are moving to the front.

  23. 23km - Michael Barry of Columbia Highroad edges to the front of the peloton. He's rode a solid Giro, has the Canadian. In truth, his whole team has been pretty stellar.

  24. 24km - Ronny Scholz (Milram) punctures just as the pace is getting rather fast. Unlucky for the German...

  25. 25km - Columbia Highroad are gathering at the front, no doubt with a view to launching Mark Cavendish to his first win in this year's race. That would make it three in a row for the team, on top of their win in the team time trial.

  26. 30km - Interested about the history of the Giro? Then read this

  27. 32km - Two laps to go! Barloworld are moving to the front now to take up a stint of pace setting. Maybe Robbie Hunter fancies his chances today?

  28. 35km - The pace is getting much quicker now and the peloton has been stretched out to a really long snake. Lampre, Liquigas and Astana are all making their presence known on the front of the bunch.

  29. 35km - Lance Armstrong is riding on the front of the peloton. After three years out of competitive cycling, this slow pace suits the Texan to a tee.

  30. 40km - Another slapdash characteristic of this stage is the fact that there are many cars parked on the side of the road being used for the race. This would never happen in the Tour de France and it shows a chronic lack of organisation by the people behind what is being dubbed the Milano No-Show 100.

  31. 45km - It's no longer Lampre and LPR taking it in turns in setting the slow pace. A couple of Garmin riders have got in the mix, as has a Bouygues Bbox rider. Maybe this is signs that things might finally get going.

  32. 50km - The speed is definitely getting quicker in Milan but this is still rather farcical. There are about three laps to go of this 16km loop.

  33. 55km - Despite the onimous looking clouds on the horizon there has been no rain fall yet today. In fact, the sun is still out and so we might avoid slippery cobbles today.

  34. 60km - Average speed for the third hour of racing: 34.745 km/h. Something of a record that - the quickest we've seen all day.

  35. 60km - Four laps to go! Wake me up when there's just one...

  36. 60km - Mario Cipollini is razzing it up on the finish line, wearing some designer jeans and a white shirt. The Lion King has the most amount of wins here in Milan with five career victories to his name. Alfredo Binda and Alessandro Petacchi are currently tied with three each, but Ale-Jet could move one closer to Mario with a star turn here today.

  37. 65km - In a rare moment of excitement, Italian TV cuts to a picture of a girl who can only be described as indescribably cute. Wearing a yellow T-shirt and looking rather shy, she smiles back to the cameras, making one online cycling commentator very, very satisfied.

  38. 65km - The average speed of the peloton at the moment is 33.98 km/h which, by any accounts, is very slow.

  39. 65km - The war of words continues. Giro organiser, Angelo Zomengnan, has responded to Di Luca's speach on behalf of the peloton: "I don't agree with the riders on this decision. If this circuit is dangerous, then races like Amstel Gold and Liege-Bastogne-Liege should be canceled." He does have a point.

  40. 70km - Cadel Evans has just tweeted from his armchair saying "only in the Giro" would today's script happen. The Australian also added a link to a translated story from today's El Pais newspaper about Pedro Horrillo's crash which rather gruesomely describes some of the Spaniard's injuries sustained during that ravine fall yesterday. It's worth a read

  41. 70km - Hilarious scenes in Milan! Now I thought this would happen sometime today... The pace is so slow that a lycra-clad spectator has hopped on his bike and is riding alongside the peloton flying a mini Australian flag. His time in the limelight doesn't last too long as he is ushered through the security bars by some guys in white shirts.

  42. 75km - Cunego is taking the pss somewhat by dropping back and holding onto his team car while he chats to his Lampre directeur sportif. As if the pace wasn't slow enough already...

  43. 75km - As the riders trot through the feeding zone (better only eat half their lunches because if not they'll be taking on too many calories - it's not as if they've burnt any off today so no chance of a bonk) it's now Lampre driving the snail-like peloton forward.

  44. 80km - LPR are still riding on front of the peloton. All nine of them are there in a long line, led by Jure Golcer. It's as if they are riding a very very very slow team time trial. Di Luca is nestled in at the back, just ahead of the Lampre boys.

  45. 85km - Cyclingnews are reporting that Danilo Di Luca's speech contained this nugget: "We are going on. We wanted to stop and say thanks for your presence, but we don't feel the need to risk it anymore. The circuit is not adapted to our security." This whole strike charade would really be more suitable in France...

  46. 90km - Imagine if, once the sprinters do decide to contest the finish (say, at 10pm tonight), there is a mass pile up and they all break their collarbones. It would be so ironic, Alanis Morissette would have to come out of retirement and pen a new song.

  47. 95km - The riders are now doing their jobs again - that's to say, riding their bikes. LPR are setting the pace on the front of the peloton, and the tempo seems to be a little quicker than before. Maybe that speech by the pink jersey was the peak of the protest and now they are going to race properly again?

  48. 95km - The peloton has come to a standstill on the finish line and - wait for it - race leader Danilo Di Luca has made an impassioned speach, no doubt explaining the riders' actions today, over the microphone. Nothing like an Italian protest, eh?

  49. 95km - If you look at a map of the circuit in Milan it's easy to see why the riders feel like taking it easy today. Granted, there are no 60 metre ravines to fall into as there were yesterday, but there are some sure as hell tight corners and the road surface includes a mixture of paved and cobbled roads that will be treacherous when the rain starts coming down - as it will very soon in all likelihood.

  50. 95km - Astana boss Johan Bruyneel has tweeted from the team car, explaining the current situation on the streets of Milan: "Circuit race in Milan today, pretty dangerous. The riders decided to take no risks and the organization agreed to have no time for GC. So there will be a winner of the stage today but nobody will gain or lose time for the general classification. Good decision!"

  51. 100km - It's not yet clear if the complaints about the dangerous course are retrospective - looking back at the race so far - or particular to today's 10 circuits in Milan. There was talk that the narrow and tight bends in today's programme were seen as potential crash hot spots so by neutralising the race, the riders should avoid any mishaps. The sprinters are going to be allowed to contest the finish after the 3-km-to-go banner so, baring any misfortune, there will be no change in the GC today.

  52. 105km - NEWSFLASH: At last there is an explanation for today's slow stage: it has in fact been neutralised following complaints by the peloton of the dangerous nature of this year's race. Pedro Horrillo's horrific crash yesterday was obviously the last straw after the previous wet descents caused many riders - including Lance Armstrong - to protest.

  53. 110km - BOONEN LATEST: According to the Belgian's lawyer, Tom Boonen will contest ASO's Tour de France ban following his out-of-competition snaring for cocaine use. Although his team QuickStep has already said they will pull out their rider, it seems that the Boon King has other ideas.

  54. 115km - As they say, a picture tells a thousand words: Latest Giro pictures

  55. 120km - The LPR team of pink jersey Danilo Di Luca bring the peloton over the line to complete the third 16 km lap out of 10 in this 165-km stage in Milan. So far it's a bit of a snorefest, but at some point a few riders will no doubt try their luck and inject some vigour into proceedings.

  56. 125km - Catch up with the latest from the Armstrong camp and watch just how Siutsou won yesterday's stage with the latest cycling videos on Eurosport

  57. 130km - Astana's Chris Horner had a great day yesterday, attacking on the Colle de Gallo alongside Damiano Cunego and blowing the field apart. He said in his blog: "The legs are feeling great, and the team is riding incredibly strong. Levi, Lance and I are getting better every day!" Read Chris Horner's blog

  58. 135km - Average pace for the first hour of racing was a rather feeble 33.37km/h. Someone obviously forgot to tell the peloton that the rest day is tomorrow. This is more of an open-top tourist bus tour of the historic centre of Milan than a bike race!

  59. 135km - There are no TV pictures of the racing yet so far today and race radio is playing up and so there's not much information filtering through as yet so forgive the lack of perceived action. Incidentally, it's Columbia tyro and stage seven winner Edvald Boasson Hagen's 22nd birthday today. Here's how he won his stage

  60. 140km - CRASH: Markus Fothen (Milram) and Serafain Martinez (Xacobeo) hit the deck but are back in the mix. It's a warning to the rest of the field because it will not be the last time today that riders hit the deck. Lucky it's not raining - yet. Apparently thunderclouds are looming and the heavens may open at some point...

  61. 140km - QuickStep's Allan Davis had a particularly uncomfortable day in the saddle yesterday after suffering a bout of illness. He graphically described his plight later in the day on Twitter: "First time in my career I've had to poo my pants 4 times and vomit 5 times all in the last 100km and race the giro! Straight to ambulance! I am still in the game but, normally this passes fast, hopefully!" So, it's official, the worst job in the world is... Allan Davis's soigneur.

  62. 145km - Today's stage should prove one for the sprinters, although with all the tricky tight bends, the whole peloton will have to remain alert for crashes. Alessandro Petachhi (LPR) will have a third win on his radar, but Marc Cavendish (Columbia) and Tyler Farrar (Garmin) will surely do their best to get in on the act. Although local lad Luca Paolini of Acqua e Sapone shouldn't be overlooked...

  63. 145km - Speaking ahead of today's stage Cervelo sporting director Jean-Paul van Poppel said: "It is the big happy 100 year anniversary day here in Italy, in Milan (where else?) so it is more like a criterium, but for us, we hope that the sprinters teams control the race, and that we don't have any trouble. The main aim is to keep Carlos (Sastre) in the best position so that he doesn't lose any time."

  64. 150km - Italy's Danilo Di Luca (LPR) added eight seconds onto his overall lead in the race after pipping Columbia's Michael Rogers to take third place yesterday. Pink jersey Di Luca is now 13 seconds clear of Thomas Lovkvist of Columbia. General classification

  65. 155km - Horrillo's fellow professionals have wished the rider all the best on Twitter since his horror fall yesterday. The Spaniard fell 60 metres down a ravine and could not be found for a full 20 minutes before being airlifted to hospital. Allan Davis wrote: "My thoughts are with Pedro and his family!" Cadel Evans said: "Hoping my ex team mate Pedro Horrillo can get back to health again soon." And Levi Leipheimer wrote: "We are thinking of Pedro Horrillo after his horrific crash today."

  66. 155km - Spain's Pedro Horrillo Munoz, who fell down a ravine during the Giro d'Italia on Saturday, is out of an induced coma and has moved his limbs. His condition remains serious, with broken bones and head trauma, but doctors hope he can make a full recovery. Horrillo taken to hospital

  67. 160km - Stage nine is underway! At the end of these 16 kilometre circuits through the historic centre of Milan it should come down to a bunch sprint, giving Marc Cavendish a chance to open his Giro account. If Cav wins, it would mean three in a row for Team Columbia after yesterday's thrilling finale. Siutsou wins stage eight

  68. 165km - The sun is out in Milan for today's action, with just a few clouds in the sky. Full weather report

  69. 165km - Milan traditionally hosts the final stage of the Giro but this year, in celebration of the race's 100th anniversary, the finale will be a time trial in Rome. The change means the riders will instead ride this world championships-style race around Milan ahead of the first rest day, tomorrow.

  70. 165km - Hello and welcome to the 165 kilometre stage nine of the Giro d'Italia, 10 pancake flat laps of a circuit in Milan, dubbed The Milano Show 100.