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Giro d'Italia - Napoli - Anagni

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  1. 0km - So, congratulations to Gilbert who made the decisive break and was way too strong to lose out to Voeckler at the finish. It was a rather subdued end to the stage, but at least Silence-Lotto have broken their Giro duck. See you tomorrow for coverage of the final ITT in Rome!

  2. 0km - Lance Armstrong, taking it easy, crosses the line in a splinter group 1:38 back.

  3. 0km - The peloton came over just a few seconds back, with Menchov and Di Luca shoulder to shoulder. So, apart from those two bonus seconds gained by the Russian earlier today, it's no change at the top.

  4. 0km - Easy as pie for Gilbert, who salutes the heavens as he crosses the line ahead of Voeckler.

  5. 0.5km - Popo fades so it's a shoe in for Gilbert - surely Voeckler's not going to finish his grand Tour duck here today?

  6. 1km - Yaroslav Popovych and Thomas Voeckler catch his wheel. One of these three will win it today, surely...

  7. 1.5km - Philippe Gilbert has a pop!! The Silence-Lotto fastman blasts off the front of the peloton.

  8. 2km - One rider gets lapped there - he's obviously still on the first curcuit. The shame... Meanwhile, all the favourites are lining the front of the peloton. Menchov, as usual, is Di Luca's shadow.

  9. 3km - Pinotti's setting the pace on the front and now tries his luck alone with an explosion of pace. Charteau cannot keepup - but it's immaterial because here comes the peloton.

  10. 4km - The sun is pounding down on these four leaders, who nurse around 20 seconds in the closing stages of todays action.

  11. 5km - Just five clicks to go here as we approach the uphill climb to Anagni for the second and final time. LPR and QuickStep move to the front of the peloton to crank up the pursuit.

  12. 6km - Tiralongo is pulling a long gear as the lead grows to 25 seconds. The peloton is just taking its collective foot off the juice...

  13. 7km - Lance Armstrong is keeping well out of danger at the back of the peloton. It must be strange for him approaching the end of a grand Tour and having nothing to play for...

  14. 8km - Teams are forming on the front of the peloton so it's hard to imagine these four riders staying out much longer.

  15. 10km - The quartet only have 15 seconds and it's dropping fast...

  16. 13km - The lead is only about 11 seconds as Marco Pinotti (Columbia) manages to successfully bridge the gap.

  17. 14km - The leaders are Bartosz Huzarski (ISD), Paulo Tiralongo (Lampre) and Anthony Charteau (Caisse d'Epargne), who is finding it hard to keep up with the pace.

  18. 15km - Three riders out in front now: men from Lampre, ISD and Caisse d'Epargne. They are really giving it some welly down this zippy descent.

  19. 16km - Sylvester Szmyd of Liquigas crossed the 3rd category summit in first place just there. It should all come back together on the descent - but do expect Di Luca to try something the next time the road heads up hill.

  20. 18km - There are about ten riders out in front being joined by a handful of riders, including both Di Luca and Menchov. The peloton rides at around 10 seconds as the bell rings atop the climb to mark the second and final lap here in Anagni.

  21. 20km - This climb has blown the peloton apart! Stragglers come in dribs and drabs while the big guys continue to fight it out in front. In fact, there are just six or seven riders out in front alone now... names coming up.

  22. 21km - It's all over for Brutt and Fothen as the road edges up for this punchy climb into Anagni for the first of two times this afternoon. Someone has just zipped off the front...

  23. 23km - The leaders pass under the '3-to-go' banner but that's wishful thinking. It will be 3km in one circuit's time. As it is there are another 20 before the banner will be passed for the second and last time. The lead is down to 19 seconds. There's no chance in hell these two will stay out all the way.

  24. 29km - Silence-Lotto still drilling the peloton in pursuit of the two leaders Fothen and Brutt, who maintain a 33 second lead.

  25. 30km - We've just seen replays of that crash earlier which saw the retirement of Lopez Garcia. Not nice. The Spaniard had blood pouring from a deep gash above his left eye and looked rather stunned as he was carried off on a stretcher to an ambulance.

  26. 32km - The lead is still around 30 seconds as the first of two circuits in and around Anagni approaches.

  27. 35km - Probably shouldn't say this, but Fothen looks rather portly in his Milram jersey. Too many energy gels at lunch and pasta last night? Talking of portly, Lance Armstrong is taking it east towards the back of the peloton. Not sure how much can be read into his performance in this Giro, but he should be in good nick for the Tour.

  28. 37km - Agnoli has been dropped by Brutt and Fothen. Silence-Lotto and Liquigas lead the chase, with Rabobank tucked in just behind, followed by Lampre and then ISD (whose riders look like skeletons from above thanks to the design of their black and flourescent yellow tops).

  29. 39km - The three riders are Valerio Agnoli (Liquigas), Pavel Brutt (Team Katusha) and Markus Fothen (Milram), who instigated the move. The gap back to the peloton is 19 seconds.

  30. 40km - Great tactics by Menchov there... The Russian is obviously not happy to rely on those 18 seconds he had this morning. Perhaps he knows Di Luca might go for the win tonight, so those 2 seconds could come in use. Meanwhile, three riders have pinged off the front and are trying their hand at distancing the pack.

  31. 45km - Menchov is taking no chances, the Russian in pink sucking the wheel of Di Luca. He's done a lot of that this year... BUT WHAT'S THAT? Menchov attacks!! He was after some bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint and took Di Luca by surprise! Luckily for the Italian, his compatriot and team-mate Alessandro Petacchi was on hand to pip the Rabobank rider and take the sprint. Di Luca was third, meaning he is now 20 seconds behind Menchov in the GC.

  32. 50km - The road edges uphill now towards Frosinone, a modern-ish settlement with a small historic centre and a sightly church tower. It's very green and lush around here, and the spectators are out lining the road as Danilo Di Luca's LPR team set the pace. That has been one of the abiding memories of the 100th Giro: LPR driving the pack.

  33. 60km - That's it, the eight riders pat each other on the shoulders and sit up. They were out since the 3rd kilometre but now it's belated lunchtime for the hungry peloton, which gobbles up these men like a Frenchman would wolf down foie gras.

  34. 65km - The road is very straight at the moment and so if the leaders look over their shoulders, they will be able to see the peloton hot in pursuit.

  35. 70km - It's just 41 seconds now, so we can soon say goodbye to Cardenas, Swift, Forster et al.

  36. 75km - Average speed for the third hour of racing today was 45.2km/h.

  37. 80km - The lead is just over a minute now so the days are numbered for these eight escapees.

  38. 85km - Angel Gomez wins the intermediate sprint as the gap tumbles to 1:47.

  39. 90km - The lead is down to 2:46. The riders are edging their way through the Cassino Valley, which can be aptly described as rather verdant. During the Second World War there were four battles of Monte Cassino, resulting in casualties for both sides and the near total destruction of the town.

  40. 95km - The riders are going through the feeding zone in Cassino. Local delicacies include rabbit, wild boar, mozzarella di bufula and chestnuts, but we bet the peloton will stick to their staples of energy gels, chocolate bars and sarnies, washed down by a coke. The lead is 3:49 for the time being.

  41. 100km - The riders pass through the town of Cassino, home of the FIAT car plant... FIAT used to be a sponsor of the Tour de France before getting dropped in favour of Skoda. Which is a bit like getting dumped by your girlfriend and replaced by a nerd like one of the American Pie films. Back to the cycling: the eight leaders have 3:11 over the pack. 311 is the number you dial for local infomation services in the UK. It is also the name of a rap-rock-reggae outfit who, in Chad Sexton, boast one of the best contemporary percussionist around.

  42. 105km - Sick of words and stats? Well, why not look at the latest pictures coming through on the wires... They say one of them tells a thousand words. On that note, I'll just go for a break then... Latest Giro pictures

  43. 110km - The average speed for the second hour of racing today was 45.1km/h and the lead is now 3:15. Like those stats? Good, don't mention it. Any time.

  44. 115km - Currently in second place, Di Luca knows that today's finish suits his punchy style, and with the time bonuses awarded on the line, the LPR maestro could see the stage as a last chance to put pressure on Denis Menchov ahead of the 14.4km ITT in Rome tomorrow. The Russian is stronger that the Italian against the clock hence Di Luca's claim today: "I’m going to try to win the stage or be there in the sprint. The finish suits my characteristics."

  45. 120km - Di Luca, in the cyclamen jersey, is grazing towards the front of the peloton, which has slowed down a little, allowing the gap to creep back over three minutes. Today's finish at Anagni will feature two laps of a little circuit around the medieval hilltop town, taking in the same punchy climb twice.

  46. 125km - It's beginning to cloud over a little as the peloton ups the tempo in the chase. Time gap has stabilised at 2:43.

  47. 130km - Latest time check: 2:47. The leaders are working well together - no surprise seeing that none of the teams involved have yet recorded a stage scalp, except a greedy Diquigiovanni, who have two (courtesy of Michele Scarpoli). Milram, Saxo Bank, AG2R, Katusha, Fuji and Caisse d'Epargne will be looking to break their ducks out there today.

  48. 135km - A reminder of those eight riders out ahead: Robert Forster (Milram), Anders Lund (Saxo Bank), Ben Swift (Team Katusha), Francesco De Bonis (Diquigiovanni), Angel Gomez (Fuji-Servetto), Felix Cardenas (Barloworld), Pablo Lastras Garcia (Caisse d'Epargne) and Guillaume Bonnafond (AG2R). If this came to a sprint finish, you'd have to fancy Forster or Swift - although the finish comes after an unhill climb and legs are tiring after three weeks in the saddle...

  49. 140km - The peloton are obviously switching off and making the most of the last views of the sea in this year's race. As the eight leaders hang a left and head inland towards the Frosinone region, the clock registers a 3:43 lead back to the bunch. This break is back on.

  50. 145km - Levi Leipheimer leads the Eurosport poll at the moment, the question being 'Who has been the biggest disappointment in the Giro?' The American leads with 39% of the votes, with Damiano Cunego in second with 25%. Perhaps fittingly, Leipheimer topped the previous poll, entitled 'Who will win the Giro?' Anyway, what do you guys know? Only 7% voted for Denis Menchov... Latest Eurosport Poll

  51. 150km - The lead is down to 2:13 so this group is making no headway. It might be something to do with only having one Italian rider out of eight... which is kind of like playing Brazil away at football.

  52. 155km - Matthieu Sprick (BBoxBouygues) and David Lopez Garcia (Caisse d'Epargne) hit the deck after a high-speed crash in the peloton. Both get back into the bunch but then Lopez Garcia calls it a day and gets in an ambulance to go for a check up. What hard luck - forced to pull out on the penultimate stage of the race. We now have 169 riders remaining.

  53. 160km - The average speed for the first hour ofracing today was 46.4km/h. The leaders have seen their advantage slashed to 2:33. And Denis Menchov remains "confident" of Giro victory as he goes into tomorrow's final time trial - barring any surprises today - with an 18 second advantage over rival Danilo Di Luca. General Classification

  54. 160km - Yesterday's stage to Vesuvius saw an eruption of action on the final climb as many were left in Pompeian ruins by Sastre's volcanic burst. Watch the latest Eurosport cycling videos here

  55. 165km - Gilberto Simoni (Diquigiovanni) tries his luck at leaving the peloton in pursuit of the leading eight riders, but the Italian is reeled back in. The riders are hugging the coastline for the first 60km of racing today before heading inland towards the town of Cassino, home of the FIAT automobile plant, and then on to Anagni, the former summer papal residency.

  56. 170km - Armstrong has today given his thoughts on shamed Austrian cyclist Bernhard Kohl's claim that riders nowadays have to dope to win. "That goes in the "bullsht" category," asserts Lance. "When you're born a donkey and all of a sudden become a thoroughbred, then we know." Kohl, who has now retired amid controversy, does indeed have rather equine features. But he looks more like Droopy the Dog than a donkey. For more on Armstrong the Water Boy and Kohl read the latest Blazin' Saddles blog

  57. 175km - The lead is now just over three minutes and so it looks like this breakaway has the legs to make a go of it today. Yesterday, seven-time Tour de France winner (etc and so forth) Lance Armstrong had another crash but got on his bike relatively unscathed. The relieved American said: "Just a little stiffness in the hip and knee. Was glad to not end up in another ambulance!"

  58. 180km - Those eight riders who broke away early on today now have 2:47 over the peloton, which is being led by Columbia and LPR. The escapees are: Robert Forster (Milram), Anders Lund (Saxo Bank), Ben Swift (Team Katusha), Francesco De Bonis (Diquigiovanni), Angel Gomez (Fuji-Servetto), Felix Cardenas (Barloworld), Pablo Lastras Garcia (Caisse d'Epargne) and Guillaume Bonnafond (AG2R).

  59. 185km - Yesterday's stage was won in expert fashion by Spain's Carlos Sastre. The reigning Tour de France champion reminded the peloton of his climbing prowess with his second mountain-top win in under a week after taming the ascent of Vesuvius under the Amalfi sun. The Menchov-Di Luca cat-and-mouse act behind was pretty special too. Here's how it happened

  60. 190km - Eight riders have broken clear and have a lead of 1:35 over the peloton. Their names coming right up.

  61. 195 - The weather in Naples today is pretty sunny, with the odd cloud and temperatures up to 23 degrees. Full weather report

  62. 200 - As we all know, Naples is the birth place of Pizza. It is also home to some staggering buildings, narrow streets, the famous bay and sits below the imperious Vesuvius volcano. After taking in the hilly Ciociaria region, the riders will finish in the medieval town of Anagni, the City of the Popes, renowned for its picturesque monuments and unspoiled historical center. This should be a great stage for views and scenery.

  63. 203 - The remaining 170 riders set off from Naples at 11:25 this morning for this final stage ahead of tomorrow's closing time-trial in Rome. On paper, this is one for the sprinters - but with an uphill finish after a punchy climb, Danilo Di Luca might have one last attempt to claw back those 18 seconds on race leader Denis Menchov.

  64. 11:30 - Hello and a very warm welcome to live coverage of the penultimate stage of this year's Giro d'Italia, a 203-km slog from Napoli to Anagni.

 

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