Today’s stage from Potenza to Peschici starts and ends with climbing, with a fairly long, flat section in the middle. The race organizers listened to the riders and shortened today’s stage by removing the Circuito del Gargano. This will allow the riders to get back to their hotels earlier for meals and massages. The organizers also moved the start of the race out a half hour to give them a little more sleep time.

No one dropped out of the race during the night but Enrico Poitschke (Milram), Kevin De Weert (Cofidis) abandoned early in the stage and Rene Mandri (AG2R La Mondiale) crashed out at 76 km.

A big group consisting of Alan Pérez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Paul Martens (Rabobank), Nikolai Trusov (Tinkoff), Jason McCartney (CSC), Magnus Backstedt (Slipstream Chipotle), Daniele Nardello (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni), Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step), Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre), Matthias Russ (Gerolsteiner), Maxim Iglinsky (Astana) and Matteo Priamo (CSF Group Navigare) went off the front and built up to 15 minute lead with 62 km to go.

With a lead that big that late in the race, the new leader would definitely be one of those 11. Russ and Visconti would have the best chance.

With 11 km to go, Jason McCartney had a go at a solo breakaway. He didn’t have the gas to keep it up, but Pérez and Priamo did; as they went over the Bosco della Risega, it was clear that it would be one of those two that would win the day.

The rest of the break seemed to have been destroyed trying to keep Pérez and Priamo from escaping. They were splintered, but they still led the peloton by 12 minutes.

With just 3 km to go, Magnus Backstedt decided that he wanted to stand on the podium today. He made a big push. It was not enough to catch or pass the leaders but it got him out of the mess of the rest of the break.  

Priamo made a feeble attempt at a sprint and crossed the finish line first, with Pérez crossing 6 seconds later. Backstedt was not able to hang on, and Nikolai Trusov will take 3rd on the podium.

Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) came in with the remainder of the break and will take over the maglia rosa. Matthias Russ (Gerolsteiner) will have to be satisfied with the white young riders jersey.

The remainder of the peloton does not cross the line until some time later. It seems that a race motorcycle stopped on one of the final hairpin turns and held up the group.

Visconti, Russ and Daniele Nardello (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni) now hold the top three spots in the G.C.

Two of the race contendors, Franco Pellizotti and Danilo di Luca, now sit in 7th and 8th respectively and are more than 9 minutes off of the lead.