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In between Pelayo Sánchez and the peloton is another chase group of about 10 riders. They face a big mission to join the leaders, but look committed to doing so.
Behind, stage six winner Pelayo Sánchez is pursuing to try and join them, but the rest of the peloton is easing up.
And now they’ve joined them. This could be the break of the day, given the powerful make-up of the riders in it.
Those five riders are nearing Clarke, Hepburn, Affini and Maestri at the front.
That’s a very strong group, and they’ve caught Costiou.
Those 4 riders are Alaphilippe, Narvaez, Scaroni and Thomas (Benjamin, not Geraint).
Ewen Costiou has a gap ver the peloton after those accelerations, with four riders forming a chase group behind him.
Piccolo and Kamp were the first to follow him, now lots of others are also with him.
And indeed that’s what’s happened – Alaphilippe goes and others are following his lead.
They’re climbing now, wit the gap at 1-11. This will be interesting – surely some of the top puncheurs will try attacking now the parcours has changed.
140KM TO GO
The attacks have ceased for now in the peloton, that is now 25 seconds adrift. That might change when they start climbing in a few kilometres, however.
Some familiar suspects in this quartet: Simon Clarke, Edoardo Affini, Mirco Maestri and Michael Hepburn. These are riders who know a breakaway, and might have picked their moment. Their lead is 16 seconds.
Some promise here for a new four-man group who have got a sizeable gap.
Trentin, Van Sintmaartensdijk and Paleni at the front of the race earlier, before they were brough back.
150KM TO GO
They’ve all been brought back now.
Narváez is one of the riders who has got himself into this group, and is a real dangerman on a stage with terrain like this.
Multiple riders have joined them to form a big leading group – too big to survive perhaps?
Six riders are the next to attack and the new leaders on the road, among them Christian Scaroni, who is berating the others to work, and Daan Hoole, who is telling him to calm down.
And now everything is back together again, including the initial leading trio.
That pair are already on the leading trio’s wheel, whose lead has collapsed in the last few kilometres.
Now Alaphilippe attacks, with Plapp.
They to have been shut down. So it goes on!
A 7man group is the latest to ro try, and features some firepower with Ganna committing to it. They’re being given little leeway though.
160KM TO GO
The race is absolutely flying today. They’ve completed 30 kilometres already, in less than half an hour.
They’ve now been brought back too.
Another small group now trying to go clear with a small gap, led by the ever-agressive Andrea Piccolo.
The peloton at the start of the stage.
It’s looking good for Trentin, Paleni and Van Sintmaartensdijk. They have 30 seconds, and could stay out in front if joined by other attackers.
Michael Hepburn managed to get a gap for a little while, but he too has been brought back. The attacks promise to go for a while yet.
Nobody else is managing to go clear with these attacks, but the relentless pace is bringing the leading trio back. They now have only 7 seconds.
Now Milan joins the peloton after his mechanical.
They’re brought back, while te three leaders hold onto a lead of 22 seconds.
180KM TO GO
The pace has slackened in the peloton, allowing Plapp to rejoin. Surely this won’t be the end of the attacks though, given what a great chance this is for a breakaway win.
Trentin’s efforts have been enough to see him go clear with Enzo Paleni and Roel van Sintmaartensdijk. The trio have a lead of a few seconds.
The pace is too much for Luke Plapp, who is out the back of the peloton. That would have been big news had he not already fallen out of GC contention.
The race is all stretched out with Matteo Trentin at the front, but no gaps for now.
Whatever problem Milan had at the start hasn’t been sufficiently fixed – he’s back at the back having another bike change.
That move has been brought back, and now others are trying their luck.
The attacks are already coming thick and fast, with about a dozen riders up the road.
192KM TO GO
Not that today will be a stage for Milan and the other sprinters – the hilly parcours makes it one for the puncheurs rather than the fastmen.
Yesterday’s winner Jonathan Milan had to have something fixed with his bike – better to have problems now than in the finale.
The riders are in the neutralised zone and will be racing soon.
Buongiorno and welcome to Cyclingnews‘ live coverage of stage 12 of the 2024 Giro d’Italia!
