This is awesome .. it's like Contador's Fuente De but without the wheels to follow.

This is fascinating, up to 3:30 lead.

You have to give it to Froome, he is one brave rider!

Dark day for Italian cycling, don't think there's ever been a Giro without an Italian rider in the top 5.

Brave is a word some called Armstrong....

Dumoulin's broken

Did all the chasing. Will do well to hold 2nd

Team sponsored what. If Sky are the systematic doping machine certain people are making out, then they are f**king rubbish at it if this is how they get caught. The commons report is also a disgrace, barely a fact in it, just a lot of unsubstantiated suspicion authored by a lot of politicians

Also, how many other teams have been suspended for having a rider fail a drugs test, never mind return an adverse analytical finding.

It might just be smoke and mirrors, but in an interview before the Giro, Froome stated he was absolutely certain that he would be cleared and he certainly seems to be putting in a hell of an effort into a race everyone seems to think will not count.

Personally I think he should have taken a voluntary suspension but there is clearly a lot going on in the background

Not yet, diesel mode.

Well, lets not kid ourselves. Pretty much every rider in the grand tours and the majority of elite sportsman are on PEDs.

Lets just enjoy it for what it is, a great ride!

Dumoulin has cracked

...false alarm!

Dumoulin cracks !!!

It's all open !

I hope so... and the ramp has some savage angles to it in spots, it could be that. He's dragged these other 3 along today.

Dumoulin cracks !!!

It's all open !

Carapaz and Lopez are 2 freaking rats.

All South Americans. Same as Quintana

Horrendous wheel-sucking by those two.

Terrible to watch. Not convinced TD has cracked though, his tempos fine

What are the chances that half the field goes home today because of time limits?

It will be gutting to watch them nip past him in the end for the bonus seconds. Couple of pricks.
And off they go

Tibopino stopped his effort. Definitely not a good day for those Italians.

Rat #1 and rat#2 going for it.

So it seems and now Lopez and Carapaz go for it. I hope they both have mechanicals

They attack....each other I suppose.

Plums

Jesus

Froome gaining a few seconds in the ascent.

Lots of support for Froome. Say what you want about him but you have to admire the guts of the man.

Was Froome about 5 minutes down at the start of today?

2:54 down on Dumoulin at the start of the day.

ahh... thank you, sir. Of course, I forgot to work out the virtual lead.

They all mugged Dumoulin off at the end. I reckon Froome leads by about 30s with the bonus times.

yeah, sucked all day and hoovered up the bonus points as well.

No sucking in TTs. Grand tours need more of them to weed out shit wagons like those two.

I have no particular comment about the Froome inhaler situation but

Best stage of racing I think I've ever seen. An immortalising ride by Froome.

Bennett back in the maglia rosa top 10.

Has Yates come in yet?

I am at work and the only access I had was this thread and even then caught the excitement of a truly awesome ride.

Yates 38 minutes down. Wow

Holy crap...

feel for him. That's a horrible day.

Puts any doubts about froomes success being purely down to strong domestiques to bed.

massive brass balls.

Is that what asthma medication is transported in these days?