Sprinting from wine to water

Route: The race heads west with another stage that looks to have "sprint" written all over it. It's lumpy towards the end, but not enough to trouble any of these guys.

Local Hero: The finish is just 30km north of the Castelfranco Veneto, home of world champion Alessandro Ballan. Will the rainbow jersey make a bid for glory on the San Pietro climb, less than 20km from the finish?

Procycling's Top Tip: Who will challenge Mark Cavendish? Last year it was Daniele Bennati, who was far more consistent than the young Columbia-Highroad rider, and earned the maglia ciclamino as a reward. But with the Liquigas star on the injured list, it will likely be Alessandro Petacchi who will fight to keep the points jersey in Italian hands. A win here would set him well on his way.

Savio speaks: Valdobbiadene is another sprinters' stage. Grado is a city on the water which back in the time of the First World War was not part of Italy. Valdobbiadene is known as a zone for Prosecco, sparking wine – salute.

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