Swiss roll back to Italy

Route: The race heads south-west, back into Italy via Switzerland. Although we're surrounded by high peaks all the way, passing the upmarket resort of St Moritz, the stage is one very steady climb to the summit of the Maloja pass, followed by a high-speed descent into the finish. A sprint is not out of the question, but a winning break more likely.

Local hero: Winner of stage seven last year, LPR's Gabriele Bosisio hometown of Lecco is just down at the other end of Lake Como/Lecco from the finish. This stage might not suit his climbing talent, but don't be surprised to see him on the attack.

Procycling's top tip: Like the previous day, this stage should favour one-day specialists, and there are plenty of them to choose from. We give Katusha's Filippo Pozzato the nod here, as his new team has been going well and this is the kind of stage-winning opportunity they won't want to pass up.

Savio speaks: Chiavenna continues the international flavour for the Giro. This Swiss stage is for sprinters, we are only in the seventh day and so it is too early for long escapes to succeed. We will see the leader's team work to protect the maglia rosa. We are in Valtellina area, known for its Bresaola meats and Pizzocheri pasta. Enjoy!

Stage map

Stage profile