There's always an exodus of notable, mainly sprinting, talent before the Giro's critical mountain tests, and why not given there is nothing much to whet their appetite during the final week of the race. With the biggest climbs now looming, the sprinters will be determined to make the most of the two stage-winning opportunities they have left. This is the pick of them, so any break today is almost certainly doomed unless their lead amounts to more than a minute coming off the final small climb.
Procycling's favourite to win:
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'It's a nasty injury' - Eli Iserbyt pulls out of Namur World Cup due to nerve pain
Belgian champion falls way behind Vanthourenhout in overall standings as old injury flares up -
‘At first no one came to help’ - Eddy Merckx talks about his recent crash and road to recovery
Five-time Tour de France champion said he was 'in panic' at the prospect of an oncoming train as he lay on railway tracks -
'I’m happy with third' - Puck Pieterse makes positive cyclocross season debut in Namur
Dutch rider starting cyclocross season later than in previous years, but hopes to 'compete for the win right away' -
Michael Vanthourenhout wins men's Namur UCI World Cup after a dramatic final lap
Aerts crashes just a few hundred metres away from winning, Verstrynge third
