Buongiorno and welcom🍌e to our live coverage of stage 7 of the Giro d'Italia.

It's time for the mountains! today's 218km stage climbs high into the ce🐼ntral Italian Apennines to finish at 2130m. 

The sun🔥 is out in Capu near Naples where the stage starts but it is colder at the finish. 

It is cu﷽rrently just 6C with lots of snow on𒁏 the mountains.  

Alasdair Fotheಌringham and Barry Ryan are at the Giro d'Italia for Cyclingnews and have informed us that it is currently pouring with rain on t🌞he road to Gran Sasso.

Indeed, there were a lot of serious faces as the riders signed in Capua.&nbs🎃p;

They ▨are now lining up ⭕for the roll out from Capua. 

It is als﷽o starting to rain at the start in Capua but the stage is confirmed.

The stage includes a gradual climb up to R𓆏occaraso ands only a short descent to the valley before the climb to the finish.

The rider roll o🐓ut of Capua. They face a 2.6km section and then the 21🍒8km stage will begin.

Andiamo! 

Remco Evenepoel has covered his white rainbow jersey with a black r🍷aꦛinbow rain jacket. 

We can see Joe Dombrowski on the front. It's the American's 32nd birthday ෴and so perhaps has extra motivation to get i𒁏nto the break of the day. 

Mark Caven😼diܫsh was involved in a second crash on stage 6  but is still racing today. 

They're off! 

The fla♋g drops and the attacks comeꦕ straight away.  

EF Eduꦦcation, Trek and Eolo are all trying to get into the early break.

The opening 60km are on flat roads and so it might be difficult for the break to f𝓰orm.

Whatever happens, it's goin༒g to be a ꦚfast start to the stage.

We have a four-rider attack.

210km to go

The four riders have a gap and the peloton already s🀅eems to have eased a🍬fter just 8km of racing.

Will anyone try to jump across? 

The gap is already up to a minute. 

Jayco, Movistar and Bora are ✨on the front of the peloton and seem happy for the four-rider break to go clear. 

Perhaps we will see o෴th🦩er attacks to try to win the stage later in the day.

These are the four riders in the break

Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa), Henok Mulubrhan (Green Project-Bardiani CSF꧒-Faizanè), Simone Petilli (Intermarché - Circus - Wanty), Karel Vacek (Team Corratec - Selle Italia). 

None of them are a threat to race leader Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM).&n💃bsp;

Indeed, the gap is up to 3:30.

Simone Petilli is the c꧑losest in the GC but is 7:49 down on the maglia  rosa.

Team DSM is starting to lead the chase to def🍬end the maglia rosa. There is an unwritten rule that the race leader's team should control the peloton for at least the first half of the stage.

It'll be interesting to see if other teams help Team DSM. Some will target the stage victory, whil🥃e others may want their GC leader 💎to target the time bonuses at the finish line.

200km to go

Only 200km left to race.  

Riders are already eating and drink൩ing. They know it will be a long, hard day in the saddle.  

The 218km sta�🌼�ge heads north and deep into central Italy today.

As you may have seen in 🦩our news,  two more riders have left the race on Friday due ot COVID-19.

Arkéa-Samsic rider 168澳洲5最新开♊奖结果:Clément Russo was forced to withdraw on Thursday. today Italian duo 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giovanni Aleotti (Bora-Hansgrohe) left the race.

On Friday morning, the two teams announced that the riders wouldn'💧t be starting the stage 7 mountain test to Gran Sasso d'Italia, taking the number o🌊f starters in Capua to 169.

Conci and Aleotti out of Giro d'Italia with COVID-19

The first mountain finish of the Giro d'Italia is always a mental battle as well as an intense day 💎of racing.

Remco Evenepoel has been forced  on the defensive after his crasheജs on stage 5 but leads his biggest rivals in the GC desp💮ite being 28 seconds down on Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM).

Evenepoel ramped up the mind games ahead of the stage 7 summit finish by suggesting that that 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Primož Roglič a♋nd his Jumbo-Visma teammates seem "𒈔nervous" and describing himself as "the strongest at the moment". 

"For the moment, I have the impression that he's a bit nervous," Evenepoel told Eurosport France's Rois de la Pédale show about how he sees Roglič, widely considered his biggest rival in this Giro.

"He knows he is 44 seconds behind. Sඣo they [Jumbo-Visma] are nervous in the peloton, they push a lot, but that's a bit the typical style of Jumbo I think."

Click 🦹belo🌄w for the full story and Evenepoel's thoughts on the long stage to Gran Sasso.

Remco Evenepoel says Primoz Roglic seems 'nervous' at Giro d'Italia

These are theꦡ current GC standings after 🌠stage 6.  

Back to the racing and Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa), Hen꧒ok Mulubrhan (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), Simone Petilli (Intermarché - Circus - Wanty), Karel Vacek (Team Corratec - Selle Italia) lead the peloton by a now significant 6:20. 

185km to go

It's stopped raining and so riders are d✨ropping back to their team cars for dry clothing, extra food or a tactical chat.

The riders can see the fi🅘rst hills ahead of them now.&nbs✨p;

Firstꦇ comes the 2nd category 7km climb to Rionero Sannitico. I🧸t is followed by a short descent to Castel di Sangro and then the climb to Roccaraso. 

Ro𓄧ccaraso is at 1254ဣm but the climb is gradual at 6%.   

180km to go

The break is pushing on and their lead is up to  𒁃;6:50. ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ;

After the first hour of racing, the average speed is a ☂steady 40.200km/h.

It's again pouring wit✅h rain on the riders, it'꧑s time to cape up and stay safe.

170km to go

Team DSM continue to lead the peloto🍸n but they h🍌ave allowed the break to extend their lead to 7:50.

The break of stage 7: Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa), Henok Mulubrhan (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), Simone Petilli (Intermarchéꦐ; - Circus - Wanty) and Karel Vacek (Team Corratec - Selle Italia)

Andreas Leknessund's pink jersey keeps💃  getting wet.𝓀 

160km to go

The 🧔gap has broken  thro🅠ugh the 8:00 point. 

🎃Team DSM are leading the chase but perhaps playing mind games with the GC teams, to try to force them to help with the work later in the stage.

The 8:00 gap means Simone Petilli (Inꦺtermarché - Circus - Wanty) is now the virtual maglia rosa.

That gap will surely  grow more 🍰as Andreas🦂 Leknessund stops to put on leg warmers. 

He's struggling to get them over his shoes a♛nd so will have to chase for a while.✱  

Tick, tock, tick, tock, the break lead the peloton by 10:00 minutes after Andreas Leknessund stopped to put on 🍌his l♈eg warmers. 

Th🏅e clouds are low and it is🍷 still raining hard. It's a tough day out there. 

Three EF riders stop at a team car parked on the road to change their gi🌠llet and capes. 

With the pelꦯoton rolling along, iꦚt's important to stay warm and as dry as possible. 

The EF Education-EasyPost riders didn'ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚt seem to like the rain

Alberto Bettiol of EF Education-EasyPost tough🦹s it o🐻ut.

Tao G♏eoghegan Hart did🥂n't seem to mind  the rain

150km to go

The rain has eased agai༺n and so the break pushes on, the four riders also careful to keeꦛp  eating to fight their cold and fuel their legs.

The 🌼peloton has started to chase with more determination, bringing the gap down to below 🅺10:00.

There is something emotional about breakaways. Yesterday's stᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚage was a perfect example.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alessandro De Marchi (Jay💫co-AlUla) could almost taste the podium spumante as they neared the finish line in Naples abut were cruelly caught with 300 metres to go. 

The pain and frustration were evident on Clarke's face as he spoke to the ꦏmedia at the finish. "We make so many sacrifi🌸ces that it really hurts when you go so close to victory like that," Clarke said.

Their collective experience and grit showed as they poured enough effort into holding off the chase while re💫maining cagey enough to save some🐬thing for the sprint.

"We hoped to have the legs to stay away. It was close in the end and I knew that Simon was a lot faster than me in the sprint, so I played with him a little bit," De Marchi said. "I wanted to try to win. Se🦩cond would have been great, too, but𒀰 I played for the win. I did something that I've never done in my career: miss some turns.

"I tried to force him to stꦰart the sprint early and then get passed him ꦰbut it didn't work out. It hurts not to pull it off but I'll keep trying."

Clarke didn't holꩲd a grudge against De Marchi for playing cat and mouse, however. "At the end of the day, there's always going to be a moment when you have to decide to stop pulling. You can't pull all the way u♓ntil 10 metres to go. We needed 10 or 15 more seconds, but it was just the way it was.

Indeed, the two hugged beyond the finish line. Both will surely try other attacks late𒆙r in the Giro. 

This is our story of their attack and ✅their emotional reaction.

So close, so far: Clarke, De Marchi caught in sight of finish line at Giro d'Italia

142km to go

The peloton is slowly reeling in the break like a giant fish. The gap is a🧸t 9:00 but falling second by se🌸cond.

Alberto Dainese in currently on the front for Team DSM. The maglia rosa is using the team's sprinters and 🎀rouleurs. The team's climbers will come to the fore when the road heads upwards towards Gran Sasso.  

The sun has come out after the rain, so riders are stripping o𝓰ff yet again. 

They have also started the gradual climb to Rionero San💎nitico.

After two hours of racing, the average pace i𒀰s 37.550km/h. ⛄;

We expected the pace to rise significantly in the fina𝓰l hours of the sta💞ge.

This is the terrain the riders are on today.

The stage finish at the Campo Imperatore ski station should be spectacular. The riders will🎃 pass through banks of snow on twisting r⛄oads.

The latest weather reportꦦs 🌊suggest there is also a risk of snow at the 2130m finish.

130km to go

ꦏThe sun is out as the break reaches Castel di Sangro. 

The central Italian town was made famous by its football team and the book called 'Miracle of Castel di Sangro' by Jo♚e McGinniss, who recalled the emotions and drama of their season in Italy's Serie B.   

Castel di Sangro is the site of🀅 an intermediate sprint. 

Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) kicks and ⛄so wins the sprint.

However the break stays together. They have far bigger goals today and hope to stay away as long as possib🔯le.  

The Giro d'Italia 🍸is in a remote, hilly part of central Italy but the crowds are still out to watch the race. 

Meanwhile, the peloton reaches Castel di Sangro and Mads Pedersen won the sprinඣt for fifth place. 

The battle for the points competition and tꦿhe maglia🦹 ciclamino is heating up. 

Pe💮dersen scored 4 points and so moved up to third in the clas🐭sification with 87 points. 

Jonath🧜an Milan leads the classif🎀ication with 110 points. 

Cyclingnews attends as many major races as possible to produce the best coverage we can for our occasional read💫ers and especially for our subscribers. 

Barry Ryan and Alasdair F🐼otheringham are at the Giro d'Italia and s❀o can gather the rider reaction directly, ask the key questions and also witness what happens close-up.

After Remco Evenepoel's crashes on ♏stage 5, Barry wrote this excellent eyewitness account of the B♔elgian's reaction. It is a superb piece of journalism. 

Click below to read it or take ﷽out a subscription to Cyclingnews. With so much great racing to come, 💃you won't regret it.

Eyewitness: Remco Evenepoel's dog day afternoon at the Giro d'Italia    

The Giro d’Italia kicks off the summer of Grand Tour racing and Cyclingnews will again provide unrivalled coverage of the Corsa Rosa, capturing all the racing, rider reaction, bike tech and polemica that only🥀 an Italian Grand Tour can inspire.

A subscription to Cyclingnews allows you to read every word and photograph we publish. Your subscrip🐼tion also ﷽helps support our journalism, and especially our presence at races across the season. 

Click below to know more and to ღtake out a subscription.

Subscribe to Cyclingnews for our best Giro d'Italia coverage

118km to go

In Roccaraso, the break races for𒁃 the mountains points.

Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) kicks a꧃way to take the prize and the KOM 🍷points.

Henok Mu༺lubrhan (G🀅reen Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) was dropped just before and so there are only three riders in the break.

As the pel🦹oton climbs out of Castel di Sangro, a number of riders grab their꧅ musette to take on food and drinks. 

The peloton is in Roccaraso, where stages of the Giroꦐ d'Italia and Tirreno-Adri🏅atico have often finished. 

Thibaut Pinot accelerates briefly to score 2 points in the KOM c💮ompetition. He wears the KOM blue jersey and could score more points at the finish today. 

108km to go

Team ꩵDSM are still leading the peloton but tܫhe break is at 11:20. 

Other teams 💛will soon have to pick-up the chase if they want to fight for the stage victory.

All the GC contenders, including Remco Evℱenepoel a꧅re carefully tucked in the peloton.

We talked about Mads Pedersen earlier and he joined an exclusive club by winning a stage at the Gi﷽ro in Naples.  

Six riders started this year's 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro d'Italia with dreams of adding th🌜eir name to the🌠 illustrious list.

Cyclingnews' Daniel Ostanek has dug into the record books and established that Pedersen is the first man to do it since 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Matej Mohorič at the Tour two years ago and one of the qu🍸ickest riders of all t🍰ime to knock out all three stages. 

The 300 days between his wins in Saint-Etienne last July and in Naples rank second only behind Daniele Bennati’s 291 days from 2007 to 2008, while Miguel Poblet’s 320 days between 1955 and 1956൲ rank third.

Click below to read the full story and get the ༒full data on the Grand Tour stage winners. 

Mads Pedersen writes name in history with Grand Tour stage win triple at Giro d'Italia

90km to go

The riders are descending into the stunning Sulmona 𝓰valley. 

It sits at 400 metres and the valley🥀 roads lead to the foot of the long, gradual climb to Campo Imperatore in the shadows of Gran Sasso. 

87km to go

Lukas Pöstlberger of Jayco moves to the front of the peloton. Team DSM look across at him and ask him what he is doing. He seemed bored and perhaps just wanted to positio♔n himself better as the road descends. 

The three remaining breakaway riders continue to e⭕njoy a healthy lead, with just under 12 minutes in h𒆙and.

Mulubrhan is caught by the bunch with 79km to go. Given the gap♓, it's taken quite a while for him to drift back. 

The gap is 🎃falling steadi🌼ly now - down to 10:30 with 75km to go. 

More layers are being shed now as the sun properly comes out and the pace starts to🐻 pick up in the peloton.

It's b🥂een a quiet day so far but we've only got another 20 or so kilometres in the valley before we start climbing.

DSM continue to lead the peloton🐻 and the gap drops below the 10-minute mark with 65km to go.

The breakaway are approac🎶hing the second intermediate sprint, at Bussi sul Tirino. After that we have another dozen kilometres on the flat before the road kicks uphill. 

The second intermediate sprint on ꦍeach stage only counts for the intermediate sprints classification, and not the proper points classification. It also carries bonus secon𒐪ds for GC, but these will be taken by the breakaway trio. So don't expect any peloton action when they reach it.

57km to go

At the second intermediate sprint in Bussi sul Trin𝓡o, Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) lead🦋s over the line to take maximum points.

Petilli and Vacek follow him over the line.

The three still lead the ploton by 10🔯:24 and so Petilli is still the🍷 virtual maglia rosa.

The question is if ands how long the break can ജstay away today🐻.

There are♐ some superb views to enjoy durinꦕg stage 7.

Ineos Grenadiers are staying together.

Remco Even𝐆epoel, like all the GC riders, is watching and waiting. 

50km to go

The bre⛦ak🌱 is holding  its lead as we reach 50km to go.

Bais, Petilli and Vacek🦩 have been working hard but one of them could perhaps hold off the peloton.

Andreas Leknessund is🌠 protected by his Team DSM teammates 

The break๊ is way out front but t𒁃he speed is riding in the peloton.

As a result Peter Serry and a Soudal teammate crash. Eve😼nepoel has also dropped back to his team car too.  

The views of the Giro d'Italia.

42km to go

The climb to🦩 Gran Sasso is officially 26.5km long but the road heads upwards much earlier. 

Indeed, it has 𒊎two steeps and a long plateau. However, if anyone struggles early on, theyℱ'll struggle to get back on.

The ascent is divided into two parts, especially regarding  the Mountains Classification. The first one climbs until Calascio, the second one is shorter but steepe𝓰r and goes up to the finish.

This is the climb to Calascio. 

This is the final climb. 

Barry Ryan is at Campo Imperatore for the finꦍish and warns us a𝓰bout the wind. 

It is a headwind in  the final ki♒lometres and so that could slow and dissuade any attacks. 

It could also see some riders more than expected💮 if  they lose contact. 

40km to go

Barry Ryan 💞wr𓆉ote  a special stage preview feature. He spoke to several riders and directeur sportif

"I think it's more a survival game than a tactical game," Enrico G🎶asparotto of Bora-Hansgrohe suggested. 

"If it keeps raining like this and we're climbing to 2,000m, it's going 🎃to get pretty cold up there," Jack Haig of Bahrain Victorious warned. 

"There's not actually a lot of super hard climbing, that's more early on in the stage. I think it's exactly the same as in 2018, and I expect Ineos to show theiꦫr strength again here."

"The climbs in the finale are long but not very steep," Ineos DS Matteo Tosatto told Cyclingnews. 

"Perhaps the𝐆re's some team that will look to create a bit of casino from a long way out. I don't think it's a very hard stage, but it's a stage where the team will be very important."

Click below to read the full stage preview and get re𝔍ady for the action on the climb to the ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚfinish line.

Giro d'Italia's 'survival game' continues at Gran Sasso d'Italia – Preview

In Naples on Thursday evening, Leknessund ♐was cautiously optimistic about his prospects of defending his 28-second lead over Evenepoel at Gran Sasso d'Italia.

"It's going to be hard, but I believe it's possible to keep it to the time trial," thဣe Norwegian said, though he must know much depends on how the GC men – and, above💟 all, Evenepoel himself – approach those steep final 4km.

"I don't expect big🌠 surprises," Tosat🏅to countered. 

"But we might understand some more about people's condition – not just Remco, but all the other GC riders𝓰 too."

When the Giro last came this way at a similar point in 2018, a slow-burning day ignited on the upper slopes, with Simon Yates jumping clear to claim the first of three stage wins in the maglia rosa, while Chris Froome's concession of more than a minute suggested his path to overall victo⭕ry was rapidly narrowing.

Two weeks later, of course, everything we thought we had learned at Gran Sasso d'Italia revealed its🌄elf to be false. At this early juncture, staying in the game is nine-tenths of the law.

Back to the racing and Geraint Thomas has a bke problem. He seemed to drop ඣhis chain, like yestꦕerday. 

He is soon away chasing t🐻he peloton, with several tea💮mmates.

Meanwhile, a🦋 number of sprin💖ters and domestiques have been distanced. 

They will pace the🍃ir ride, making sure they finish insidꩵe the time limit.

They might finish 20 minute🌟s down on the stage winner 𓆉and GC riders but will still have to suffer. 

37km to go

T♏he riders are on  the cli🐲mb to Calascio. They have a further 4km to climb before the plateau.

Bais, Petilli and Vacek still elad the peloton by 10:♓ꦜ20. Chapeau to them on a great ride out front today.

35km to go

Bahrꦐain Victorious is helping Team DSM on the front ♋of the peloton now. 

Jonathan Milan used his💃 power to do some work for Bahrain. He has now eased up 🗹and slipped back.

The speed ♈is increasing and the peloton is reducing all the tim🐟e.

Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM) is up front but only has t🐷wo teamm🧸ates ahead of him.

He knows he hꦍas to fight all the way to the finish to keepꦍ his maglia rosa.

Evenepoel is only🎃 28 seconds behind him on the GC.

No other GC teams helped Team DSM with the chase tod🎉ay, preferring to save their riders for the fast climb to the finish. 

32km to go

The break reaches Calascio with a lead of 9:00.

They will now dive down into plateau and try and stay away on the climb to ✤the fin♛ish.

The views from Calascio are spectacular. 

In the peloton the GC trains are forming nea🐟r the front. That naturally raises he pace.&🌌nbsp;

The race is on! 

This was Evenepoel a little earlier. 

What happened and what was he telling himself?

The two DSM r🍒iders are Florian Stork and Harm Vanhoucke. 

They are giving their all for Andreas Leknessund

The gap is down to 8:40. 

28km to go

W🌄e can see a focused Remco Evenepoel near the front of the peloton.

Stefan Kung leads Pinot up to the KOM line, soꦓ he can sweep up more minor points. This tim💖e he scores 4 points, behind Bais, Petilli and Vacek.  

Bais, Petilli♒ and Vacek still lead by 8:00 but t🧜hey look tired now. 

ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚPetilli gets some encouragement from his team car but he seems cooked.  

Bais, Petilli and Vacek have st🐠arted the 26.5km climb to the finish.

24km to go

There are still 50+ riders in the peloton.

Groupamaꦯ are impressed by the views at the finish. 

21km to go

There's tension in the peloton, with Ben Swift going off the road after🍃 UA🌼E shuffled slightly on the left.

Riders are slowly dropping out of the back, with Pascal Ackermann the last to take a ti🦂cket and his cap🅰e as his team car came past. 

20km to go

The last time the ꦐGiro finished atop Campo Imperatore in 2018, Simon Yates beat Thibaut Pinot Esteban Chaves.

Some GC riders were dropped and lost time. We're⛄ expe𓄧cting a similar shake-out today. But who will be the loser? 

We'll find out soon. 

Bais, Petilli and Vacek still ead by 7:30. 

They ha🌺ve a real chance staying anꦺd so one of them winning the stage. 

However they'll🌠 have to fight the strong headwind, which could hurt them an💞d cost them a lot of time.

Well done Ben Swift. He punctured when he went off the road buty has chased back to the peloton to give one last🐬 🧜effort for his team leaders.

The road is climbing💟 gradually along the side of the mountains, getting closer and closer to the snow line. 

Soudal, AG2R and DSM are lined out across the front of the pelo🤡ton, with their team leaders behඣind them.

Ev🎃ery team is riding to defend their position in the peloton as they pass the 20km to mark.

Ineo🥃s are stuck a little behind, with Jumbo a little lost. 

Remco is close to the front.  

The 10km point seems to be a keyꦏ moment, when a team could accelerate. 

We're looking at you Ineos!  

The🦹 roads are exposed and above the🌠 tree line, so the wind is more of a factor.

Simone Petilli (Intermarché ♉- Circus - Wanty) is no longer the virtual maglia rosa but he or Bais or Vacek could win the stage.

We have a race in the race.

11km to go

Soudal take over on the front of the peloton but how long can they control the ra𒉰ce and set a high pace?  

Today is a real test of their Giro team. 

Evenepoel has 4 teammates ahead of him, as the headwind blows on the high🧔 plateau road.

The peloton turns right and a fla🍸t road but the final climbꦅ to the line will start soon. 

10km to go

Bais, Petilli and Vacek fight on and leads 🍷by 6:30. 

Can they stay away? 

A section of tailwind help⛦s them and perh🔜aps makes them believe.

The peloton also seem𝓰s cauti🌳ous and that helps the attackers.

W🉐e can see Ineos and UAE up front, alongside Soudal,🔯 now. 

The race is at the snow line. 

As they say in Italy: Che spettacolo!

Bais,💜 Petilli and Vacek are all suffering as they try to stay away💮.

Who w𓆉ill crack first and who will stay away? P෴ro cycling is such a beautiful but painful sport. 

All three deserve praise for their performance🌞 today.

5km to go

The peloton is is at 6:00. 

Can they s♏til🍃l catch Bais, Petilli and Vacek? It will be close but someone will have to attack at the foot of the steep climb to the finish. 

There are some tired faces in the peloton. 

Ben Swift is still riding for on the front, wit൲h Soudal just to their ri﷽ght. 

4km to go

This is the steep climb to the line. 

Theꦕ riders can see ahead o♑f them, buried in the snow.

Bora and Jumbo are also up front in the peloton.

And then there were two. 

Vacek loses contact and Bais and Petilli push o▨n. 

The few fans along the roadside are💎 wrapped up against the cold.

There are banks of snow along th🌃e roa𝓀dside. This is a classic Apennines Giro stage. 

Vacek is back with Bais and Petilli. 

Behind Thomas Champion of Cofidis accelerates but the GC teams let💃 him go.

The peloton is also on the steep final 4km sectionꦗ.

Bais, Petilli and Vacek are go🎐ing shoulder to shoulder. It's🔥 a race or survival. 

1.5km to go

Now Vacek surges briefly and opens a gap. 

Bais, Petilli and Vacek  lead by 5:00 so wi𒅌ll fight for the stage win.

Movistar lead the peloton but nobo💃dy attacks or sets a high pace. 

Andreas Leknesꦆsund (Team DSM) is still tꦉhere too.  

Bais, Petilli and Vacek are back together. 

Bais, P✱etilli♍ and Vacek will sprint for the stage win.

2km for the peloton.

Here we go. Sprint! 

This is a thriller. 

Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) wins! 

T𒁃he♊ Italian dug deep and finally got a gap on the other two with just 150m to race. 

Karel Vacek (Team Corratec - Selle Italia) was in pain buꩲt finished second.

Simone Petilli (Intermarché - Circus - Wan🌃ty) was third.

Here come the GC conten▨ders but they're 𝄹all together.

Ineos lead it out. 

There are no time bonuses left to take. 

Nobody wants to lose a second. 

Dunbar ups the speed ༒and Evenepoel tries to sprint but there is no gap on the rest. 𝄹 

Andreas Lekne🌄ssund (Team DSM) was there too, so saves the maglia rosa for another day. 

This is the ✤moment Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) won the stage.

Well, that was a very tactical race 💯amongst the GC contenders, creating more questions than answers.

Where Evenepoel,♑ Thomas, roglic and others struggling? 

Where they scared of losing time so early in the Giro?🐼 

What happens now?

These are perhaps some answers: 

Andreas Leknessun♈d (Team DSM) is still in the maglia rosa. 

R♛emco Evenepoel is second and leads all his GC rꦏivals by at least 30 seconds.

He will surely gain more time on Sunday's 35km time trial to Cese🦄na.

This Giro will ✤be decided in the final week as widely predicted.&nꦅbsp;

Incredibly this is Bias first's pro win! 

It's a second stage win for Italy and a﷽ hu༒ge day for Eolo-Kometa.

Evenepoel quickly got wrapped-up and will head down the mountain to his hote🥂l by helicopter. 

The team buses are parked 26km down the mountain, so the rest of the riders will travel down b♒y cable car and then  bus ride to their hotels.

Hereജ's a great shot of Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) winning at Gran Sasso♓. 

This was th🍒e sprint amongst the GC riders, with Evenepoel leading them home at 🐻3:10. 

These are the stage results.

This is how Bais win it.

🍷Eolo-Kometa rightly call it a win of work and 𝔉courage. 

As many have highlighted, the headwind on the climb stunted the attacks in the break and the GC group🦋. 

Nobody wanted to꧋ go early an𒁃d then pay a huge price. 

Grand Tour racing is, after all, a 21-stage chess match, not a one day race. ꦐ 

Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM) was b🥃ack on the podium to take the maglia ro♋sa.

"I was lucky how the stage unfolde𓆏d, it was only full gas in the last kilometre. I can be grateful for that and have some more days in pink," Leknessund said.&n𒁃bsp;

"I was expecting it to be harder. It was also quite boring, I'd say - I was looking forward to fightin♋g - but ﷽of course I'm happy and grateful."

He is expected to keep the pin🏅k jersey during Saturday's 207km rolling stage to Fossombrone. but then🃏 will have Evenepoel as a threat in Sunday's 35km TT to Cesena.

Davide Bais was tired but emotional after his victory. His win also gave him the blue mountai🔯ns jersey.  

"At the start of the stage I didn't give myself a chance of victory," he said𒉰. 

"I only went in the break to𝔉 pick-up some mountains points and be up here for Lorenzo Fortunato our GC rider. Then when we got away and realised we could go all the way to the finish, I focused on saving as much energy as I could to do then give it everything in the finale. 

"I still can’t understand what I’ve done. This is my first pro win and it’s incredib꧅le. I want tov dedicate it to our teammate Arturo Grávalos who is fighting a major problem. It’s also for my family and all the team." 

Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM) stayed in pink a🗹fter stage 7

Davide Bais too🔯k the blue mountains jersey on stage 7

As expected, 🍸Remco Evenepoel an𓆉d several teammates took a helicopter off the mountain to travel to their hotel much quicker than by team bus.

The team calculated it could dave th𓄧em two hours of travel time.

To read our full stage report and see our growing photo galler♓y of all the action in the high mountains♉, click below.  

Giro d'Italia: Bais wins stage 7 from breakaway trio atop Campo Imperatore

The 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro d’Italia is considered the world’s toughest race in the world’s most beautiful place and the three weeks of racing offer a daily postcard from the Bel Paese. As always, it will be a cycling, cultural and culinary journe👍y on two wheels.

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Thanks for💛 joining us for full live ♕coverage of stage 7. 

We'll be back on Saturday for full live coverage of🅘 stage from Terni to Fossombrone. 

Arrivederci.