After a peaceful boat trip from the Italian mainland, the Giro sets off from Messina...
SCENERYGIRO
Mikael Cherel is leading nine riders away in the day's first escape - but they never get more than five minutes lead...
Geoff Brown and David Millar are at it again, and it's only in the neutralized zone..!
GARMINGIROMECHANICAL
The peloton starts the first ascent of Mt Etna with the snows and smoke far above them...
Yaroslav Popovych is in the escape but temporarily out of it with a flat tyre...
SHACKMECHANICAL
Peter Weening looks a bit tense as the climbing starts for real...
MAGLIAGIRO
White snows and black lava frame the peloton as it approaches the first summit of Mt Etna...
A Radio Shack mechanic comes to the aid of Phillip Deignan on the long and fast descent...
Jan Bakelandts, Giovanni Visconti and Matthias Frank are away halfway up the second ascent...
OMEGAESCAPEGIRO
Lampre are leading the chase, for Michele Scarponi...
Bakelandts has gone off alone with seven kilometres to go...
Jose Rujano has made a counter-attack with six-kilometres to go...
CLIMBINGGIRO
Alberto Contador has made the biggest attack of the day - and even Scarponi cannot stay with him..!
SAXOGIRO
Contador easily catches Rujano - and they've both passed Bakelandts as well...
There's alarm in the chasing group - but no chase - with Garzelli, Kreuziger, Nibali and Kiryienka not sure what to do...
Nibali makes a desperate attack with two-kilometres to go - but it won't get him anywhere..!
LIQUIGASATTACKGIRO
Alberto Contador wins stage nine after dropping Rujano in the last kilometre...
Alberto Contador shows his exuberence at winning the stage and taking the Maglia Rosa today..!