T09_SanGiorgioDS_plan
Luke Durbridge's face says it all - there's been a very fast start to the day..!
Ivan Basso is also in trouble and way off the back of the peloton...
The cause of the discomfort is a series of attacks in front, like this one with Kenny Elissonde...
Esteban Chaves was in the front group but fell in Benevento - he's pushed back by a helpful fan...
Benat Intxausti is also off the back, but chasing hard to get across with Chaves...
Ryder Hesjedal has started a good-looking move as Tinkoff and Astana wait for their dropped teamates to get back on...
Cannnondale-Garmin have pulled off a coup - Hesjedal has Tom-Jelte Slagter up there in the escape.!
Ivan Rovny was one of the dropped riders - he's been given the task of chasing the escape down now..!
Basso has been given bottle-carrying duties - a bit of a comedown for a former Giro winner...
Manuele Boaro doesn't care - he's grateful for some fresh water..!
Hesjedal leads the escape on to the day's most difficult climb with a five-minute lead...
Sergio Paulinho has escaped from the peloton to stir things up with Astana...
Tanel Kangert leads an Astana assault on the big climb - almost all the Tinkoff riders have been dropped..!
Giro d'Italia - Stage 9
Alberto Contador looks in a bit of trouble, as does Richie Porte...
tinkoffmagliagiro
Chaves is hanging on to the Astana pace, but it's hurting him...
ogeinjurygiro
Simon Clarke and Michael Matthews are now feeling the pace after their brilliant first week in the Giro..
ogegiro
Contadr has coped with his discomfort and now has three Tinkoff riders to support him - the trouble is over for now..!
Slagter is starting to move away from his companions with 65-kilometres to go...
Contador is readying himself for a tense finale, but he's starting to look good again...
Slagter has pulled away to a 90-seconds lead, it looks good for another Cannondale-Garmin stage-win..!
garmingiro
The pursuers are led by Herrada, Mionard and Kruijswijk, but their chase is disjointed..
Slagter is maintaining his decent lead as the final climb looms...
Carlos Betancur is starting to work hard at the head of the chasing group - the gap comes down...
Paolo Tiralongo has launched himself up the steep final climb - he might even catch Slagter..!
Fabio Aru has launched an attack against Contador - but he's dropped Porte instead..!
astanagiro
Contador and Porte are facing a mini-crisis on this nasty climb..
Aru looks back to see Contador and Porte coming back, but he'll try more attacks before the top...
Paolo Tiralongo did win stage nine after passing Sagter after the summit and then pulling away...
Alberto Contador is still the race-leader going into the first rest-day - but he's not smiling about it too much..!