Giro d'Italia Stage 8: Sapri > Tropea, 217kms

Giordani and Salvaggi are speeding away to a 12-minute lead...

Two escapers, Leonardo Giordani and Mirko Salvaggi, have set off against a rather nice-looking backdrop...

Craig Lewis is the night watchman for HTC, even though there is still 175-kilometres to go..!

HTCCHASEGIRO

Who needs Highway One and California when you've got the Basilicata coastline and the Giro d'Italia..?

SCENERYGIRO

Who needs Highway One and California, when you've got the Calabrian coastline and the Giro d'Italia..?

SCENERYGIRO

Brits on tour, 2: Geoff Brown gives a helping hand to fellow Brit David Millar...

GARMINBROWNMECHANICAL. GIRO

Brits on tour - Mark Cavendish is holding court at the back of the peloton with Peter Kennaugh and Russell Downing...

SKYGIROFRIENDS

Giordani and Salvaggi still have eight minutes with about 75-kilometres to go...

FARNESEESCAPETV GIRO

"Buongiorno..." Brett Lancaster looks more pleased than usual to see his soigneur with a feed-bag...

GARMINGIRO

And Craig Lewis is still doing most of the chasing for HTC..!

HTCCHASEGIRO

One more for the road - Phillip Deignan tops up with water bottles for his Radio Shack teamates...

SHACKGIRO

Patrick Gretsch has replaced Lewis at the head of the chasing peloton, and the lead is coming down now...

HTCCHASEGIRO

The hilltop villages in Calabria remind us we're in the south of Italy now...

SCENERYGIRO

Saxo Bank cause confusion but an increase in tempo as they swarm to the front in the last 10-kilometres...

Oscar Gatto wins stage eight from Alberto Contador after the two attacked within seconds of each other on the run-in to Tropea...

FARNESEGIRO

Giordani and Salvaggi are clinging to a two-minute lead with 20-kilometres left...

FARNESEESCAPETV GIRO

Alessandro Petacchi takes third-place with the first HTC rider in 35th place..!

Peter Weening gets more kisses in Tropea, but he has a big day ahead of him in Sicily tomorrow...

MAGLIAGIRO