It has been awhile since we last spoke with former Giro Top 4 and Italian TT Champion, Dario Cioni. We'd heard that he signed for a new, high profile team, but the details weren't released, and he wasn't allowed to talk about it. We agreed to talk olives, but by the time we got to talking, the deal was official: the new team was Sky. A deal is a deal though, so we'll get started with olives!

A tough rolling stage leading into the final Rest Day provided ample opportunities for soldiers of fortune. Will a break manage to go the distance or will the favorites duke it out on the fast, twisty slopes of the finishing 1.5k hill, which hits up to a mean 10%?

I guess the first question I should have asked Charly Wegelius was; “Do you get lonely as the only Englishman in the Giro?” But when you remember he’s raced as a professional for seven seasons in Italy, has bought a house in Varese and speaks fluent Italian then maybe it would have been a stupid question...