Giro d'Italia 2012: Stage 11 Video Preview - Assisi to Montecatini Terme 255 km

Stage 11 is the longest stage of the 2012 Giro so rather approprirately we've got a longer than usual stage preview with video input from Geraint Thomas's Sky teammate Dario Cionia and Dan Lloyd ex-of Garmin Cervelo and now riding for Team IG Sigma Sport who ride the key points of the stage in this really good IG Markets video.

The Poggio alla Croce, just after the halfway point of the stage – and, indeed, the three-week race – could be the springboard for attacks today. The short 3Km climb to Vico, 11 kilometres out, may also see some riders try to get away ahead of what should be a fast run-in to the finish, how it all pans out at the top of that climb should give a good indication of whether a break will stay away or be swept up for a bunch sprint at the finish. If the catch has been made it still isn't all plain sailing for the sprinters on the run in to the finish with a couple of corners including a very tight right-hander lying in wait inside the final half kilometre.

The roads towards the end of today’s stage will be familiar to those members of the Team Sky squad who came up through the Olympic Academy in nearby Quarrata, but it’s worth bearing in mind that a couple of days before leaving for Denmark and the start of this year’s race, Italian champion Giovanni Visconti of Movistar, who lives locally, was here having a close look at the finish.

GT: This will be one of the rare occasions when we actually know the run-in really well, it will be a good stage to go for. I think this could almost definitely be a sprint as well, it depends on how the riders are looking, if Cav’s still in the race and still feeling good, it’s definitely a stage we could go for.