For the second straight day, a break stayed ahead of the sprinters. Today, Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) was the winner. The Tour de Romandie champion surged away from six companions with 24 km left to take Stage 11, a hilly, 153-km ride from Forli to Imola, in 3:55:08. Carlos Betancur (Ag2r-La Mondiale) outsprinted Franco Pellizotti (Androni Giacattoli-Venezuela) for second at 0:53. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo Bank) remains the maglia rosa.

Benat Intxausti (Movistar) has won Stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia. The Spaniard jumped into a long break and jumped away from it on the day’s last climb to take the mountainous, 186-km ride from Fiuggi to Campitello Matese in 4:51:34. Mikel Landa (Astana) finished second at 0:20, and Sebastian Reichenbach (IAM Cycling) finished third at 0:31. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo Bank) remains the maglia rosa.

Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) is the surprise winner of Stage 7 of the Giro d’Italia. The Italian burst into the lead in the closing m to take the rolling, 264-km ride from Grosseto to Fiuggi in 7:22:21. Juan Jose Lobato (Movistar) and Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge) finished second and third, respectively. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo Bank) remains the maglia rosa.

Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) has won Stage 6 of the Giro d’Italia, The Gorilla, as he is nicknamed, took a bunch sprint to win the mainly flat, 183-km run from Montecatini Terme to Castiglione della Pescaia in 4:19:42. Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling) and Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) finished second and third, respectively. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo Bank) remains the maglia rosa.