Welcome to stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia - the day that the fight for the GC should really hot up. The 186km stage from Falzes to Cortina d'Ampezzo features five climbs, including the fearsome Cat.1 Passo Giau, before finishing at the fashionable ski resort after a long, technical downhill.

Szmyd may be gone, but Katusha's Moreno has popped too. Capecchi setting the pace for Basso. Hesjedal, Henao and Pozzovivo are lurking.

Kreuziger is chasing on like crazy - he's about a minute down. And disaster for Liquigas - the pace setter picks up a puncture right at the start of the climb and needs a wheel change!

The boys in green still drive the pace along on this descent, with Lampre tucked in just behind. The relative calm before the storm... Gaps are appearing as they start the climb of the Cat.1 Passo Giau!

Basso really has a strong team - it's now up to the Italian to make sure their team pays off. Four Liquigas men are on the front of the leading group as they approach the climb which their leader described as "a slap in the face" previously.

Up and over the top of the Cat.2 Forcella Staulanza: 1. Failli, 2. Caruso, 3. Capecchi. Time to descent, and then we'll have the final climb of the Passo Giau.

Still Liquigas set the pace through Caruso. Szmyd is yet to be unleashed by Basso. But pink jersey Rodriguez has Moreno and Losado up his Katusha sleeve. Cunego and Scarponi there. Group in full: Rodriguez, Hesjedal, Basso, Tiralongo, Scarponi, Intxausti, Henao, Cataldo, Casar, Uran, De Gendt, Tschopp, Gadret, Moreno, Cunego, Nieve, Szmyd, Dupont, Caruso, Seeldraeyers, Capecchi, Samoilau, Losada, Failli.

Kreuziger is fighting to limit his losses and regain touch with the main group. He's hanging in just 30 metres back, and has a team-mate with him, but he will surely struggle on the next climb of the Passo Giau.

Kreuziger is on the edge: it looks like Tiralongo will soon be Astana's main man. That's it, the Czech rider is off the back and out of the Giro...

Liquigas, Lampre, Garmin, Astana, Katusha and Sky all have their big guns driving the peloton, which is now just a leading group. Seeldraeyers has been caught and the scene is set for the GC battles to commence.

The peloton is just about 40-strong now thanks to the work being done by Liquigas. The break has sat up, with the exception of Seeldraeyers, who has 15 seconds out ahead.

Astana's Seeldraeyers steals away to pick up the points at the intermediate sprint at Zoldo Alto. And he's continued out ahead and has a lead over the others. Nieve appears to be slowing up - he knows the peloton is approaching and that it's futile. Serpa and Samoilau are caught in two worlds, not knowing what they should do.

It's Damiano Caruso setting the pace for Liquigas, and the former white jersey is clearly on the verge of suffering. Lampre are tucked in behind Ivan Basso and his men. This pink jersey group is one minute behind the leading quartet - Seeldraeyers having been caught by the chasing trio.

The Nieve group is closing in on Seeldraeyers - just 15 seconds now. Meanwhile, Liquigas's Valerio Agnoli has called it a day and dropped to the back after his heavy pace-setting up the last climb.

No rest for teh wicked: they're right onto the next climb of the day, the Cat.2 Forcella Staulanza. Seeldraeyers is out in front. He has 36 seconds over a chasing trio of Nieve, Samoilau and Serpa, with blue jersey Rabottini a bit further back. Montaguti has been caught by the peloton, which rides along at 1:30 from the lone leader, Liquigas at the helm.

This is a very technical descent: winding, narrow roads, with loads of hairpins and passing through small hamlets. Seeldraeyers is out in front on his own, with Nieve in pursuit of the three chasers.

Nieve has almost made touch with the leaders. It's still Liquigas on teh front of the bunch, less than one minute back.

CRASH: A Vacansoleil rider goes down on a tight bend and leaves marks on the road from his elbows and knees before hitting the barrier. Nasty. But he's back on his bike and on his way again.

Rabottin takes the points over the summit ahead of Seeldraeyers and Serpa. That's two from two for the Italian, who consolidated his lead in the blue jersey KOM standings. Nieve crosses 30 seconds down and will bid to join the four leaders on the descent. The peloton passes at 1:19.

The Spaniard may catch the leaders before the summit. He's 30 seconds down now, with the peloton riding at 1:10. Montaguti has been dropped from the leading group.

Nieve is within a minute of the leaders now, with the peloton 40 seconds back. The roads are very narrow here and the team cars seem to have parked on the side of the road to let the peloton through.

Spain's Nieve is only 4:20 down in the GC so this is an interesting move from the Euskaltel rider. He is now 1:17 back on the five leaders. Liquigas continue the pace setting through Agnoli. Off the back, John Gadret is taking a pair of scissors to his jersey, for some inexplicable reason. He's also riding this climb with no hands at the moment.