Hello and welcome to live coverage of stage four of the Giro d'Italia - a 246km schlep south to the toe of Italy from Policastro Bussentino to Serra San Bruno. I'm Felix Lowe and I'll be taking you through the day's action. For extra analysis and lighthearted banter you can follow me on Twitter @saddleblaze.

Luca Paolini is in full pink today: jersey, shorts, shoes and helmet. This is astonishingly the 36-year-old's first appearance in the Giro d'Italia - not a bad debut by any stretch. At this rate, he'll be the first rider in this race to hold onto the maglia rosa for more than one day.

There's very much a lull in proceedings as numrous riders nip back to their team cars for chats, water bottles and fuel.

Katusha are still setting the pace on the front of the peloton ahead of the Sky blue jerseys of Astana. The lead is 4:50 for the four escapees. The three chasing riders - Sella, Mourey and Tamouridis - have been caught by the peloton.

Pim Ligthart jumps clear of his fellow escapees to take maximum points and bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint. The other four roll over uncontested, with Berard in second and Le Bon in third.

Red jersey Mark Cavendish is riding alongside his Team GB and former Sky team-mate Bradley Wiggins. I looks like he was eating a banana.

As a result of that shake up, Katusha have - as expected - taken the foot off the gas. The four leaders now have 4:40 over the peloton, with the three chasers now two minutes back. Poor Emanuele - doomed before the stage even reaches the hills.

The leading trio are joined by Berard of Ag2R. They clearly don't want Sella to be involved, because he's the dangerman on GC and the reason why Katusha are upping the pace on the front of the pack. The four leaders have 20 seconds on the other three, Sella, Mourey and Tamouridis.

Now there's a split in the leading group, with Minguez (Euskaltel), Le Bon (FDJ) and Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM) riding as a trio ahead.

ATTACK: Ioannis Tamouridis, the first Greek rider to compete in the Giro d'Italia, jumps clear of his fellow escapees. This sparks a response by the others, with Julien Berard of Ag2R the first to repond. It comes back together but it's certainly getting nervous on the front of the race. The first intermediate sprint is not for another 15km and so that couldn't have been the reason.

A few riders in the pack take a moment to answer a call of nature. Meanwhile, Katusha have all their riders on the front to protect the pink jersey of Luca Paolini. The gap has stablised at 3:45 for the seven fugitives.

The seven leaders are riding along a road right on the beach. Their gap is now 3:45 so, like yesterday's break, it looks very doomed.

The peloton has pulled its finger out and the gap is down to 4:20 now for the seven escapees.

The finish straight today is on flagstones of the type which will be very slippery if it rains. They are currently drying out from an earlier downpour, but things could be rather hairy.

The lead has dropped to well under the six-minute mark now.

Some riders who may feel like having a dig today: Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini), Domenico Pozzovivo and Carlos Betancur (both Ag2R-La Mondiale), Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha) and Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani-CSF). Who else do you think can make a splash today?

Those two climbs today: Cat.3 Vibo Valentia (14.9km long at 3% with max ramps of 10%) and Cat.2 Croce Ferrata (12km at 5.6% with max of 10%). Croce Ferrata translates as 'Iron Cross'. The road rises to 900m above sea level and it's followed by 6km of up-and-downhill riding torwards a slightly uphill finish at Serra San Bruno.

The controversial Emanuele Sella is the virtual race leaders - but will he have enough to put himself in pink tonight? His climbing abilities will help, for sure, but the likes of Katusha, Sky, Garmin and Astana will drive a fast pace onto those climbs. Sella trails Luca Paolini by 2:39 on GC. The break is currently 7:15 ahead.

As is customary following the feed zone, there has been a post-prandial rise for the escapees with the gap now back above the seven-minute mark. A reminder of the seven leaders for those who are arriving at this late on: Julien Berard (Ag2R-La Mondiale), Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli), Miguel Minguez & Ioannis Tamouridis (Euskaltel), Johan Le Bon & Francis Mourey (FDJ) and Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM). Incredibly, we're not even half way through this very long stage.

It's yo-yoing a bit for the leaders, who now have 6:40 over the pack as they pass through the feed zone.

The lead is coming down now: 6:15 at the latest check.

The gap is down to 6:45 for the leading seven riders in this long stage to the toe of Italy. We've got the feeding zone coming up and then nothing but a long, flat drag until the first intermediate sprint with around 80km to go. That signals a bit of action, with those two climbs - separated by a second intermediate sprint - coming thick and fast before the finish.