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.

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.

News from the finish line at Serra San Bruno: there has just been an almighty downpour. So we can expect some exciting racing once the road heads into those hills.

The final rider in this seven-man break is Dutchman Pim Ligthart of Vacansoleil-DCM. The 24-year-old was the surprise Dutch national champion back in 2011 and is riding his debut Giro on the back of two performances in the Vuelta. Former track star Ligthart is still looking for his first major UCI win as a professional.

Not many would have expected a Greek rider to turn out for the Basque-based team Euskaltel - but following the relaxing of their recruitment policy, that has indeed become a reality. Track specialist Ioannis Tamourdis, 32, joined Euskaltel this winter and is now riding his debut Grand Tour. In 2011 he picked up wins in the Tour of Romania and the Tour of Szeklerland. Team-mate Miguel Minguez is a 22-year-old riding his third Giro. Last year he was 157th on GC - finishing in last place.

The advantage is up to 7:45 on this long, flat, coastal drag ahead of the two climbs that come towards the end of the stage, the Vibo Valentia and Ferrata.

Bizarrely for the Giro, there is just one Italian in today's break: the controversial climber Emanuele Sella. The 32-year-old Androni Giocattoli rider is a veteran of seven Giros and won a stage in his debut race back in 2004. Sella won three stages in 2008 on his way to finishing 6th on GC and taking the mountains classification. But he subsequently tested positive for CERA, third generation EPO, and was banned for a year by the Italian National Olympic Committee.

The seven leaders have 6:33 over the peloton.

There are three Frenchmen in this break: Francis Mourey, a 32-year-old cyclo-cross specialist who has been at FDJ all his career and is riding in his fourth Giro d'Italia; 22-year-old Johan Le Bon, who joined FDJ this season and is a former junior world champion making his debut appearance in the Giro; and finally, 25-year-old Julien Berard of Ag2r-La Mondiale, who's riding in his third Giro. He won the opening stage of the Tour de l'Avenir in 2009.

Who do you think will win today's stage? Will this break stay out until the end or will a counter attack form on one of those climbs towards the finish? Web users have your say in the comment box below - or send me a tweet @saddleblaze.

Berard, Sella, Minguez, Tamouridis, Le Bon, Mourey and Ligthart now have 7:55 over the peloton, which is being controlled by Katusha.

One of the pre-race favourites who suffered a blow yesterday was 2011 winner Michele Scarponi, who crashed on a tight bend around 4km from the finish - right in wheels of Blanco pair Robert Gesink and Steven Kruijswijk, who both came a cropper too. Gesink got on his way without any ado, but Scarponi landed heavily and broke his bike. He lost 50 seconds on the stage and today said: "It's a triple blow: morale, knee and GC."

Incredibly, this is Luca Paolini's maiden appearance in his home tour. The 36-year-old Italian has somehow managed to forge a long career without ever turning out at the Giro in May - and now, in the dusk of his career, Paolini not only picks up a stage but also snares the fabled pink jersey.

The seven leaders have managed to build up a lead of 7:40 over the peloton, meaning Emanuele Sella is the virtual maglia rosa on the road.

It is Minguez in the break, and not Mestre as reported elsewhere. But it's not Anthony Roux and it is his FDJ team-mate Francis Mourey instead. Confirmation of the seven riders in this break: 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).

Italian climber Emanuele Sella is the best placed rider in this group. The Androni Giocattoli rider is currently 2:39 down on pink jersey Luca Paolini, in 48th place on GC.

The second Euskaltel rider in this group may well be Ricardo Mestre and not Miguel Minguez - we're receiving conflicting reports. Also, Lotto Belisol's Gert Dockx was involved in the break, but is now back with the peloton.

The seven leaders have a gap of 1:35 over the peloton over these initially undulating roads that hug the Mediterranean coast.

Interesting composition of the group, with two riders from Euskaltel and FDJ apiece. The French team have had a torrid start to the Giro, with Laurent Pichon crashing heavily twice and Sandy Casar withdrawing this morning. They're due a morale booster. No Vini Fantini in the group, however. Their man Fabio Taborre could have ridden into the pink jersey yesterday and their directeur sportif Luca Scinto promised more attacks today...

BREAK: Seven riders have pinged off the front. They are Julien Berard (Ag2R-La Mondiale), Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli), Miguel Minguez and Ioannis Tamouridis (Euskaltel), Johan Le Bon and Anthony Roux (FDJ) and Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM).

As well as taking the stage and pink jersey, Luca Paoloni moved to the top of the red points jersey standings - although it will be Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) who wears the red jersey today. Belgian youngster Willem Wauters (Vacansoleil-DCM) was in yesterday's break and took maximum points in the Cat.2 climb to rise above Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) in the blue KOM standings. Meanwhile, the white jersey is being work by Italian Fabio Aru of Astana.

One non-starter today: Sandy Casar of FDJ, who fractured his scaphoid yesterday. The Frenchman is the first rider to quit the 2013 Giro so we have 206 riders remaining from 23 different teams. Casar was one of many riders to crash yesterday and finished in the grupetto 14:17 down on winner Luca Paolini. He wasn't the slowest, mind: around a dozen finished in drips and drabs later on, while Italian Paolo Tiralongo, who crashed in the feeding zone, brought up the rear 20 minutes off the pace.