Hello and welcome to live coverage of stage 12 of the Giro d'Italia - a 190km largely flat schlep from Imola to Monte Berico near Vicenza. A series of small climbs in the final third provide a sting in the tail to what is otherwise a pan-flat affair.

BREAK: Five riders have managed to open up a gap on the peloton. At last, we have some action. They are: Germany's Patrick Gretsch (Ag2R-La Mondiale), Italians Davide Appollonio (Androni-Giocattoli) and Enrico Barbin (Bariani-CSF), Frenchman Kenny Elissonde (FDJ) and Dutchman Nick Van der Lijke (LottoNL-Jumbo).

The lack of breakaway may have something to do with the average speed of 52.2kmph so far over the course of the stage. It's been a flat and fast start to a stage which should - in theory - get more exciting towards the end.

We pick up the race with the peloton having completed 70km of this flat opening two thirds of the stage - and still the pack rides as one with no break up the road.

Despite pressure from CCC Sprandi Polkowice there was still no break formed after 20km of riding.

Italy's Nicola Boem - the stage 10 winner from Bardiani-CSF - extended his lead in the red jersey points classification over Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) yesterday. Boem is on 101 points, with Greipel one point ahead of Team Sky's Elia Viviani on 85 points.

A flurry of attacks went out early, including one from Etixx-QuickStep's Fabio Sabatini, but they came to nothing. Today's stage is flat as a pancake until the last 60km where there are three punchy lower-categorised climbs, including the rise to the finish at Monte Berico.

Spain's Benat Intxausti of Movistar - winner of stage 8 on Saturday - moved back into the blue mountains jersey yesterday after picking up enough points over the three categorised cols. He leads on 52 points with Simon Geschke (Giant Alpecin) on 50, Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) on 43 and Carlos Betancur (Ag2R-La Mondiale) on 41.

No overnight withdrawals to report as 187 riders trickled out of Imola to get this stage under way under a cloudy sky.

No changes in the overall standings yesterday with Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) retaining his three-second lead over Fabio Aru (Astana). The top five is completed with two more Astana riders - Mikel Landa and Dario Cataldo - and another Tinkoff-Saxo rider, Roman Keuziger. Richie Porte (Team Sky) is still 3:09 down following his wheel-change penalty and puncture in stage 10.