Buongiorno and welcome to live coverage of stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia - the longest of the race, a huge 244km schlep from Penne to Gualdo Tadino.

The riders are onto the first climb the Cat.2 Fonte della Creta (16km at 6%) which is actually one of the flanks of the Gran Sasso d'Italia that they tackled on Sunday. Matteo Montaguti, Dayer Quintana and Mads Wurtz Schmidt are in pursuit of the leaders, with local boy Giulio Ciccone having also just attacked from the peloton.

There are a flurry of attacks from the outset as around 10 riders managed to break clear of the pack just ahead of the first of three categorised peaks. They are: Davide Ballerini, Luis Leon Sachez, Matej Mohoric, Ben Hermans, Krists Neilands, Ben King, Tom Scully, Tony Martin, Koen Bouwman, Jarlinson Pantano.

They're off! Mauro Vegni waves his flag and the remaining 170 riders get this next phase of the race started.

Not a bad neck of the Abruzzo woods, eh? The climb in the background is apparently Blockhaus, which the majority of the peloton will be happy is not on the menu today.

Here's what's in store for the riders today - and the question remains whether it will be a spicy (al'Arrabbiata) or al dente start in Penne when the riders roll out of the neutral zone and get racing...

Before yesterday's rest day, Britain’s Simon Yates strengthened his grip on the pink jersey with a historic victory on the mythical Gran Sasso d’Italia as compatriot Chris Froome cracked in a dramatic finale to Stage 9 of the Giro to drop out of the top 10. Yates rode clear of his rivals near the summit of the highest peak in the Apennines to win his first stage of the Giro while sporting the maglia rosa – beating Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and Colombian team-mate Esteban Chaves.