Ciao ragazzi! Welcome to live coverage of stage 7 of the Giro d'Italia - another day suited to the breakaway as the riders tackle the rolling 185km between Vasto and L'Aquila. Like yesterday, the stage concludes with a Cat.2 climb preceding some lumps and bumps before the finale, which comes on a steep uphill ramp. Bosh!

Another withdrawal - this time it's Laurens De Plus of Jumbo-Visma. That's a big blow for Primoz Roglic because the Belgian was one of his key lieutenants. But he's been suffering from illness for a few days now.

The break zipped through the intermediate sprint during a break and we have no idea as yet who took the spoils. But the gap is coming down fast now - soon we'll be back together.

We're now on to the next uncategorised climb - and this one has the second intermediate sprint at the top. Bahrain Merida have five riders on the front now chasing down the leaders - Vincenzo Nibali clearly feels a bit threatened by the likes of Gallopin and Bilbao. They have caught those three chasers and the gap is only 40 seconds now.

So, the riders in this break are: Rojas, Gallopin, Vuillermoz, Bilbao, Izagirre, Agnolo, Benedetti, Schwarzmann, Honere, Modolo, Carthy, Madouas, Plaza, Sbaragli, De Bust, Van der Sande, Martens, Hindley and Gogl. The three chasers are Barbin, Canola and Hamilton. The gap is down to 50 seconds on this uncategorised climb.

More on Gaviria's retirement, which apparently is because of pain in his left knee. That means the Colombian has been a DNF in two of the three Grand Tour's he's ridden before. Brittle.

The gap is up to a minute for the leaders. We're still waiting for who's there - but UAE have found some allies in Bahrain Merida, who have missed the split (save for Valerio Agnoli) and think this 19-man move is a bit dangerous.

Finally, it looks like a break has formed - and it's a whopper. There are around 20 riders in this lead group with three, I think, trying to bridge over from the pack, which is 25 seconds down and being led by Conti's UAE team.

Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) has abandoned. More on that when we get it. The Colombian 'won' stage 3 when Elia Viviani was disqualified, and finished second two days ago. That means UAE are down to six riders, including the race leader Valerio Conti.

EF Education First now have Sacha Modolo trying to break clear with Hugh Carthy on the front of the move - a move which has almost been pegged back. A thankless task, this seems.

Around 20 riders now ahead of the pack. But as more and more try to join the party, the chances that the move will stay away gets less and less likely.

It was a high average speed of 49.8kph today as the pack rolled along the coast and then inland at Ortona - no surprise a move has struggled to get away.

Five riders now have some day light with another bridging over and two more just darting out of the peloton. Perhaps this is the move that sticks.

It's back together again - although 'together' is a very long and strung-out peloton. Every now and then a gap forms and some riders seem to have a bit of daylight. But it's a fierce battle to get into the lead, today.

There's a group of 15 now being chased by a group of around eight, with a couple then trying to bridge over from the peloton. But the gaps are very small on this wide road which is something of a false flat for it gradually rises.

Jhonathan Narvaez (Team Ineos) was one of those riders who joined the leaders - but they were then pegged back by around 20 other riders. A small gap appears between this group and the peloton but it's touch and go because more and more riders keep on bridging over.

Still the battle continues to form a break. Victor Campenaerts and Jasha Sutterlin are the latest to ride clear with three others...

It looked like a break of around 10 riders had formed but it has come back together in Ortona and the intermediate sprint is won by that man Pascal Ackermann, who darts clear to extend his lead in the maglia ciclamino classification. What a great Giro the German is having, what with those two stage wins to boot.

Yet more moves from Androni and Movistar on a small climb before the riders drop down to Ortona for the inetrmediate sprint. Conor Dunne, the Irish champion, also looked to be involved there.

And here it is... confirmation that De Gendt won't be up for this one... although Adam Blythe did then say that be could be bluffing!