As it happened: A headwind sprint showdown on Giro d'Italia stage 11

Buongiorno and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 11 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia!

Just under an hour to go before the start of the stage...

There's a hilly start to the day but the second half of the stage is fully flat, meaning we should see a sprint finish in Francavilla al Mare.

A look at the profile of today's stage.

But the big news this morning is that GC contender Cian Uijtdebroeks has abandoned the Giro from fifth overall.

Cian Uijtdebroeks abandons Giro d’Italia as Visma-Lease a Bike down to four riders

Visma-Lease a Bike team leader held the white jersey and 5th place in the general classification

Yesterday's 10th stage up to the summit finish at Bocca della Selva saw the breakaway take the win with a few small changes in the GC top 10.

Giro d'Italia: Valentin Paret-Peintre follows in his brother's footsteps with stage 10 victory

Tadej Pogačar protects maglia rosa on first summit finish of week two

And here's a look at the current GC standings at the Giro d'Italia after stage 10, albeit before Cian Uijtdebroeks' abandon

Tadej Pogačar retains pink jersey on summit finish as Bardet and Zana jump into the top 10

Around 20 minutes to go before the stage starts now.

Here's the map of the stage as the peloton heads to the coast.

Stage 11 will be getting underway very soon!

Two more non-starters today as Stefano Oldani (Cofidis) and Louis Barré (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) have both left the race. 

Oldani is sick while Barré has suffered an injury to the fingers on his right hand.

155 riders continue in the Giro d'Italia today.

The riders have now started the roll out in the neutral zone at the start of stage 11.

A delay to the proper start as Madis Mihkels and Juan Pedro López suffer mechanicals in the neutral zone.

204km to go

The flag drops after an extended neutral zone and the stage is under way.

Thomas Champion is the first man to go on the attack.

Edoardo Affini joins him from the depleted Visma-Lease A Bike team.

Visma's Tim van Dijke is also on the move.

No big rush in the peloton to close the move down.

198km to go

1:25 for the trio now.

Lidl-Trek controlling it at the head of the peloton for sprinter Jonathan Milan.

Race leader Tadej Pogačar and new white jersey Antonio Tiberi greet one another at the start today.

1:50 for the breakaway trio now.

187km to go

The riders are over the first unclassified hill of the day and there have been no further attacks in the peloton.

The gap is still growing for the breakaway but it's only at 2:15 as the peloton keeps things in check.

A look at the break of the day, led by Champion.

169km to go

The riders in the valley now on the road to the only classified climb of the day, the third-category Pietracatella.

Lidl-Trek controlling the peloton.

The riders now about to start the climb to Pietracatella (8.4km at 5.4%).

2:20 for the break now with the riders halfway up the climb.

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Soudal-QuickStep also helping at the front of the peloton along with Lidl-Trek.

160km to go

2km to the top of the hill now.

It's been a quiet day so far.

500 metres to the top as the breakaway enters Pietracatella.

Van Dijke leads the trio up.

Van Dijke leads Champion and Affini over the top of the third-category climb for nine points.

157km to go

That was the only classified climb of the day.

2:40 for the breakaway now.

Jonathan Milan argues with a rider from UAE Team Emirates. It looks like the rider might have accidentally blocked him from taking a musette at the feed zone at the top of the climb.

After a short downhill, the break head up another short unclassified climb. After there are no major uphill runs before the end of the day.

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145km to go

Still the same three men up front and they have 2:05 on the peloton currently.

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Over the top and now time for the riders to head down the gradual, halting descent towards the coast and the flat roads to the finish.

A kilometre to go to the first intermediate climb of the stage.

1:55 for the breakaway trio as they approach Casacalenda.

The three men roll through the sprint while further back the sprinters jump from the head of the peloton, led by Lidl-Trek.

It's the US team vs Alpecin-Deceuninck for the five points in fourth place.

Jonathan Milan easily wins the sprint to grab those extra points.

131km to go

The gap is now down to 1:30.

Milan's five points and Groves' four mean the Italian now has 179 points to the Australian's 126.

Tim Merlier is in third place on 100 points.

122km to go

More downhill racing now as the riders continue the path to the Adriatic coast.

Milan among his Lidl-Trek teammates in the peloton.

Champion, Affini, and Van Dijke really have no chance of staying away here but they'll battle on for as long as possible despite there being little left to fight for on the stage.

107km to go

It's felt like a long day already and we're not at the halfway mark yet...

The gap to the break has come down in recent kilometres. 1:20 now.

100km to go

There's no rush for the sprint teams to catch the break though. They'd only be opening the race up to more attacks if they brought the move back far from the finish.

1:35 between the two groups. It's still Soudal-QuickStep and Lidl-Trek at the front of the peloton.

Luke Plapp also doing some work at the front.

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88km to go

On the flatlands by the Adriatic coast now and it's like this all the way to the line.

Nice views as the riders headed through the hills earlier on today.

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The pace has upped in the peloton and the gap is now under a minute.

80km to go

40 seconds now with Plapp, Lidl and QuickStep still leading the way.

The Intergiro intermediate sprint is coming up next in around 10km.

Puncture for Caleb Ewan but he's back up and running.

The peloton heads for the beach.

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Bike change for Rafał Majka and he gets back to the peloton quickly.

71km to go

51 seconds for the break as the peloton knock the pace off a little.

Champion leads the two Visma men over the Intergiro sprint for the 12, 8 and 6 points.

Meanwhile, Groves outpaces Merlier and Fiorelli in the peloton to take 5 points.

Milan didn't get involved there.

A 44kph average speed so far today.

Some news coming up away from the Giro d'Italia...

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56km to go

40 seconds for the breakaway trio. They're just hanging out there at the moment. Still too early to bring them back for the peloton.

Still heading north up the coast here. They started out in the region of Campania down south, passed through Molise, and they'll finish in Abruzzo up in the centre of Italy.

Alpecin-Deceuninck joining in at the front now along with Soudal-QuickStep, Lidl-Trek and Jayco-AlUla.

Plapp leading the way on the flat roads towards Francavilla al Mare.

Inside the final 50km now. We're all waiting for the finishing sprint.

45km to go

37 seconds is the current gap. It's been hovering around that mark for a while.

One more intermediate sprint to go in just over 7km.

39km to go

The peloton are upping the pace now though.

25 seconds is the latest gap.

The breakaway won't make it to the sprint.

35km to go

That came back quickly and the three breakaway men are caught.

And now the peloton is all together for the sprint.

Ryan Mullen nips out of the peloton to take three bonus seconds while it was Geraint Thomas who takes second place and two bonus seconds.

Mullen was protecting Dani Martínez's second place overall. Thomas has cut the gap from 18 seconds to 16 seconds there though.

Mikkel Bjerg was third to take one bonus second.

30km to go

There should be a high pace to the end now.

Intermarché-Wanty are up there among the other sprint squads at the front of the peloton.

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Winner of the last bunch sprint of the Giro, Olav Kooij, won't be taking part in the final today. He left the race ahead of yesterday's tenth stage.

The likes of Jonathan Milan, Tim Merlier Fabio Jakobsen, Phil Bauhaus, Caleb Ewan, and Kaden Groves are all still in the race, however.

Tobias Lund Andresen, Danny van Poppel, Juan Sebastian Molano, Alberto Dainese, Enrico Zanoncello, and Giovanni Lonardi are also still in the race and will be mixing it up in the sprint.

24km to go

Blue jersey wearer Simon Geschke stops for a bike change. He's holding the KOM jersey with classification leader Tadej Pogačar in pink.

UAE Team Emirates also up front, as are Ineos Grenadiers. The GC teams are hoping to keep their leaders safe on this run to the finish.

21km to go

Attacks at the front on a small rise in the road!

Andrea Piccolo (EF Education-EasyPost) leads the way.

And there's a crash behind. Felix Großschartner (UAE Team Emirates) and Kevin Vermaerke (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) are on the grass verge.

Up front, Piccolo has a gap of a few seconds.

18km to go

He's caught after a short foray off the front and the peloton is all back together.

Vermaerke is chasing back on, however. Großschartner is further back after getting checked out by the doctors.

The peloton heading towards the finish today.

Bora-Hansgrohe and Polti-Kometa are up front in the peloton.

UAE, Lidl, Groupama-FDJ also up there with the peloton spread across the road.

14km to go

A very high pace now.

70kph at the front as the riders head down a small descent after that little climb a few kilometres ago.

It's a fully flat run to the finish line.

10km to go

Into the final run towards Francavilla al Mare.

There's a tailwind for the next 5km or so.

Here's a shot of Piccolo during his brief attack not so long ago.

The sprint trains are organising themselves at the front now.

Lidl-Trek, Soudal-QuickStep, Groupama-FDJ all up there.

7km to go

Alpecin-Deceuninck and UAE Team Emirates also move up on the outside.

UAE now driving it with two men ahead of Pogačar.

The speed is over 60kph here.

Ineos Grenadiers now shifting up to keep Thomas safe.

Jayco-AlUla follow them.

5km to go

And now Soudal-QuickStep hit the front.

Jayco, Ineos, Lidl, UAE, QuickStep all leading the peloton.

The British team are at the front as the road narrows towards a right-hand turn.

No big incidents at that pinch point.

Ineos continue to lead with QuickStep behind.

3km to go

The GC men are safe now.

Ineos keep going though.

Jayco and QuickStep behind them.

2km to go

Ineos still with three, including Thomas in second wheel.

Pogačar tries to bring Molano up.

But now it's Jayco taking it up as Ineos drop away.s

QuickStep and Lidl are behind Jayco.

Walscheid and Mezgec lead Ewan.

1km to go

Alpecin-Deceuninck move up into the final kilometre.

The Belgian team are in charge now.

Lidl close behind them.

Jayco and QuickStep next.

Headwind sprint coming up!

Van Lerberghe launches it with Merlier in his wheel!

It's Merlier vs Milan as the Belgian leads the way into the final metres.

A fast sprint in slow motion due to the headwind as Milan pulls alongside Merlier.

The maglia ciclamino gets past at the death!

Finish

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) wins stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia!

That was a messy sprint finish into the headwind.

A second win of the race for Milan, who extends his points lead in the process. He's the top sprinter so far at this year's Giro d'Italia.

Milan celebrates his win as he crosses the line.

He beat Merlier and Kaden Groves to the line. Giovanni Lonardi and Laurence Pithie rounded out the top five.

Here's a look at the stage 11 results.

Milan is set to be on 229 points tonight, well clear of Groves on 156 in second place. Merlier is third on 139 points.

That's three career Giro stage wins for Milan now.

A look back at that finish.

Giro d'Italia: Jonathan Milan outpowers Merlier in stage 11 sprint victory

Milan pips Soudal-Quickstep rider as Jakobsen caught in a crash in final hundred metres

Looking at the overhead view of the sprint, Molano was left with nowhere to go up against the barriers by Merlier, who did look to move right as he opened the sprint. Will the Colombian file a complaint?

Here's what Jonathan Milan had to say after his win today...

"It's not just this 20-second sprint or the victory in the end that made me happy. It was all the work the guys did today to support me and bring me to the crucial position for the sprint.

"This is what has made me happy. A real team, as we are, I think today it's just unbelievable what the guys did for me today. I have to say thanks from the bottom of my heart for this. I'm so happy to see their happy faces.

"Merlier is always tricky to predict in the final and how to move. We tried to manage it as much as possible. It was a tricky final with some corners and a straight finish. It was more difficult to manage this than a normal one with some corners. In the end, I found myself on his wheel. I think it was the perfect wheel. He started his sprint really, really, really strong but then I tried to make mine and it went good.

"It's really special [to win in the points jersey]. Last year I was always close and doing some mistakes. I think the most important thing is to learn from the mistakes and go further. We made it with the team and I'm proud of this."

Tadej Pogačar is back in pink tonight. No change at the top of the GC.

Meanwhile maglia ciclamino holder Milan celebrates his stage win. He's extended his points lead today.

Pogačar also holds the blue climber's jersey.

News just in – Tim Merlier has been relegated from second place after he moved across the road in the finishing sprint.

Kaden Groves and Giovanni Lonardi now join Milan on the stage 11 podium.

Merlier is now classified in 89th place.

Antonio Tiberi is our final jersey holder of the day, meanwhile. That concludes the podium ceremony for stage 11.

We'll have news and reaction from the stage coming in through the evening, so watch out for that.

But that's all for the live coverage of stage 11, though. Come back tomorrow for more from stage 12 to Fano!