to VeloNews.com's Live Coverage of the 9th stage of the 91st edition of the Giro d'Italia., a nearly dead flat 218-kilometer race from Civitavecchia to San Vincenzo, a beautiful little town on the Leghorn coast in the southern portion of Livorno province.

Almost from the gun, we saw Yuriy Krivtsov (Ag2r) tear out of the field, intent on trying one of those headbangers' suicide breaks. Fortunately for him, he got company within a few kilometers and now he and Mickael Buffaz (Cofidis) have built up a quick lead of 7:15 after 28km of racing. Neither man poses a real threat to the overall standings, with Buffaz starting the day in 110th place, 48:19 out of first. Krivtsov is even further down, in 129th, at 56:34.

Assuming that there are some in the peloton aching for a stage win - especially the sprinters in the bunch - we can expect a chase to kick in with plenty of time to reel these two back in before the race reaches San Vincenzo.

in the crowd, the good news is that Alberto Contador did manage to make the start today and was among the 181 riders to roll off the starting line. He's a little worse for wear, but he's up and riding and has tomorrow's rest day to recover from the crash-related scrapes and bruises he suffered yesterday. He still has to be considered as one of the favorites for Tuesday's time trial, a stage that is sure to shake out the GC.

are bumping up their advantage as they pass the 40km mark. They have a lead of 8:13, but that may be due in part to the mellow approach the peloton is taking this afternoon. The average speed for the first hour today was just 38.23kph. Not exactly zippy.

we might see a bit of rain today. There's a 35% chance of showers under cloudy skies, with temperatures in the mid-60s (20c). Winds may not be much of an issue today, as some had feared, with winds only around 8mph (13kph).

Near the finish, the chance of showers increases to 58% and temperatures will be close to 70 degrees (21c).

If you have a question, suggestion or complaint, drop down and click on the "Contact our editors" link and we'll try to answer at least a few of those during today's update.

to say that today's stage is pan-flat. There is one rated climb at 175km, the Category 3 Campiglia Marittima and a few small unrated climbs, but none of the bumps in the road really poses much of a barrier to sprinters' chances for making it to the finish today.

Assuming that out two escapees are going to be caught, you'd have to expect this to be a sprinters' day, but which one of the fast-twitch crowd are you going to put your money on. Of course the natural abilities of sprinters play a big part in determining the outcome, but so do motivation and psychology. After Mark Cavendish (High Road) made the statement that he is ranked among the world's best, we think Silence-Lotto's Robbie McEwen may need to show the young upstart who's boss. We're putting our bets on Robbie the Rocket today.

the two escapees have upped their advantage to 9:25. Now that sounds large, but do remember that there are still many kilometers to cover and it wouldn't take too much effort for the peloton to negate that within 70 or 80km. If the sprinters' teams really ramp it up, it could disappear much faster than that.

coming off the Mediterranean are not as much of a factor as some might have feared today. The route today is largely on the coast, so strong winds could break things up as much as a day in the mountains, but it's not likely to happen today.

is holding at around 9:15. It looks like the field has settled in for a long day in the saddle, having let out the amount of rope these two will be allowed to have. Let's keep an eye on the gap and track how these two fellers off the front fare for the next 150 (or so) kilometers.

is not exactly frantic out there. After two hours of racing, the average speed is still just 37.5kph, meaning we've covered 75km thus far and the two leaders have an advantage of 9:30. As a reminder, we have Yuriy Krivtsov (Ag2r) and Mickael Buffaz (Cofidis) off the front, neither of whom poses much of a GC threat, so we doubt we'll see much of a big chase effort from the teams of the overall contenders, but the sprinters' teams will undoubtedly ramp up the effort once we get near the finish.

So here's an interesting - albeit unrelated - news item. It seems someone in Scotland willingly paid nearly $13,000 for a collection of poetry by William Topaz McGonagall, the guy readers love to hate, noting he's the worst poet ever to launch an assault on the English language.

His most (in)famous gem is, of course, his "The Tay Bridge Disaster":

Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay!
Alas! I am very sorry to say
That ninety lives have been taken away
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.

Now, why mention it here? Long-time Live Update readers will, of course, remember our frequent Limerick and Haiku contests here. We may have to resurrect that idea... or perhaps a variation. In honor of the McGonagall sale, maybe we can ask you to top (sink below?) his effort by crafting a cycling-related poem of your own.

Hit the "contact our editors" link below the update window and we'll try to publish the best... errrrr... worst.

is inching (centimetering?) up. At 82.5km, the two escapees have upped their advantage to a peak of 9:45. There's still a long way to go though, and in this era of race radios, GPS and TVs in the team cars, they can't simply take advantage of the old "out-of-sight-out-of-mind" rule that applied in the golden days of bike racing.

Buffaz and Krivtsov are at 86.5km and are holding on to a lead of 9:45.

Robert N. from Redwood City, California, writes in:

Dear Live Update Guy,
I am struggling with my bad poem; you did set the bar high (low?) with McGonagal as the standard.
But while I work on that, I wonder how old Dave Zabriskie is doing today. Any word from the Slipstream hero, who crashed so badly a week ago today?

Robert, the latest we've heard is that his injuries, while painful, are not serious enough to have a long-term impact on his career.

He's back home and says he has a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. He does say he's taking medication for the pain that inevitably accompanies a break in his L1 vertebra.

at 100km, the two leaders have had their lead trimmed to 9:15. It's the Quick Step team of race leader Giovanni Visconti is at the front of the field.

Meanwhile reader Scotty G. sends in this gem; apparently not a vote of confidence in the escapees' chances today:

Pedals turn in futility
Among the men in the escape.
They tilt the windmills over.

Our two leaders' advantage continues to slip slightly. Yuriy Krivtsov (Ag2r) and Mickael Buffalz (Cofidis) are now 9:10 ahead of the field.

Meanwhile, reader John C, sends us this Giro-related gem:

Alberto drank beer on a beach
Thought the Giro was out of his reach
But the race needed names
So to Italy he came
A hill climbing lesson to teach

the lead is holding, at around 9:15. Quick Step appears content to keep the gap steady, for now, although Paolo Bettini has to be aching for a win today, since the finish line is really quite close to his home town of Cecina.

the threat of rain has never really developed. The sun is out and everyone seems relaxed out there. The gap is still 9:12.

to do its share of the work at the front of the field. The gap is holding around 9:00.

Reader Jeff E. (a Slipstream fan?) sends us this McGonagall-inspired poetry:

Contador will climb no more,
for it will not help his chances,
The prize to be held,
will go to Vande Velde,
As through the TT he dances....

Of the nine minutes back,
3 or more he will hack,
while his GC position enhances...

p.s.
(oddly both are former teammates of Lance's...)
(and 2 of three won Tour de Frances...)
(methinks that's enough of this rantses)

are still reasonably light and, at this point, no factor at all, since the coast here is quite heavily forested and the road through which the peloton is travelling is about half-a-kilometer inland and the trees are offering plenty of protection from any breeze coming off the coast.

Our two leaders' advantage has been cut to 8:35. The slow pull-back is underway, with 90km remaining in today's stage. We're putting our money on a catch.

continue to lose time. As they near the coastal community of Castiglione, their advantage has been trimmed to 8:26.

Meanwhile, reader Andrew V. sends us this pair of Slipstream-inspired Limericks:

Moustaches are not what you think
They get in the way when you're trying to drink
Zabriskie knew this
Made him hard to miss
Even with Christian in pink.

Millar tossed his bike over the barrier
Didn't think to pick it up and carry'er
Now that Scot was pissed
But one lucky fan wished
And a brand new bike made him merrier!

Reader Graham R.J. write an McGonagall-inspired ode to the podium girl:

So fair is she!
So fair her face
So fair her pulsing figure

Not so fair
The maniacal stare
Of her boyfriend who's much bigger.

Man, Graham, it looks like you captured the soul of McGonagall with that one. You may have to contact Sotheby's to see if a signed broadsheet of that gem will draw a big equal to that of Friday's sale.

vineyards and the Mediterranean coast and bike racing ... all under sunny skies and moderate temperatures in Italy. It just doesn't get any better than this.

With 74km to go, our leaders' advantage has dropped to 8:05.

the mountain leader is doing domestique duty today, hauling bottles up for the rest of the team.

work, the man in the maglia rosa, Quick Step's Giovanni Visconti is part of the chase effort, while teammate Paolo Bettini is tucked in behind, about two spots back. It's a sure sign that Quick Step's priority is getting the world champion a stage win on home turf today.

has come down to 7:48. The peloton is visibly faster than the two men in the break and the gap will most certainly continue to drop.

Follonica, the two leaders pass under the day's intermediate sprint mark, meaning there are 62.5km remaining. The gap is down to 6:50... but we'll get a new time check when the peloton reaches Follonica.

in the saddle, we see the Milram and Liquigas teams moving riders up to lend a hand to the chase. The gap now is down to 7:20

for the fifth day running, we see Bart Simpson hanging around the finish area.

there is still no sense of panic in the field. The gap is coming down slowly, around the 7:00 mark.

we just mentioned cross-cultural infection. While Bart Simpsons' presence at the finish is bad enough, we just heard an Italian journalist use the phrase "the two men at the front will have to give 110-percent if they want to stay away."

Ick.

Meanwhile out on the road, the time gap is down to 6:45. These guys are going to have to give 110-percent if they want to stay away.

and nice out there. The wind is not a factor and the threat of rain in the weather report has not developed.

the gap continues to fall. Our two leaders are just 6:18 ahead of the peloton, with 47km remaining.

Krivtsov (Ag2r) and Buffalz (Cofidis) are now 5:53 ahead of the field.

Meanwhile Garrick S. writes a poem that may be a reminder of a need for humility

Let's hear it for the Yanks and Vande Velde
Perhaps state-side cycling has really gelled
But with an election akimbo
and the economy in limbo
Let's hope their heads are not over-swelled

"Akimbo?" Nice.

Yuriy Krivtsov (Ag2r) and Mickael Buffalz (Cofidis) are losing time and the gap is down to 5:30.

our two leaders are on the Category 3 Campiglia Marittima. It's ranked, but it does not appear to be much of an obstacle. Indeed, they're already over the top.

that we won't be here with Live Updates tomorrow. It's the first of the Giro's two scheduled rest days. The next is on Monday, May 26th, Memorial Day, back in the U.S.

the peloton is on the climb, while the leaders have just passed under the 40km mark.

has moved out of the field, in an effort to snag the last point on the KOM. No one challenges. He hits the top 4:44 behind the two leaders. He'll wait for the peloton.

Mickael Buffaz (Cofidis) is downing a Coke, hoping the sugar/caffeine combo will hold him for another 39km.

hits the 40km to go mark.

are now 4:28 ahead of the main field.

and the finish line coming up, we see Robbie McEwen moving up in the field. Our European correspondent Andrew Hood has picked Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) for the win today. The Live Update Guy has already picked McEwen.

A lot of you are going for the home-town fav' Paolo Bettini.

the peloton crossed under the banner 4:23 behind the leaders. We see High Road, Milram and Liquigas at the front, lending a hand to Quick Step.

the gap is dropping rather quickly.

is Danilo Hondo (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni). The returning doper isn't on form and we're still annoyed at the whole suspension thing.

Meanwhile, reader Thomas Hartmann writes:

Their once was a racer named Andy
Whose talents on a bike were quite dandy
The Hampster as he was known
Into a Cinghiale he has grown
Remains a Giro one and only

Filippo Savini (CSF Group Navigare) over-cooked a turn, hit a small concrete lip and crashed into a ditch. He doesn't look like he's going to be getting back on his bike. He is finally standing up.

Up the road, the gap is down to less than 3:00.

It was on May 18, 1978, that Eddy Merckx officially retired ... although his last race was in March of that year. Merckx won 525 of the 1800 races he started, a stunning win ratio. One of the few major races that he never won was Paris-Tours.

When Andrew Hood asked him about it during an interview in January, he shot back, "Well, you cannot win them all!"

Problem was, he did!

seems to have suffered a leg injury of sorts. He's able to drape his arms over two medical personnel, so we assume that there is no collarbone break. He is limping and it still doesn't look like he'll be able to finish today.

Savini is being lowered onto his bike! He's going to try and finish.

The two leaders have crossed through the finish area, beginning a 22.8km loop around the outskirts of town.

around the peloton, Michael Rogers (High Road) makes his comeback at the Volta a Catalunya starting Monday. Rogers was hit by Epstein-Barr disease this spring

Savini has given up and climbed into an ambulance. We have to tip our hats to that guy. We would have stayed in the ditch, crying for our mothers.

is now less than 2:00 as the peloton is on the final circuit.

Meanwhile in other parts of Europe, Alejandro Valverde and Oscar Pereiro are checking out the Tour de France climbs in the Pyrenees this week while Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) is checking out the climbs in the Alps.

for the peloton, the gap has dropped to 1:30.

on the final lap is tougher than the profile would suggest. It has ramps that hit 12 percent and lasts a little more than 2km. We see a lot of the climbers coming to the front, but Quick Step is now keeping the pace high.

on the hill. He has Ricco and Sella on his wheel. They have a gap on the field. Meanwhile, Jim M in Brooklyn offers up:

No 'stache
Road rash
Did Slipstream really think
All this, after one glorious day in pink?

He's chasing after the two escapees, but Bettini and Ricco are waiting for the peloton.

is driving at the front, while Sella is about to connect with two escapees. The peloton, however, is only about 10 seconds back.

Christian Pfannberger (Barloworld) has crashed in the main field. He hit another rider and that is Bingen Fernandez (Cofidis). He's going to the hospital.

Up front Sella is only a short bit ahead of the peloton. It looks like the days original break is over.

Sella is just a few meters up the road.... no wait... he's caught.

Liquigas is up front, setting tempo, with 10km to go.

are all moving up to the front. The pace is still being set by Liquigas and the Milram team of Erik Zabel is moving up, with 7.5km to go.

is coming up fast, too. Cavendish wants a win, too. Let's see how the day shakes out. We're coming up to the finish soon.

We see both Liquigas and High Road both setting up finishing trains. You gotta figure McEwen is picking his wheels to grab on to. He rarely uses a leadout train of his own, rather opting to jump on the competition's.

and the peloton is fully under the command of the High Road squad. Are they going a little too early?

We see Slipstream moving up... and High Road is still driving hard.

we still see High Road riders at the front and Liquigas tucked in behind.

is being pulled up to the front. Cavendish is up there and there are Zabel and McEwen.

Lampre moves up front as we enter the final kilometer.

from a long way out. Zabel is blocked by Bennati...

Bennati and.... BETTINI. Paolo Bettini gets the stage! No, no... it's a photo finish. Bennati edges Bettini and McEwen is third.

1. Daniele Bennati (I), Liquigas
2. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step
3. Robbie McEwen (Aus), Silence-Lotto
4. Erik Zabel (G), Milram
5. Koldo Fernandez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, all s.t.

It looks like there will be no change in GC.

stay tuned for results, photos and a full stage report.

Remember that tomorrow is a rest day, so we won't be here with a Live Update, but we'll be back on Tuesday with coverage beginning at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time in the U.S. Until then, enjoy your weekend. We hope you get a rest day, too.