Although fortune favours the brave Paolo Bettini had a terrible day on stage three after winning the previous two stages, but that, as they say, is bike racing. He looked in a bad way but appears not to have broken anything. He still looks doubtful for next week’s Milan-San Remo, with his current vein of form he was a definite favourite for the win so he must be gutted.

Fillipo Simeoni also had a nasty spill and although at first it looked bad for the Italian he appears to be OK.

Many of the riders have complaied about the cold and conditions of the roads, and they have a point, some of the pictures show unmade roads and greasy surfaces, when you have 180+ riders trying to get down narrow streets in these conditions there will inevitably be accidents. The weather is so bad that the mountain stage due for tomorrow has been cancelled in favour of a flat circuit.

Yesterday’s Time Trial had some interesting names in the top ten with Fabian Cancellara coming out on top, it’s shaken up the GC and now the race will be on as we enter the final few stages.

Magnus Backstedt has had a terrible time so far. Since his crash in Mallorca a month or so ago he’s been suffering with a bad knee and the cold and poor conditions in Italy can’t be making it any better. He’s losing time every day, but is soldiering on. Tough bloke that Backstedt.

Stage 3
1. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank 4.27.22 (41.067 km/h)
2. Igor Astarloa (Spa) Barloworld
3. Riccardo Ricco (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
4. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Acqua Sapone
5. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
6. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Team Milram
7. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner
8. Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
9. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
10. Massimili Gentili (Ita) Naturino-Sapore Di Mare
187 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas @20.14

Overall after stage 3
1. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank 12.39.26
2. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 0.10
3. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner
4. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Acqua Sapone
5. Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
6. Massimili Gentili (Ita) Naturino-Sapore Di Mare
7. Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Cofidis, le Credit par Telephone
8. Jorg Jaksche (Ger) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
9. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank
10. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank

Stage 4
1. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole 5.21.13 (40.906 km/h)
2. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Team Milram
3. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
4. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
5. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
6. Mikhaylo Khalilov (Ukr) Team L.P.R.
7. Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) T-Mobile Team
8. Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
9. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
10. Gregory Rast (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems

Overall after stage 4
– No significant change –

Stage 5 ITT
1. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC 27.37
2. Leif Hoste (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.03
3. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 0.18
4. Jorg Jaksche (Ger) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 0.32
5. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 0.38
6. Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare 0.39
7. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 0.42
8. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.44
9. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.49
10. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.56
158. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas @3.31

Overall after stage 5
1. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 18.28.44
2. Jorg Jaksche (Ger) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 0.14
3. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 0.20
4. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.40
5. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank 0.46
6. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.47
7. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.54
8. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC 0.59
9. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 1.01
10. Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Cofidis, le Credit par Telephone 1.04