. . . and welcome to VeloNews.com's Live Coverage of stage 6 of the 2008 Giro d'Italia.

Today's stage from Potenza to Peschici will be the longest of this year's Giro, even after organizers bowed to a demand by disgruntled racers that it be shortened to 231.6km (the stage will do without a 33km finishing loop). Today will mark the Giro's third visit to Peschici - Danilo Di Luca was victorious here in 2000, and this year's maglia rosa, Franco Pellizotti, took the honors in 2006.

. . . the unruly peloton may be channeling the insurrectionist past of Potenza. One of the most ancient free cities of Lucania, its citizens resisted Roman occupation in 216 BC. In 1799, the city was one of the first to rise against King Ferdinand IV with the declaration of the Neapolitan Republic. Subsequent rebellions erupted in 1848 and 1860 before Giuseppe Garabaldi's revolutionary army brought about the unification of Italy. And yesterday, a cranky peloton took up arms against the race organizers. "We spoke with Robbie (McEwen) and (Danilo) Di Luca before the stage and everyone agreed that we demand that the longest stage be shortened," said race leader Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas). Another blow for the people!

Apparently there have been no further insurrections, because the day's labors have already commenced. And once again we have had an early break, this time a big one - a dozen riders.

. . . were Rene Mandri (Ag2r), Alan Perez Lezaun (Euskaltel), Jose Ochoa (Diquigiovanni), Maxim Iglinsky (Astana), Matteo Priamo (CSF Group), Matthias Russ (Gerolsteiner), Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre), Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step), Daniele Nardello (Diquigiovanni), Magnus Backstedt (Slipstream-Chipotle), Jason McCartney (CSC) and Nikolai Trussov (Tinkoff).

After 60km the break had 90 seconds on the bunch. And while Mandri crashed out of the escape (and the race), his erstwhile mates soldiered on without him and kept padding their margin. With 140km to race, it was 4:22; 30km later it was twice that; and 100km from the finish the break had 12 minutes as the 11 riders approached the feed zone.

. . . but we're told the gap has expanded to 15:30 as our leaders pass the sprint at Manfredonia. That means that with Matthias Russ (Gerolsteiner) best placed in the break, at 56th, 1:39 behind race leader Franco Pellizotti, Russ is the virtual maglia rosa.

. . . Visconti (Quick Step) took top honors at the sprint ahead of Gavazzi (Lampre) and Priamo (CSF Group).

"Sometimes the breakaways make it," said world champ Paolo Bettini after finishing a disappointing fifth behind wily Russian Pavel Brutt (Tinkoff) in yesterday's finale. "It's my fault," the Quick Step chief added. "I waited too long to get somebody pulling." Was anybody listening? Besides us, that is?

. . . it appears that Brutt had a special motivation for digging deep yesterday: He was promised a smooch with team owner Oleg Tinkoff's wife if he got into a breakaway. Seems only fair. After all, the boss got to hit on Brutt's champagne.

In the break are Alan Perez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Carlos Jose Ochoa (Diquigiovanni), Nikolai Trusov (Tinkoff), Jason McCartney (CSC), Magnus Backstedt (Slipstream), Daniele Nardello (Diquigiovanni), Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step), Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre), Matthias Russ (Gerolsteiner), Maxim Iglinsky (Astana) and Matteo Priamo (CSF Group).

The average speed after three hours in the saddle: 47.3kph. The break's advantage remains above 15 minutes. We have something like 80km left to race.

. . . it was a day for the sprinters at the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic in Portland, Oregon. Web editor Steve Frothingham and ace shooter Casey Gibson were on hand to chronicle the action - the stage was a hilly criterium held in a verdant city park wrapping around a long-extinct volcano - and you can read all about it here.

We're told Kevin De Werrt (Cofidis) and Enrico Poitschke (Milram) both abandoned the Giro early in today's stage - no explanation given, unfortunately. Maybe they were irked because they didn't get a kiss from Tinkoff's wife.

Barloworld and Saunier Duval are at the front - Liquigas seems to be taking the day off. The break has 45km to race.

Liquigas can't ride at the front of every stage, eh? Under 40km to go for the leaders now. It's a bit cloudy and windy, but no rain - yet. Now that we've mentioned it, of course, that's bound to change.

Barloworld and Saunier Duval have no one on this break. Barloworld does have three riders within striiking distance of the maglia rosa, however: Enrico Gasparotto, 10th at 0:25; Francesco Bellotti, 11th at the same time; and Christian Pfannberger, 14th at 0:28.

. . . and the bunch is chopping away at that margin. It's dropped all the way down to 13 minutes and change!

They're about as straight as Andy Dick. Get a 10-second gap and you're out of sight.

. . . the peloton would need a telescope to see the break today.

The town is notable for its characteristic white houses. Next stop: Peschici. The center of the town perches on a cliff overlooking the Adriatic, dominating the bay and its beautiful beaches below.

Today's stage ends with a climb - the grade is 7.9 percent, which is not inconsiderable given the length of this leg. It should determine both the stage winner and the new overall leader.

Mmm, hmm, good. Very enticing for the weary traveler. Shoot, the break could stop for a quick refreshing dip and still take a respectable margin to the line.

20km to go.

He'd like to snatch the win and the jersey today as a reward for his five hours in the saddle.

. . . he's a very pleasant gent, but not exactly the fastest climber in this group. He'd need a big head start to take this one.

Still more than 12 minutes.

Astana could do with a little podium time after getting the late invite to this party.

Now he'll be able to go back to his regular kit. That pink is a bit shocking when matched with lime green. Makes a Seventies-era kitchen look stylish.

It's another typical funky Giro finale. The final 1.3km climbs nearly 100 vertical meters, so it won't be a balls-out sprint. There's also a sweeping right-hander with 1km to go and a string of five corners before a right-hander with 200m to go. Watch for attacks from the group.

Nada. Perez runs him down.

He has a gap.

. . . with 10km to go. Perez is coming up to him.

He's in no-man's land on this climb.

Priamo, a pro with three wins since '06, is on his wheel.

He's making some great race face.

A full 5km behind the crumbling break.

. . . with 10km to go.

They look like flat-track motorcycle racers zipping around these corners.

. . . and Backstedt has been expelled.

. . . but Perez has a pretty fair sprint to go along with his mountain skills.

The lead duo has 19 seconds over the remains of the break.

. . . until that last kilometer.

Good for the Slipstream man.

One of our two leaders seems likely to take the honors.

And he's taking a gap - albeit a little late in the day.

The Swedish champ is barreling along behind them. No organization in the dwindling break behind.

Who's it gonna be - the wily Italian or the punch Basque?

One kilometer to go.

The Basque is on his wheel.

. . . the two look over their shoulders, then have a chat . . .

. . . and takes the stage! Perez fades to finish seven seconds back.

Visconti blasts to the line, doing his Italian national champion's kit proud. Will he have a new jersey to wear tomorrow ... something in pink, perhaps?

. . . but he took that sprint out on the road and crossed seven seconds up on the Gerolsteiner man today.

. . . is still out there on the road. There's no truth to the rumor that they will be timed with a sundial.

. . . and here comes the bunch, briefly stymied by a police motorcycle blocking a tight right-hand corner. Simoni is leading them in.

. . . as Bennati takes the bunch across the line. We're still trying to figure out who takes Pellizotti's pretty pink shirt.

So Visconti gets the maglia rosa based on positioning. Congrats to the new race leader, who gave it that extra dig at the line.

Thanks for joining us, and we hope to see you here again tomorrow for stage 7 of the 2008 Giro d'Italia. Stay tuned for a report from European correspondent Andrew Hood, photos from Graham Watson and complete results.