The breakaway on this stage comprised only two riders, both representing ProTour teams that were without a stage victory in this year's Giro — Mauro Facci of Quick Step and Yuriy Krivtsov of Ag2r-La Mondiale. Their maximum advantage over the peloton was just over seven minutes, but the pink jersey group of overall contenders and their teammates had no trouble catching them, as they did in the little town just before the Mount Vesuvius climb.