Cannondale-Garmin's David Formolo has won the fourth stage of the 98th Giro D'Italia.
With Domenico Pozzovivo out of hospital and on his way home, stage four which again had Micheal Matthews of the Australian Orica GreenEdge in the lead, was a windy,hilly stage by the sea of 150kms from Chiavari to La Spezia.
There were a few solo attacks before the riders took on the category three Colla di Velva climb and a front group of Franco Pelizotti (Androni Giocattoli), Andrey Amador (Movistar), Andrey Zeits (Astana) and Mauro Finatto (Southeast) formed.
Pelizotti took the points on the climb as the quartet took a brief lead before they were caught by the chasing group with 117.8kms to go.
Ten kilometres later and there was a crash involving Alafaci, Juul Jenson and Calvin Watson of Trek Factory Racing,
Sixteen riders in Davide Formolo (Cannondale-Garmin), Tom Danielson (Cannondale-Garmin), Franco Pellizotti (Androni Giocattoli), Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge), Amaël Moinard (BMC), Andrey Zeits (Astana), Arnaud Courteille (FDJ), Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge), Chad Haga (Giant-Alpecin), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R-La Mondiale), Martijn Keizer (LottoNL-Jumbo), Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani-CSF), Mauro Finetto (Southeast) and Tsgabu Grmay (Lampre-Merida), Amdrey Amador (Movistar), Jonathan Mosalve (Southeast).were in the front group which was 9.40 ahead.
Cataldo and Zeits joined them with ninety kilometres to go. This group were 2.09 ahead of a second chasing group which included Atapuma, Puccio, Kreuziger, Szmyd and Kochetkov.
The second group was able to bridge and this new group of Davide Formolo (Cannondale-Garmin), Tom Danielson (Cannondale-Garmin), Franco Pellizotti (Androni Giocattoli), Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge), Amaël Moinard (BMC), Andrey Zeits (Astana), Arnaud Courteille (FDJ), Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge), Chad Haga (Giant-Alpecin), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R-La Mondiale), Martijn Keizer (LottoNL-Jumbo), Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani-CSF), Mauro Finetto (Southeast), Tsgabu Grmay (Lampre-Merida), Andrey Amador (Movistar), Yonathan Mosalve (Southeast). Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff-Saxo), Darwin Atapuma (BMC), Davide Malacarne (Astana), Eduard Michael Grosu (Nippo-Vini Fantini), Salvatore Puccio (Team Sky), Kanstantsin Siutsou (Team Sky), Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge), Sylvester Szmyd (CCC Sprandi), Simone Stortoni (Androni Giocattoli), Pavel Kochetkov (Katusha), Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge), Eduardo Zardini (Bardiani CSF) and Maxime Monfort (Lotto-Soudal), took off.
Montaguti and Pellizotti went away with 78kms left whilst Keizer clipped a fan who had got too close and needed medical attention. the LottoNL-Jumbo rider managed to get back in the break, which was 8.50 ahead of the peloton now led by Tinkoff Saxo.
Through Framura with 68kms left and the riders headed back towards the coast.
Gianni Meersman abandoned as Colbrelli, who had sneaked away with Keizer, Moinard and Visconti took the points at the intermediate sprint.
Onto the the category three Passo del Termine climb which is 8.8 kms long with an 6.1% average gradient, the gap back to the peloton for those in the lead group was 7.21 and 2.02 to the chasing group.
Twenty one year Davide Formolo of Cannondale-Garmin led the front group of six in Zeits, Colbrelli, Moinard, Monfort, Amador and Puccio up and over the Passo del Termine, to take the seven points on offer.
The race leader Michael Matthews was at the back and struggling and his time as leader of the Giro D'Italia was coming to an end.
The front six were 1.50 ahead of Pellizotti, Montaguti and Zardini with 38.6kms remaining of a stage which was again raced for on a lovely sunny day.
Pellizotti cramped up with 25.8kms to go but was able to continue as the front group of Davide Formolo (Cannondale-Garmin), Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge), Amaël Moinard (BMC), Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani-CSF), Mauro Finetto (Southeast), Andrey Amador (Movistar), Yonathan Mosalve (Southeast). Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff-Saxo), Darwin Atapuma (BMC), Salvatore Puccio (Team Sky), Kanstantsin Siutsou (Team Sky), Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge), Maxime Monfort (Lotto-Soudal) and Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), took a lead of 1.38 on the bell lap with 15.4kms to go.
Simon Clarke was now the virtual leader on the road as Formolo led the riders on the Biassa climb which has ramps of up to 14%.
Fabio Aru, followed by Alberto Contador and Richie Porte of Team Sky moved up to Kreuziger's group which was gaining on Visconti and Moinard and further up the Biassa, Formolo who went over the top first with 9.8kms to go.
There were personal battles all over the road on what was a highly dramatic stage but in lead, Formolo was thirty seconds clear heading for the finish line.
Formolo kept going and won in 3.47.59. Twenty one seconds later, Simon Clarke of Orica GreenEdge came home arms aloft to finish second and take over the lead of the race ahead of Yonnattah Monsalve, followed by Giovanni Visconti, Esteban Chaves, Fabio Aru, Amaël Moinard, Dario Cataldo, Alberto Contador and Richie Porte of Team Sky.
Clarke, who now leads the race by ten seconds from his team mate Estaban Chaves said: "You saw the emotion as I crossed the line. We wanted to keep it in Orica for another day and we did. I was not disappointed at all with yesterday but I am so happy with the pink jersey."
Stage winner Davide Formolo: "I was in the first group and tried to break away on the second to last climb so I tried again and won. "Things have not been right but today was my day and I am sure that during the season, Cannondale-Garmin can show their power."