So Simon Yates retains the overall lead after a day in which the GC guys took a step back from the front of the race.

Read our report here, and join us tomorrow for stage eight, which could be one for the puncheurs.

Come on, you know this. Stephen Roche, of course, in 1987, as he battled with his Carrera team-mate Roberto Visentini en route to his triple triumph of Giro, Tour and world title.

Waiting for official confirmation, but we counted them out and we counted them back in again.

Beautiful ride from Ireland's sprinter - Sacha Modolo went first, sucking the barriers down the left, Viviani was on his wheel and popped out with 100m to go - looked like he had it, but Bennett waited and waited and came off his wheel to dive right and nick it by a couple of inches. Wild celebrations in the Bora-Hansgrohe ranks, and why not?

Quick-step have three men left - Viviani fourth wheel, Bennett sticking to him like glue...

...sharp right, Danny van Poppel's lead-out train perfectly placed...

Swinging right round a roundabout, Trek working hard, Lotto in their grey jerseys, EF Education First Drapac, Quick-Step cruising up on the right, Sam Bennett sitting on Viviani's wheel...

Big wide roads, lovely surface, and they're up to 80kmph - go down in this and you're in a right state. Riders sitting up as their turns are spent, going backwards like bollards in the road.

Lotto NL Jumbo leading the push, Sunweb in the middle, Sky keeping Froome out of trouble on the right hand side of the road, clouds gathering...

Time-trialler Alex Dowsett in the claret and blue of Katusha the next to have a go - it's a brief spell in the wind before his team-mate Mads Schmidt takes it up. Trying to make it as difficult for Viviani and Quick-Step, the team that has bossed the WorldTour so far this season.

Davide Bellerini enjoying a last few moments of glory out top after the other two in the break were sucked up and spat out the back. Over a vast viaduct we go, Tony Martin taking a joust off the front, Nicolas Roche and Niccolo Bonifazio also in the move.

Never takes long, does it? Lead-out trains on the front of the bunch, 16km to go, the pace ramping through the gears - 55km and onwards...

Sam Bennett of Bora-Hansgrohe, the Belgian-born Irishman, has been close to a stage win twice already on this giro but been denied both times by Viviani's brilliance. Sacha Modolo is also yet to deliver. Viviani ended Gent-Wevelgem in tears this March after mis-timing his sprint and being beaten by Peter Sagan, but it's been all smiles and fist-pumps in this race so far.

And the break has 1' 48". Heavy clouds hanging over the hills inland but it's dry on the coast, the peloton starting to stretch as its pace picks up.

Italy's own Elia Viviano, once of Sky, now Quick-Step, has been the man in form thus far - two stage wins in Israel, comfortable in the purple points jersey, looking to become the first man to win three stages in the first week of the Giro since Robbie McEwen 12 years ago.

All about the views this afternoon as the road rolls north up the coast: blue sea, white breakers, little villages the colour of pale rose.

Tom Dumoulin, last year's winner of the maglia rosa, sits in second place on the GC, 16 seconds down on Yates. For him as for all the GC contenders this is a day to sit in the bunch, recuperate from the travails on Etna and save his legs for the tests ahead.

Image source, AFP

Glimpse of Froome in the bunch there, white lid and jersey, black bib-shorts, white-rimmed shades. One minute and 10 seconds down on Yates in the GC, which puts him eighth for now.

A long transfer for the riders and support staff on Thursday night, with a drive from the summit finish on Etna to the port, a ferry across the Straight of Messina and then a long drive. Unless you're Team Sky, that is, who put most of their riders in a helicopter. All part from Chris Froome, who took a while to produce the volume required in a regulation post-stage urine test and therefore missed the flight.

Image source, AFP

It's your classic sprinters' stage break: three men who will not trouble the GC nor the big finale, Markel Irizar Aranburu (Trek-Segafredo), Maxim Belkov (Katusha) and Davide Ballerini (Androni). They've got one minute 39 seconds. For now.