Cavendish hopes for a sprint finish today

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Mark Cavendish hopes for a sprint finish at the end of Friday's seventh stage in Chiavenna ? but Columbia-Highroad's Erik Zabel said the team would measure their efforts if it came to a pursuit between a breakaway and the bunch.

It's another long stage, 244 kilometres from Innsbruck in Austria, dragging steadily uphill for most of the day before a 30-kilometre descent to the finish.

It could end in a sprint, but Zabel believes the teams interested in bringing it back together will have to co-operate.

A break is likely to go clear, but if the peloton is all together as they go over the top of the climb before the high-speed descent, the likes of Columbia, LPR for Alessandro Petacchi, Garmin for Tyler Farrar and Quick Step for Allan Davis will be interested in chasing.

However, Zabel told Cycling Weekly this morning that they would not commit to a long, tiring chase on their own because they are mindful of Sunday's 165-kilometre circuit race in the centre of Milan ? which is tailor-made for Cavendish.

Today, Columbia have two options ? Cavendish, who wore the pink jersey for two days at the start of the race but has yet to win a stage here ? and Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen, who finished powerfully to take second place yesterday and rued the fact that the second group was unable to capture the leader, Michele Scarponi.

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Giro d'Italia 2009 links

Stage reports

Stage six: Scarponi wins longest stage with big break

Stage five: Menchov wins mountain battle as Di Luca grabs the pink jersey

Stage four: Di Luca denies Soler on the line; Lovkvist takes pink jersey

Stage three: Cavendish loses pink jersey after being caught behind late crash

Stage two: Petacchi denies Cavendish the stage win

Stage one: Cavendish in pink as Columbia prove their point to Garmin

Photo galleries

Stage six photo gallery

Stage five photo gallery

Stage four photo gallery

Stage three photo gallery

Stage two photo gallery

Stage one photo gallery

Desktop wallpaper photos

News

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Armstrong after Giro stage 5: 'That was hard'

Cavendish looking for Giro revenge

Armstrong happy with stage four performance

Lovkvist will fight to keep Giro lead

Giro could be last race for Armstrong's team

Vande Velde crashes out of Giro

Petacchi claims he didn't know of Cavendish crash

Cavendish struggles to find consolation in pink jersey

Petacchi: I've been working out how to beat Cav

I'm wearing pink on behalf of the team, says Cavendish

Wiggins ready to win Giro team time trial

Friday, May 8: Giro news round-up

Cavendish out to topple Garmin in Giro team time trial

Team time trial start times

Cycling Weekly's Giro d'Italia top ten prediction

Brits in Venice for Giro presentation

Armstrong overshadows overall favourites at Giro presentation

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Armstrong working to save Astana team

Wiggins in top form for Giro

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2009 Giro d'Italia guide and features

Find the pink jersey competition

Giro d'Italia 2009: The Big Preview

British riders to have led the grand tours

CW's Giro top ten prediction

Brits in the Giro 2009

Brits in the Tours: From Robinson to Cavendish

CW Classic: the 1987 Giro d'Italia

2008 Giro d'Italia archive

Giro d'Italia 2008 coverage index - race reports, photos, results

From rule Britannia to cruel Britannia

Giro 2008: The final word on this year's race

Brits at the 2008 Giro: photo special

Five days to go, what's in store?

Giro d'Italia 2008: Rest day review (May 27)

Giro d'Italia 2008: Rest day review (May 19)

Giro d'Italia 2008 preview

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