One guy I forgot to mention is the maglia rosa himself, Giovanni Visconti, a competent chronoman by any reasonable measure and especially for a younger rider. Matthias Russ... not so much. They should both stay 1-2 on the top after the ride, but expect a larger gap than currently. 

Today kicks off a pretty wild ride: this stage, then three days of buildup, then one of the best three-day weekends an American cycling fan could possibly ask for. Thank goodness the campgrounds are all booked out. All leading up to an incredible 3rd week. Strap yourselves in... here we go!

[Oh, and I'll do a second thread when we get to 350 or so comments, which shouldn't take too long.]