A list of the key stages during the 2010 Tour of Italy which begins on May 8 in Amsterdam and finishes in Verona on May30:

Stage 4 – A team timetrial over 32.5km from Savigliano to Cuneo will be the first chance for the GC contenders to put some time into each other. Although not long for a team time-trial there is always the potential for weaker teams to lose substantial time if they have already lost riders in the earlier stages.

Stage 8 - The first of five stages that finish with a climb this 189km trek from Chianciano Terme to Terminillo will give the specialist climbers their first chance to stretch their legs and will also show who is in the best early form.

Stage 15 - This is the longest of the stages with mountain top finishes and takes in 218km from Mestre to Monte Zoncolan in the Carnic Alps. It finishes with one of the toughest climbs known to the Giro and has only twice before been scaled with Gilberto Simoni winning on both occasions in 2003 and 2007. A bad day on this stage could ruin anyone’s pink jersey pretentions.

Stage 20 – Two of the previous three days will have been fought out with mountain finishes and then in the penultimate stage over 178km from Bormio to Ponte di Legno-Tonale the Giro will scale the highest point of the 2010 edition, the Passa Gavia at 2,618m. A real leg-breaker.

Stage 21 – The final stage time-trial is short at only 15.3km around Verona but if there are two or more riders still in contention after the gruesome 20th stage, this will be the all or nothing opportunity it was in 2009 when Denis Menchov held a mere 20sec lead on Danilo Di Luca (who subsequently failed two dope tests).