We are heading a bit North and visit Belgium today. The circuit in and around Poperinge seems to be for the sprinters as the only real hill just isn`t that hard. Docker won the first stage in a sprint finish and also impressed on yesterdays harder stage. So he is surely the top favourite.
Only two riders in todays breakaway. They have reached the circuit and 8 laps are waiting for them. Sparling Bush
Both of them have already collected a few mountain points, so the fight on the 4 Cat.4 climbs should be quite exciting.
Bouygues Telecom and airBaltic Endura make the early pace.
Passing the finish for the first time the duo in front has a 3'30 gap.
As expected both riders go for the KoM points. Bush, who has less points so far is taking it over Sparling.
The peloton shows no interest and so a Bouygues helper is taking the last point.
Different the situation at the sprint. Even though both are a bit behind in the GC already they sprint for the points.
And also the peloton challenges for the last seconds.
Again Bush ahead of Sparling in the group. And Torckler is taking the last points behind. The unlucky Kiwi did force yesterdays mass crash but seems to have kept his good form as he outsprints another crash victim in Eisel and Geraint Thomas.
Sparling takes the 2nd KoM ahead of Bush this time with another Bouygues rider taking the unimportant last point. This also moves Sparling into the KoM jersey ahead of Hristov and Gate.
They have already a 7min gap and start to become dangerous as the virtual GC leads them by more than 5min at the moment.
Realizing the danger also Bpost joins the pace making teams and with 90km and 7min it starts to melt again.
Sparling outsprinted Bush at the sprint but more interesting behind. It`s the Austrian Eisel taking the last points ahead of Torckler and Thomas.
And we have the same situation at the last intermediate sprint. Again Eisel taking the last points.
He unfortunately lost time yesterday so not sure if the bonus seconds will help him in the end. Maybe in a very selective outcome tomorrow.
Last KoM also today and Sparling seems to be the stronger in the end as he took all prices since the 3rd. With 27 points he leads now over Hristov (20) and Bush (17).
The peloton constantly gained time on the duo and with 9km to go they are caught and it looks like another sprint finish.
3 sprint trains. Bouygues for Weylandt, Bpost for Drujon and Credexbank for Kankovský. First two look a bit stronger with 2,7km to go as they still have one men more.
Lhotellerie
Barguil
Declerq
Clarke
Weylandt
Stallaert
Kankovský
Eisel
Drujon
Eichler
Thomas
Docker
Sieberg
Torckler
Young
Huge effort by Simon Clarke, who is no matter the lower number creating a huge gap to the Bpost train, where Stallaert took over now. The Bouygues train is even behind those now.
Perfect situation also for Eichler, who had the right feeling about the red train while Sieberg obviously decided not to follow.
Eisel, Torckler, Thomas, Weylandt and Sieberg look like todays loser. While first three obviously have to pay the price for their sprints at the intermediates, Weylandt just left too late and Sieberg now is blocked by Bpost`s first leadout Declerq.
Clarke has done an impressive leadout and now the main sprinter Kankovský is going into the lead with Eichler still behind him. Drujon is just behind the German, while Docker has to go the long way around Stallaert.
Kankovský can`t keep the high speed and aflls behind Drujon. Also Docker is coming quick.
Great win by Drujon and the team`s second consecutive one. Also Docker was able to pass and takes a 2nd and keeps the race lead. Kankovský almost loses to the cloer coming next row of sprinters but keeps a nice 3rd for him.
Behind him we see Sieberg and Weylandt coming out of nowhere overtaking Eichler in the end.
Definitely they could have reached more today if being better placed.
