Back to France we reached the stage most of us were waiting for. It should be the most selective and GC deciding stage with the top favourites Vanspeybrouck and Baugnies.
The circuit in Cassel leads over the Mont Cassel twice from different sides every lap and will be the toughest part in this race. In especially the long cobbled section on the less steep climb will hurt the riders.
As seen before Team Boeing and Amex look the most aggressive in the breakaways.
While Van Den Eynde probably just wants to take a stage win here the other rider is a huge surprise and couldn`t have been expected: Geraint Thomas belongs to the best cobblers in the field but probably due to his weakness on the uphill part he decided to go the long way.
Even though this is surely not a perfect situation as also Van Den Eynde is just 44s back the peloton seems to be fine with this attempt. Bouygues, HTC, Bpost and Sram all do some chase early on with airBaltic not doing anything for their race leader. They will need all their energy later today to reduce his loss as much as possible.
After several attempts on earlier stages Thomas finally gains time at the intermediates. He outsprints Van Den Eynde easily.
Out of the peloton Eichler takes important seconds ahead of Torckler in 4th. The Sram rider did indeed step up in this race and is performing on a very high level.
The duo has reached the circuit and goes up the cobbled section for the first time. Many more will follow.
4'47 is the actual gap with 122km to go.
Van Den Eynde takes the KoM points uncontested ahead of Thomas. Also no interest in the peloton, so Van Asbroeck takes the last point.
But none of them is any danger for KoM leader Sparling.
Bad moment for Baugnies to puncture. Just at the finish line after the 3rd lap. At the moment the pace isn`t that high and the gap went up to 5'40, so he should be able to come back.
Thomas also takes the 2nd intermediate. He surely is the stronger sprinter of them.
Baugnies is indeed back in the peloton. But it was a bit surprising that he got no support by any of his team mate. So he was in the wind for 5km. Definitely something the team will have to talk about this evening.
Also the peloton reached the sprint now with Eichler again outsprinting Torckler for the last bonus seconds.
No matter the difficulty of todays stage airBaltic wants to represent themselves a bit. Maybe they are hoping to survive the cobbles after 4 laps.
Just after they are coming to the front the gap goes down to 4'30.
Same scenario as before. Thomas taking the 6 bonus seconds in the breakaway ahead of Van Den Eynde with Eichler taking the last spot ahead of Torckler and Eisel as well for the first time today.
The reduced numbers for teams willing to join the breakaways here surely makes the sprints more interesting than in most other races.
7/10 laps and for the first time we see a split after the cobbles. Only 28 riders in the first group.
Some names missed the split like most sprinters and also some cobblers surprisingly.
It seems as if some cobblers were ordered to protect their sprinters today, which might explain some riders in the later group. Lhotellerie, Weylandt Albert, Drujon Eisel, Taillefour, Kurth Gaudin
Seeing the strength of the later group it wasn`t a big surprise that they quickly found contact again making it a group of 52 going into the last 30km.
And the next attack. Sram has more free roles now and so it`s Duyn trying it with 30km.
Thomas probably realizes that Van Den Eynde just slows him down and as the peloton is dangerously close he accelerates and distances his former companion. Just 1min left for him to the peloton and still 2 complete laps.
Also the cobblers in the peloton start to improve the pace. Baugnies and Vanspeybrouck in the first two positions make many riders struggle behind.
Going through the finish and the corner Baugnies attacks. Vanspeybrouck does not think twice and follows immediately.
But Volkswagen was immediately bringing them back. Gaudin and Zepuntke will totally work for their better placed rider Sieberg today and are leading the group now.
Thomas somehow found new energy and is up to 1'40 again with only 18km to go.
Baugnies goes again with 15km to go. He really wants the win today.
He is followed by Vanspeybrouck again but also by Eisel and very surprisingly the U25 leader David, who is a decent puncheur and cobbler, but by far not having the level of the other riders. So he is pretty impressive here.
MEanwhile a group of 25 can`t follow including race leader Docker. Also Drujon, Taillefour, Albert, Zepuntke, Lhotellerie and Weylandt are in this dropped group, while a group of 15 is chasing the latest attackers.
Baugnies joined Thomas, who seems to be a bit frustrated that his attempt didn`t play out.
They are having a 54s gap to the next group of 15 containing Vanspeybrouck, Gaudin, Sieberg, Eichler, Eisel, David, Kurth, De Haes or Armee.
Another 33s behind the shown group around Mitch Docker. So nothing is lost for him yet as we are on the last lap already.
Strange move by the leading two now. Instead of working together they slowed down and waited for the chasing group.
And not weird enough? This group now also waits for the bigger group behind allowing Mitch docker coming back.
Do the cobblers really throw away their chances today?
One rider definitely doesn`t like this and attacks. It`s again David showing his impressive form.
Baugnies, Sieberg, Eisel, Grashev, Richardson, Duyn and surprisingly De Greef follow.
So Vanspeybrouck is waiting as also Eichler this time.
Baugnies is leading solo again with 9s over the next group and another 26s to the peloton around Vanspeybrouck.
P (43)
<26s>
Eisel
<9s>
Baugnies
Vanspeybrouck
David
Gaudin
Sieberg
Eichler
Grashev
Lhotellerie
De Greef
Thomas
Docker
Vanspeybroucj sees the danger to defend his title and attacks. Also Armee tries to join the leading group, that has caught Baugnies. So the Belgium could need some help.
What a power guy. David is again the guy attacking first with 5km to go. He is followed by another surprise rider in Grashev, who seems to be the new Boeing leader with Thomas being to exhausted.
Also the now joined Vanspeybrouck and Armee follow, while Baugnies stays behind.
Shame as Sieberg, Eisel and Baugnies are caught again by the big group making it a 39 rider peloton being 27s behind the leading 4.
The course did look far more selective than this and so Mitch Docker and Baugnies are together with 4km to go just like half the starting riders. What a surprise.
Vanspeybrouck attacks again but can`t get rid of the two CT riders Grashev and David.
They only dropped Armee.
Sieberg did attack and joined the leading 3 now and also Baugnies and Eisel need to do something soon. Both attack with 2,1km to go.
Vanspeybrouck starts the sprint with Sieberg following in 2nd position.
Grashev and David can`t follow those and Baugnies and Eisel come fast from behind.
The gaps are very small so everything is still open.
Vanspeybrouck is surely the strongest here and opens a gap to Sieberg, while also Baugnies is coming fast.
Last corner. And still he is having a small gap ahead of Sieberg and Baugnies. Will this be enough?
Grashev and Eisel try to keep contact to them while David loses his power with 300m to go.
One of the strongest can only hope that he will get rewarded with a gap.
Also several HTC and Bpost riders start to close the gap, which would also be bad for their leaders...
Vanspeybrouck doesn`t care. He wins and surely has a small gap. But will it be rewarded?
At least this brings him into a great position with a 2nd stage win and the 3rd consecutive Bpost win.
Indeed there was a gap. 18s later Baugnies takes the 2nd ahead of Sieberg and also the hidden Grashev and Eisel are counted into this gap.
But the question is when will Docker finish?
Bad luck for David. He really struggled in the end. The 6th seems to be a great result for him, but he gets the same time as sevearl others. +44s to Vanspeybrouck in the end with Albert making a horrific sprint to the 7th closing the gap ahead of De Haes, Armee and Lhotellerie.
Also Gaudin, Hristov and Eichler were in this group. Last two will keep their good GC position.
Quite unexpected to be honest the jury saw several gaps in the peloton and so we have several groups.
A group around Geraint Thomas is coming in at +1'23. Bad luck for the Brit but with Grashev and Hristov they have excellet GC positions as also a dominated KoM lead so far. Surely one of the winners in this race at the moment.
+1'43 a grpiü arround Zepuntke and Sparling.
+1'58 then finally Mitch Docker as also Taillefour, Weyland and Torckler. So the Aussie champion will lose his top 10 as expected but will be 15th in the end, which is still notable.
In the GC Sieberg will be 2nd behind Vanspeybrouck. Baugnies takes the last podium spot with the Boeing duo Grashev and Hristov coming next.
Eichler as 6th still on a good way with Tom David being rewarded as 7th due to his good stage positions. But it`s still wide open up to the 13th then and it will be exciting until tomorrow.
