With just three seconds between the first and the 2nd place, this last stage will not just be pure fun for Moncoutie. Many riders can still get the overall win with a well-timed attack. Only problem is that the hills are very short, and that the stage in general is short. Time will tell if the favourites can manage to get rid of the surprise of the tour, David Moncoutie.
The first couple riders attacked shortly after the first hill: Van der Velde, Giraldo and Bazajev. 20 km later, new attacks happened in the peloton, including the "star" from yesterday, Oscar Solis. These "new" riders immediately got contact with the leading group, meaning that the breakaway of the day ended up looking like this: Van der Velde, Giraldo, Bazajev, Solis, Turpin, Bono, Rolland, Dupont and Van Goolen. Behind them, two riders were desperately trying to join the fun: Vandevelde and Niemiec. However, the front group was going too fast, meaning that they ended up being the unlucky "caught-in-between" riders.
None of these riders are any threat in the overall classification, so naturally the peloton let them go. With 70 km to go, they are 8 minutes ahead of the peloton. Soon after, the Carlsberg team goes to the front and thereby shows that they definitely have plans for today. 20 km later, the gap has been reduced by 2 minutes, and when the breakaway reaches the first of the three "important" hills, they only have 4 minutes to give away.
After that, it begins decreasing more slowly. The Carlsberg team is beginning to get tired, and they haven't even tried to attack yet. So, with 10 km and one hill to go the breakaway still has 2 and a half minute, meaning that they will be impossible to catch. There are 7 riders left in the breakaway - both Giraldo and Dupont have been dropped.
But then, on the final hill, it finally happens: Michael Rasmussen attacks! All the other favourites try to follow him - except for Moncoutie who's at the back of the group. Unfortunately for Rasmussen, the hill ends shortly after, and it does not seem like there's a gap.
In front, the sprint has just started. In front, it's Van der Velde with Turpin and bono behind him.
And it's Van der Velde from the Magenta-team who takes the win! 2nd is Turpin from France while Rolland secures a third place for the Credit Agricole-team. Behind the breakaway, you can see the peloton getting closer - and no, it's not Rasmussen who's in between the two groups
Question is -- is Moncoutie, who has been pretty much invisible the entire day, in the strongly reduced peloton?
