The second consecutive cobbled stage will also be the last cobbled one here: a long stage of 192km with only a few short climbs in the first half.
Less cobbles than yesterday, which wasn't exactly the most selective stage. So will anyone manage to attack GC-leader Joseph? Will the best cobblers deliver? Or will the pure sprinters stand a chance?
The first breakaway attempt will also make for the break of the day, as those 4 riders will establish a comfortable early into the stage:
So with Lilholt and Sparling two decent cobblers, who finished in the main group yesterday. With three Intermediate Sprints on the menu, those two can at least go for valuable seconds that way.
Of course if they are make it to that rather late sprints though: again brutal crosswinds (45-66kmh) will be a factor again.
With 126km to go, the peloton - led by Oz Cycling, Jaguar and Kappa - starts to take control of the gap, which is at 6'35" right now.
The escapees enter the first (and steepest) cobbled sector (93km before finish) with a 5'30"-advantage. Will this short sector(s) make any difference today?
At least we notice a quite stretched peloton once it's passed this first sector. But of course it may also be the crosswinds, which still come at 57kmh at this point.
A first minor split (15 riders) in the bunch now. Most notable name may be sprinter Cucinotta, who might have hoped to be in the mix for a bunch sprint.
The next two even shorter cobbled sectors wouldn't see any action, neither in the breakaway group nor in the peloton, which may go for a too brutal pace to allow any major attack that early.
Anyway, the escapees still hold on to 2'40"-gap as they reach the first of three Intermediate Sprints and will challenge for all of them:
Sprint #1
Lilholt
Sparling
Boaro
Sprint #2
Lilholt
Sparling
Lampaert
Sprint #3
Sparling
Lilholt
Lampaert
For obvious reasons, Lilholt and Sparling go for those sprints. With the first taking out the first two (see picture above) and collecting 16 bonus seconds that way. Sparling with 14.
Their lead on the peloton is down to less than a minute with now 22km remaining though.
Heineken, Kappa and also Boeing showing it's colors at the front of the peloton now. But it looks not too well organized at this point, where the gap on the escapees goes back to 1'20"..
Next rider to be dropped: Vantomme. It's pretty obvious that he suffered an injury from his crash yesterday. A drama that is, as Vantomme could have been a real threat for both flat stages and maybe even the GC here.
He won't be the only big gun to (most likely) lose time today though, as the peloton goes into further pieces 18km before finish! The wind (46kmh) as a factor, such as the high pace and long day in general:
27 riders including names as Haussler/Turgot, Thomas or Ayoune can't follow! As well as some (more) names, who finished with the main bunch yesterday: Maes, Ostergaard, Thomson or Konrad/Kosic. Haussler or Thomas look out-of-shape so far, truly disappointing for both.
So 49 riders remain in the main group, which narrows the gap on the early escapees to 40" with now 15km to go. Kazzinc and Quickstep (Baugnies, to be precisive) join the work in the chase.
Quickstep with a change of leadership, it seems. A change that makes sense: De Maar looks strong again and he attacks the bunch 13km before finish!
He overtook the escaping group easily and also the next riders on the move do so, as the breakaway group is swallowed by the bunch 11km before finish:
Bibby is followed by Van Zandbeek, with De Maar establishing an 11"-gap in the meantime!
So some serious GC-contenders on the attack (all quite good TTlers). Next in line: Koren, who also did well yesterday and who doesn't want to miss out on a move by Bibby or De Maar in particular. 10km remaining..
The four actually got a few seconds of advantage, but once Bibby and also Koren caught up to De Maar, they all refused to do anything together.
7.5km before finish, those attacks end up nowhere and the peloton catches up again.
De Maar ain't done yet! He attacks again 6km before finish, this time with no one jumping behind (yet). Better luck this time?
Not (yet). He couldn't open up a notable gap and so the 53-men-bunch (including the four early escapees) enters the final 3km alltogether. GC-leader Joseph even shows himself at the very front.
The tough race, the wind and also the major split wouldn't allow any team to be strong enough in building a sprint-train. And so it's a bunch sprint with all remaining sprinters/fast guys going on their own:
Nepomnyachsniy (something like the top-favorite now) goes first, 2km remaining. The bunch sprint kicked off!
The Kazakh openend up a quite huge gap quickly, but some more fast finishers and pure sprinters now try to hang on:
Steegmans, Maksimov, Weiss, Peeters
De Maar
Hristov, Sulzberger/Del Nero, Joseph
with good positions early into the sprint, still 1.5km to go though.
A few moments later, it appears that Nepomnyachsniy and also Steegmans will be today's strongest:
the first with still an 8"-gap on Steegmans, who also established a 9"-gap on the remaining riders!
The fight for the stage will be between those two, as the bunch comes out the final corner with quite a disadvantage:
De Maar on third position now, as Maksimov more and more suffers it seems.
Lagab as well as Bibby moved forward from far behind in the meantime!
Behind those: Westra, Del Nero, Joseph and a suffering Peeters.
So some TT-specialits trying to grab some bonus seconds.
Nepomnyachsniy though was simply too strong for all of them, as he holds on to a small gap on 2nd Steegmans! Both played their strengths (cobbles/sprint) to perfection, with the latter maybe underestimating the early kick by the winner.
Still the question, who's going for some valuable bonus seconds as today's 3rd:
Bibby powers into this position. Also Del Nero with a strong finish, but still behind the likes of De Maar/Maksimov and Bibby's teammate Lagab..
And Bibby goes for podium! A huge sprint, finished 3rd ahead of Lagab, Maksimov and Del Nero.
The dropped group with Haussler/Thomas finishes 14'16" later, so except of tomorrow's flat stage (Haussler, maybe?) those riders involved lost all GC-ambitions.
But now for the new GC: Joseph retains the lead, now 14" ahead of Blot (who finished safely in the bunch) and 16" on Nepomnyachsniy.. The escapees Lilholt and Sparling made a jump, too. And Bibby (+ 0.28) might have earned himself some very valuable bonus seconds, with other TT-specialists like Koren, Danacik, Van Zandbeek or Westra being at 0.36 in GC.
Still one more short flat stage to come though. And given we've seen so tough conditions so far, anything can happen prior to the concluding ITT.
