On paper this looks to be all about the sprinters. But three intermediate sprints mean there are 18 bonus seconds on offer before the finish. And in this race, 18 seconds could prove valuable.
The favourites for the stage win are Danilo Napolitano Ivan Lo Cicero Maxime Vantomme
But the line up for this year’s Eneco Tour is top notch, and just behind the three mentioned there are sprinters like Jurgen Roelandts Óscar Avelino Mark Cavendish
Off we go! 152 riders are ready for this four days long stage race in Benelux. The weather is amazing considering we’re in Netherlands. There’s also no wind to speak about.
It’s no surprise that they’re all shut down, however, it’s a surprise that it’s HTC-Nieuwsblad forcing the issue in the peloton. And it’s perhaps even more surprising to see their only sprinter Nick Van der Lijke
being the one who does most of the work. Are they planning a big surprise for Jerôme Baugnies?
40 kilometers into the stage, and we finally have our breakaway. They’ve quickly built a lead of three minutes.
Huub Duyn Pieter Jacobs Jonathan Thire
are the lucky escapees looking for those valuable bonifications. It’s clever tactic from especially ING, considering they also got a strong sprinter in Ismäel Kip
back in the bunch. Thire should be the best sprinter in the breakaway, meaning he’s in pole position for the intermediate sprints.
The first one, after 50 kilometers is a photo finish between Duyn Thire
And it’s Duyn who causes a surprise, grabbing six points and six seconds. A brilliant start to his adventure in his home country!
With the next sprint 100 kilometers away, it’s all about staying clear for the breakaway.
Back in the peloton HTC-Nieuwsblad
are still working on the front with several riders. But they’ve been companied by Daan Olivier
from Team Rothaus-Aegon, and also riders representing Evian-MIAT PFG-Armavia AirBaltic-Endura
The gap is up to six minutes with 130 kilometers remaining.
And it’s looking good for the breakaway! At least for the second intermediate sprint. 100 kilometers from the finishing line, 58 kilometers from the next sprint, the gap is 7’12 as Jonathan Thire Pieter Jacobs Huub Duyn
crosses a bridge in the southern Netherlands.
Mark Cavendish
must be feeling good as his team mates have picked up the pace back in the peloton. The gap has just dropped to less than six minutes. 80 kilometers to go for the peloton.
The breakaway is looking good for that second intermediate sprint with 55 kilometers to the finishing line. There’s only 13 kilometers to the sprint, and the gap is 3’40.
And for the second time today Huub Duyn
gets the better of his two mates in the breakaway!
Jonathan Thire
mistimed his sprint badly, and didn’t manage to accelerate before there was only 300 meters to the line, which obviously was far too late.
As the peloton closes in on the sprint, AirBaltic-Endura
has vanished from the front, and it’s once again HTC-Nieuwsblad
dominating the head of the bunch. They’re controlling the three escapees well, chasing three minutes behind 40 kilometers from the line. They’re in a hurry if they’re thinking about the final intermediate sprint though, as it’s only 17 kilometers before today’s final six, four and two bonus seconds will be given.
Jonathan Thire
is forced to lead out for the final sprint for bonifications before the finish line, and once again, he fails to grab those six appreciated seconds! It’s Huub Duyn
for the third time today. It was a close one though, as also Pieter Jacobs
gave it his best this time.
But this was never meant to be a stage where a breakaway would fight for the stage win. 14 kilometers from the line, and Maksym Averin
makes the catch.
9 kilometers to go, and it’s a bit messy in the big peloton. At the very front, Evian-MIAT Team Rothaus-Aegon
are relaying.
However, behind, the sprinters are all over the place. Just behind follows Maksym Averin Blaise Sonnery
with Carlos Manarelli
and their captain Danilo Napolitano
on their right, not quite attached to the train Averin is trying to set up.
The situation is even worse for AirBaltic-Endura, as Mitch Docker Tomas Vaitkus
are perfectly placed near the front on the left side of the road, while Mark Cavendish
is a long way back, at the end of the chain that begins with Danilo Napolitano
Behind Napolitano follows Ivan Lo Cicero Aleksander Serebriakov Ismäel Kip Heinrich Haussler Alois Kankovský Danilo Kupfernagel Mark Cavendish Nolan Hoffman Jurgen Roelandts
4 kilometers left, and we’ve two trains competing for the best lead out! On the left is the mentioned train Evian-MIAT has formed for Danilo Napolitano
Aleksander Serebriakov Heinrich Haussler
has managed to get on that train, following just behind Napolitano.
On the right Team Rothaus-Aegon has managed to set up something that looks promising for Maxime Vantomme
It’s Michiel Van Aelbroeck Christoff Van Heerden Claudio Cucinotta
who has managed to come forward and pull hard for Vantomme.
Ismäel Kip
is the only rider able to hang on.
As the sprint starts exactly two kilometers away from home, both Vantomme Napolitano
have one man left. And you must say Evian-MIAT won that fight for the best lead out with a few inches, considering they’re holding a slight advantage storming into the final 2000 meters.
On the left side of the road Kip Drujon Kreder Vaitkus Andriato
follows behind Vantomme
But look at this! Is Napolitano
trying to throw away a perfect lead out? Only 700 meters to the finish line, which can be seen by the riders, and he’s still to launch his sprint.
Serebriakov Haussler
are trying to take full advantage, storming to the front on both sides of Napolitano.
Vantomme
also waited dangerously long to launch the sprint, but at least he has actually launched it now, 700 meters from the line!
Oh boy, it looks like you’ve messed up big time, Napolitano!
He can’t find the acceleration as he opens his sprint 400 meters from the big white line.
It’s Haussler
who is all in for this now, and he’s looking fast! But it’s going to be a close one. Serebriakov
are inches behind, and Vantomme
on the contrary to Napolitano,
seems to have the needed speed.
But Haussler it is! The German surprises everyone on the opening stage here in Netherlands, he gives Sram-Riboxx a big win!
Vantomme
must settle for second, in the shadow of today’s unbeatable German.
Lo Cicero
sneaks through the middle for the final podium place, just ahead of Serebriakov
who faded the last two hundred meters.
Avelino
close to the barriers, is seventh on the stage crossing the line.
Napolitano
was invisible when everyone thought he was just going to take the win in style. He "saves" fifth from the stage, being invisible after his team gave him the perfect lead out. At the picture he's quite, quite appropriate, hidden in the center. He must be angry with himself!
Another rider you couldn’t see on the last picture, coming home sixth, was Ismäel Kip
Behind him Mathieu Drujon
gets seventh, ahead of Cavendish Michel Kreder
It all means Heinrich Haussler
can celebrate both the stage win and the overall lead!
And finally, you ask for the brave attackers, who picked up lots of bonus seconds? Well, that didn’t end well.
Pieter Jacobs
crosses the line first of the three, but he’s about three minutes behind stage winner Haussler. So much work for nothing.
