This is the last stage of this rather odd South African race. It is only 124km in length – 2 laps of a 62km long course that includes numerous short and sharp climbs. We have yet to see a road stage where the break didn’t win and this was probably going to always be the best chance that the sprinters were going to get. Impey looks hungry for a victory. Breschel needs to get a strong result to claim the points jersey and there are a few other sprinters like Vingerling who want a shot at the stage honours.
The break, as expected, is popular today. The first attack comes from Quintana, who has Brandt in his wheel.
These two are quickly joined by five more riders: Monterastelli Bar Gonzalez Salas Reis Bobridge
So far all 7 of the riders up front are under the age of 25, so we could see a very young and inexperienced break. Of course, that is until the next wave of attacks: Seeldraeyers Lund Lagana Verona
As can be seen, the weather is truly nasty today, and the rain is absolutely pouring down. This, unsurprisingly, creates the conditions for some riders falling off their bike. The first to do this is Bol, who comes off. He manages to chase back in without too much trouble.
The break goes through the first intermediate point with only a 40” lead. Reis leads them over ahead of Brandt and then Bobridge, but no one really looks too fussed to chase the time bonuses. Straight after the sprint point is a steep uphill section that maxes out over 10%. At this point the peleton sits up and the gap grows out to 1’20”.
Sensing an opportunity, and wishing to copy his teammate Appleby from earlier in this race, Alex Dowsett launches an attack. Normally he would be considered a big threat in this sort of race, but he is almost 19 minutes down on GC, so the pack lets him go.
Bridging up shortly after is Jan Barta, who is a fairly decent puncheur. This gives us 13 leaders now with a gap of 2 minutes.
At the only mountain points on this lap, Bobrdige leads the group over ahead of Seeldraeyers and then Dowsett. No one is too keen to chase today, either, which probably pleases Augustyn, the current wearer of the jersey.
The gap through the start/finish line is out to 5’20”. There is a strong tailwind through the second half of the lap and the speed is incredibly high, with some riders clocking towards 90km/h on the descent of the major climb. This sort of speed causes some riders difficulty and our next faller is Grau, who gets back, but only after a 40km chase.
On the front of the peleton some teams are starting to raise the pace. Conspicuous on the front are Red Bull, Ferrari and WWE.
At the second lap’s sprint point, with 42km to go, the lead is back to a much more reasonable 3’47”. Brandt leads the break over ahead of Bar and Monterastelli. Meanwhile the peleton witnesses yet another fall. This time it is Le Bon. He can’t make it back in thanks to the high pace. It is also worth noting the huge number of punctures today with at least 5 already at this point in the race.
But the peleton has bigger issues to deal with as they split! 55 riders are in a group behind now, including several well-placed riders on GC. They are: Iannetti Weening Bono Roux Bellis Gautier
In addition several of the sprinters favoured for today’s stage have fallen behind, including: Gatto Jorgensen Vingerling Rizza Haidar Anuawar
At the summit of the clime, meanwhile, the break rolls over. Dowsett takes the points ahead of Barta and then Brandt. Three of the weaker climbers have been dropped – Gonzalez Salas, Verona and Monterastelli.
Thankfully the peleton is brought together due to the hard work of Tony Martin. Several managers can take deep breaths now.
There is still a small group of non-climbers who couldn’t hold the pace who are behind the peleton. It includes Haidar Anuawar. Oz Cycling sends back almost their entire team to try to drag him back so that he can have a chance at the bunch sprint, and they do so in a great display of descending skills.
Ferrari and WWE are no longer working after the scare with their sprinters, who just want a chance to recover. This means that it is only Red Bull on the front. The gap thus holds steady at 3’30” with 20km to go. No one comes forward to help them, so Red Bull just set a steady tempo and don’t really force the pace. The gap balloons out towards the 5 minute mark. We are definitely having yet another breakaway win today. The gap to the peleton doesn’t matter a great deal because Bobridge is the best placed rider in the break, and he is in 62nd place over 11 minutes down.
But before we get to the leading group’s sprint, there is yet more drama today. There is a huge crash at the back of the peleton!
About 37 riders either fall or are delayed by the falling riders around them. The biggest names here are: Monfort Appleby Larsson Zaballa
The cameras also turn to a shocking scene – Samuel Sanchez has been forced out of the race. Though he has had a lacklustre race, seeing a pre-race favourite go out like this is still shocking. Andy Cappelle is also forced to abandon.
The cameras can’t stay back here for too long, as the sprint up front kicks off.
Seeldraeyers has the most undesirable position here – one the front. Brandt and Barta are on his wheel.
Bar, probably the best sprinter in this group, comes around the outside from 6th place. He has Dowsett and Bobridge in his wheel.
He hits the front and a gap starts to open up to those behind. He has gone a long way out though, and Dowsett comes around him.
And he takes another stage win for Rapha!
Bobridge gets second. Bar holds on for third. Barta sprint for fourth, ahead of Brandt in fifth and Lund in sixth. Lagana, Quintana and Reis come next and Seeldraeyers comes in last in the group.
Monterastelli and Verona take 11th and 12th ahead of the peleton, which has picked up the pace again. Bellis takes the moral victory of 13th place, leading in the peleton. Breschel didn’t take any points, so Roche keeps his jersey!
It is worth noting that Ferrari waited for Rizza to try to bring him back after the fall. Most of the fallers lose just under 4 minutes to the peleton, causing a minor reshuffle of some lower GC places.
