An excellent performance by Pendletons yesterday in the TTT, they will be under pressure to keep the leaders jersey today. World Class sprinters Ben Swift (100% Me), Forera (Milka) and Mohs (Pokerstars) are here and are between 7 and 19 seconds from taking the lead and if either of them wins the end of stage bonus we could see the lead change hands.
There are also 4 bonification primes out on todays pan flat course, yes that is our lot for the next four days lots of very flat stages. The first move of the day went early...
Scandenavian duo
Its Sorenson for Falcon and Renaug for IKEA. These two are being chased by a group of four riders.
Fiesty four
These riders are Bobridge (Petronas), Vielleux (Bbox), McEvoy (Youtube) and Wiggins (Pendletons). It's an interesting one putting Wiggins in the move, he is there to just sit on however! The peleton are going to let this go, it suits Pendletons really, with three youngsters in this group of four they struggle and ultimately fail to catch the leading duo. This means the sprint primes are out there for these two.
Primed for time bonuses
Falcon finished 25 seconds down on the TTT, whereas IKEA were only 10 seconds down. But Sorenson here won the first sprint over Renaug and would win the next two over the Ikea man. This moves Sorenson to 9 seconds behind Renaug who by now by virtue of a total of 12 seconds bonus has moved ahead of Butterfield. Back in the group of four the three two seconds are shared around between Veillaux, McEvoy and Wiggins. Back in the pack Pendletons realised that they were going to have to catch and drop renaug and so its Millar time.
Butterfield cracks the whip over Millar
With 75 km to go the gap is 7.38 and the nonchalent looking 100% Me riders decide they better get to the front and do a proper job.
[o]Giving 110%, no thats impossible![/i]
50km to go its 3.54, now thats the way to do it. The final sprint prime is at the end of a bridge, 100% Me's chasers are able to catch the four riders who promptly get spar out the back. But the lead two fight it out one last time.
This time Renaug gets it.
It was Milka number two man Vanderaerden he took 3rd place that moved him 2 seconds forward to 15 second behind Butterfield. Butterfield, shouldn't that be new leader on bonuses Renaug, nah of course he gets spat out with Sorenson as they are caught with still 25 km to run.
Day out for the sponsers.
10km to go and a sprint train is forming you'll never guess who has the most organised one!
Green sprint train time
Ben Swift knows he cannot rely on his own train to run on time and has wisely caught the Pokerstars express train. Cobbler Kluge is its designated driver, of course this means Swift has to sit like a good boy behind Mohs. Its a bit of a fight for Swifts wheel between Italians Chicchi (Falcon) and Loddo (Pirelli)...
Chicchi gets the wheel
Undeterred you can see Paolini has started a new train for Loddo, Milka sprinter Forera fits in behind Loddo. The pace snake is slithering its way ahead under the 5km to go banner. Time for Kluge to accelerate.
The Pendilino Pokerstars service
The pace snake begins to split and crumble but a reasonable sprinter was lurking in its stomach, as Bobbie Traksel (Intesa) jumps.
lead snake spits its venom
Mohs has to launch here and does with some gusto, behind him it's a bit of a scramble.
Eric Mohs tries to get on terms
In third its Falcon rider Tzortzakis and its Sentjens of Intesa in third yet more riders surprising. They are battling Swift, Loddo, Chicchi and Kluge for third, don't know whats happened to Forero. As they come round the bend to the line its Traksel.
Bobbie on Track
Mohs is second and that 12 second bonus will put him into yellow, Swift is third and probably is Mohs challenge now for the coming days in that jersey.
Swift probably should have middle name 'not so' in this case
Lots of sprinters came nowhere really, they needed to time their sprints better.
