It might not have the most hills today but still one of the most difficult due to the most mountaineous profil in this years edition. Puncheurs will still be favoured but for riders like Guldhammer, who like the longer climbs more than short ones, today is the chance to close the gap to the better puncheurs a bit.
So favourites for today are riders like: Cunego Ricco Schleck Valverde Van der Hugenhaben
but actually also the other top puncheurs Boasson Hagen Bakelants Ponzi etc. shouldn`t be disturbed too much.
Only 3 riders in the breakaway: Wallays Ivanov Vanspeybrouck
This is also the order at the first sprint.
100km left and Good Energy has everything under control. 5 team mates are slowly closing the gap to the breakaway again as the gap has reached the 8min mark.
Let`s have a look on the finale. First a Cat.4 before the first bigger selection can be expected at the longest climb. After the descent it`s going up again towards the stage finish. Half hill - Half mountain stage it seems.
The order is also the same at the Cat.4 KoM. Wallays ahead of Ivanov and Vanspeybrouck. But just like at the sprint no one is interested.
For those three it`s all about the stage win or eventually being a nice help later on for their leaders.
50km to go and we already have the first attacks! This is far earlier than expected as it`s not by some mid level GC riders. And we are still on the Cat.4 and not even reached the longer climb. Sagan Ponzi Juul-Jensen Cunego Schleck Boasson Hagen
With the GC leader being in front more riders obviously have to follow: Van Garderen Valverde Bakelants
Smart played by Ricco. He is just a little bit behind in the descent but instead of chasing on his own, it`s his team mate Pichon pulling the Italian in his slipstream.
Some riders have stayed in the peloton. By looking on the actual GC situation the most interesting are: Ginanni Gilbert Van der Hugenhaben Vanendert Guldhammer Sinkewitz Pozzato Ben Nasser Roux
Bpost and Pendletons are the two teams doing the most work now.
Meanwhile Ricco joins the Bakelants group and Pichon immediately goes to the front to also bring them to the next group of first attackers including Schleck, Cunego, Sagan, Ponzi and Juul-Jensen.
5km later we have the fusion. The gap to the peloton is up to 42s but no rider really wants to do all the work as we still have 36km to go. And Pichon surely needed a rest.
So the pace drops a bit and Juul-Jensen goes solo as he is not the biggest GC threat and his intention surely is a bit different here.
So the peloton and most GC favourites come together again.
It might have been some kind of weird attempt to test the legs of the others. But in the end almost everyone was following.
It`s the start of the long climb only but the next attacks already. This time though by less dangerous GC riders. Preidler Paterski Burghardt
That said the favourites are rolling again and follow that move. Some of those and I mean in especially Sagan seems to have big plans today. He is followed by most other GC riders: Bakelants Valverde Cunego Ricco Schleck Van Garderen Ponzi Boasson Hagen
as also by Furdi. So Festina once again playes the 2 in 1 card.
14 riders got a small gap now as the latest attackers joined Juul-Jensen in front.
Behind them a group of 38 riders including: Van der Hugenhaben Vanendert Boom Caruso Gilbert Siutsou Van der Hugenhaben Guldhammer Levarlet Pozzato Sinkewitz Rabottini
Even further behind in a group of 56 riders some surprising names: Ginanni Ben Nasser Roux
While first could have been expected within the best here, the other two might indeed struggle on the more mountaineous course.
The breakaway is caught by the favourite group. That said not all are still in here as some including race leader Ponzi are dropped!
It`s Van Garderen Sagan Valverde Bakelants Cunego Ricco Boasson Hagen Schleck
together with the former breakaway.
Ponzi dropped together with the likes of Juul-Jensen, Paterski or Preidler.
Can he come back to defend the lead?
While Ponzi is solo in between the groups now some riders also chasing now from behind.
First solo is Caruso. He tries to join Ponzi to help his teammate to come back.
Behind a group of 8 including Van der Hugenhaben Vanendert Guldhammer Levarlet
Strong effort by Ponzi, who is back with the best. Even without Caruso he was able to rejoin. But this surely has cost some energy.
First chasing group with 4 riders: Van der Hugenhaben Guldhammer Caruso Wallays
Ginanni with a day to forget so far. But the Italian is finding new energy and slowly coming back from behind. He needs a good desent now.
And indeed he is able to join the first chasing group, which is up to 12 riders now: Van der Hugenhaben Vanspeybrouck Ginanni Wallays Guldhammer Caruso Vanendert Preidler Furdi Paterski Levarlet Juul-Jensen
So who is still behind chasing in the peloton (18riders) to come back?
As you can see nobody has given up yet and gaps are smaller than you could have expected.
In especially Pendleton`s for Gilbert are working.
Also in the peloton are Sinkewitz Pozzato Boom
Even a bit further behind a trio has attacked out of the next bigger group trying to join the third group at least. Those are Ben Nasser Roux Pavarin
Behind those some solo riders in Rovny or Kratochvila.
The 2nd and 3rd group just fusioned before the final climb.
So the actual situation is following:
Ben Nasser
<1'28>
Ginanni
<32s>
Sagan
Roux
Gilbert
Van Garderen
Pavarin
Van der Hugenhaben
Valverde
Vanendert
Cunego
Guldhammer
Ricco
Sinkewitz
Boasson Hagen
Pozzato
Bakelants
Levarlet
Schleck
Caruso
Ponzi
Boom
Ivanov
+20 more
Bakelants realizes the danger coming from behind first and accelerates again pulling more or less the group with him.
Well. Not all. Ivanov was expected to struggle now as he drops back but also the GC leader Ponzi in trouble again. Not his best day here but he is really fighting nicely.
5km mark and more selection. Surprisingly two Italians Cunego and Ricco also in problems now being together with Ponzi and Sagan now.
A bit more than 3km to go and no, it`s not the sprint yet.
It`s just an attack by Frank Schleck in front as also the attempt of the Italian trio behind to make it back.
Sagan seems beaten as he can`t follow them.
Schleck`s attack paid off it seems. Only Boasson Hagen was able to follow and together they have a small gap to the next.
The 3 Italians actually joined Valverde, Bakelants, Van Garderen behind making it a group of 6 followed by Sagan solo with a 23s gap.
The next group around Ginanni, Gilbert etc. another 35s behind.
Bakelants tries to jump to the leading duo with 1,5km to go.
Ricco, Ponzi and Cunego now looking strongest than the others as Valverde and Van Garderen are having a small gap.
But the first two are still Schleck and Boasson Hagen, who go under the Flamme Rouge now.
The sprint officially is started and it`s a close fight.
Hagen should be the better sprinter normally. But after a stage like this nothing is normal anymore.
What a thrilling fight until the end. In the end the more experienced Schleck just takes the win ahead of the World Champion. But will it be enough for the GC lead?
Bakelants finishes as 3rd ahead of Ricco. Both are losing 9s the the first two.
Cunego and Ponzi with another gap. The seconds are counted and in the end the clock says +17s.
So Ponzi is rewarded with keeping the lead after his come backs. Great fight by him.
3s only seperate him from Boasson Hagen in 2nd and another 7s to Schleck. So the next stages should be really interesting.
Valverde and Van Garderen showed a nice race today. In the end the others though were a bit stronger and so first is losing 31s with 2nd being 10s behind him. So not the biggest loss and still a good result.
Sagan was one of the most active ones today. So his 9th today 1'09 behind Schleck seems a bit less but actually he really performed well here beating a lot of better riders and just a bit behind the very best. Good result.
Here come the bigger losers.
Sinkewitz as 10th couldn`t go in the end as his team mate was in front. But he missed the earlier attack. Van der Hugenhaben, Ginanni, Levarlet and Caruso behind him. 1'31 for them.
+1'41 for some more GC riders such as Vanendert, Pozzato, Gilbert or Guldhammer, who couldn`t take profit of the more mountaineous stage.
Another 10s later Boom, Siutsou and Rabottini.
Almost 4min in the end for the group around Ben Nasser and Roux. Surely the weakness on longer climbs did hurt them today.
