Pan flat until the final climb describes the stage pretty well today. But the climb in the Genting Highlands is crucial and most likely will decide the GC with 5 flat sprinter stages to follow.
Will the top favourites Iglinski, Arroyo and Rodrigues wake up today or are they going to give it up like on the 3rd stage?
One thing surely might influence it: Will Maloja and ONCE support Siam or not? Masudo surely hopes for a slower pace to defend his lead.
A closer look on the climb shows the higher difficulty. Almost no easier sections as it`s a steady climb with lots of high slopes. The 2nd half being a bit tougher actually should help the stronger climbers as well.
Norris takes the first sprint ahead of Alafaci and Rusli. But it`s not the group of the day yet as some more riders try to reach them.
Two more are able to join and the peloton is slowing down a bit. Those are Orbe and Rivera.
While Alafaci with a bit more than 5min is the best placed and so not the biggest danger, Rusli surely is the strongest climber hoping for a stage win. Being almost 13min down surely helps him.
Siam for Rodrigues and Dell for Feillu the two teams to higher the pace at half time. 75km and 5min break.
So again no Maloja or ONCE yet.
In-n-Out already showed their colours at the front within the last kilometers and here we see the reason. Gaimon is a decent climber even though he prefers the shorter climbs more. As 33rd in the GC 5'05 down he might hope to improve today as he attacks with 25km to go and actually on the foot of the long climb.
Today no sprinter teams like Fletcher Garneau is forced to do something. So it`s Nutresa chasing him with Caethoven, Herrera, Quintana and Chernetskiy.
This brings back the US American attacker and reduces the gap to the breakaway to 1'20.
Rusli realizes that his companions slow him down a lot on the climb and so the Sauber rider decides to go solo with 20km to go and a 1'17 gap.
Nutresa still in the lead with 20km to go. But now it`s their pre race leader in Ochoa Quintero! One of the top5 climbers in the field. But with Masuda being in the GC lead he has to work now.
Only Rusli in front now with still 1'10 as all others are caught by the Nutresa train.
The peloton also is down to 45 riders.
Riders being dropped are Diniz or Chavanel. Not the best news for Iglinski.
Here a picture which we have seen a lot in the last 2-3 kilometers. Ochoa Quintero surely the stronger climber and Masuda often has a gap to him, which forces first to slow down again.
With 14km to go a group of 10 has a small gap when Iglinski attacks.
Masuda has to follow immediately as also Arroyo Kiserlovski Moreno Zurita Rodrigues
The attacks went to nothing as all are back in the group.
So time for the next attack with 12km to go.
This time Zurita
and only Moreno followes immediately.
Only Zurita is able to create a gap but this leads to a bigger selection of only 14 riders 18s behind Zurita and another 56s to Rusli.
Those 14 are: Iglinski Diniz Arroyo Rojas Villegas Esquivel Rodrigues Ochoa Quintero Masuda Alizadeh Saggioroto Moreno Txurruka Kiserlovski Feillu
So missing out and being in the next group are: Losada Camargo Moinard Fernandez Gallego Kern Rubiano Chavez
So except for Masuda all of the top5 are dropped. Also the 8th Fernandez obviously waiting for Moinard. And Diniz is surprisingly back in the first group after being dropped earlier. Good news for Iglinski.
More riders attack trying to join Zurita: Rodrigues Kiserlovski Txurruka Alizadeh
Meanwhile the second group is able to make it back on the easiest section at halftime with 9km to go.
In front Rodrigues joins Rusli while Zurita is back in the group behind just like the last attackers around Alizadeh.
Next split in the "peloton". 19 riders in front including Iglinski, Arroyo, Masuda, Alizadeh or Ochoa Quintero.
In the group of 13 behind Moinard, Rubiano Chavez, Kern, Camargo.
So in especially the Euskaltel guys have one rider in front now with Fernandez who got the go of his team mate Moinard.
Ochoa Quintero with a great performance today still in front of the group trying to catch the duo in front. 1'20 though as he often has to slow down for Masuda, while Iglinaski and Arroyo apparently don`t want to try something.
Now! Iglinski Arroyo Alizadeh
with a small gap now as they are faster than Ochoa Quintero riding in Masuda`s pace. Eventually he could do more when riding on his own.
A bit more than 3km and Arroyo gaps the duo. Iglinski not with his best performance today.
Rodrigues, Rusli
+45
Arroyo
+25
Iglinski, Alizadeh
+19
Masuda (16)
+1'24
Moinard, Rubiano Chavez (13)
Rusli really strong today not giving up his hope of a stage win. But Arroyo is coming fast from behind.
800m left and Rodrigues starts his sprint. Still 25s to Arroyo and already more than a minute to Iglinski and Alizadeh, that can`t really extend their gap to the peloton.
300m and Rusli can`t follow. Now it`s about saving the 2nd against Arroyo.
But more interesting is the gap to the next groups and if Rodrigues can take the GC lead.
Big win for him at least and well deserved after Siam doing lots of work on the 3rd and earlier today.
16s later Rusli on a strong 2nd. Unfortunate for him that he was already down in the GC.
+35 for Arroyo today who won`t win the GC probably but at least improves a lot today.
+1'46 already for Iglinski and Alizadeh. Not enough to improve a lot.
Ochoa Quintero clearly stronger than the others in that group and gains a few seconds actually after pulling Maduso a lot. Was it worth it?
+2'12 for him and 13s later Kiserlovski, Masuda and Moreno leading the group.
What does this mean now?
Rodrigues will be the new race leader! Masuda stays in 2nd though. So still a great position for him.
The next decisions need to wait for the next group. +4'20 for Moinard etc.
So Arroyo will be 3rd in the GC only 2s behind Masuda! Bad luck I guess.
Losada and Gallego stay inside the top5 ahead of Iglinski and Alizadeh, who can`t be too happy.
Ochoa Quintero as new 8th with a good effort for Nutresa, which obviously played the right tactic today.
Txurruka and Fernandez complete the top10, but actually the 9th to 18th within the same time. So a lot about positioning now.
Rubiano Chavez and Moinard the biggest losers of todays stage as they fall back to the 19th and 20th.
