The long expected final climb comes today. So far the big favourites waited a lot without creating gaps to each others and even allowed other riders to get a solid time gap.
Race leader Kinney is the weakest climber of the advanced rirders, so very unlikely to stay in this position, but he will definitely fight for a top 10.
Especially Veloso (+ 41)
and Krasnoperov (+ 1'01)
will fight for the overall win here.
Ford (+ 43)
and Kairelis (+ 58)
will have to fight to stay in the unexpected top 5 or even the podium.
Seeldraeyers (+ 4'13)
leads the bigger group of good climbers
with Gadret (+ 4'34)
being in the best position but also Calzati, Sicard, Sano, Moreno and Carrara are all within the next minute.
Augustyn and even more Kiserlovski have even bigger gaps and would need a strong attack to improve a lot, although Augustyn shouldn`t be too interested with two team mates in perfect positions.
The sprint jersey is still on Bazajev shoulders, but with just 1 point difference to Haedo the two intermediate sprints might become interesting.
The KoM for Seeldraeyers is more secured as Hiratsuka or Veloso would need a good stage result. And normally Seeldraeyers should be the better climber.
Also the Youth jersey is still a fight between Krasnoperov and Ford with the Russian having a big advantage.
Different to the former stages a big group is allowed to ride away.
Seeldraeyers
Calzati
Kwiatowski
Vogt
Jungels
Suzuki
Proni
Again some teams are putting lots of pressure on the other teams. Especially Calzati and Seeldraeyers as top 10 riders are dangerous.
More riders join the breakaway.
Arndt, Luzi
Meyer
Pereyra
Le Gac, Egger
Duenas Nevado
Puma and Vespa with 3 riders each now in this group with the tactical advantage.
Lots of work for the Pirelli riders. With Jayco and Emu Export being in a good position in the breakaway and in the peloton, they whole work is given to Kinney`s team at the moment.
Pereyra takes the first sprint ahead of Seeldraeyers and Le Gac.
Bad luck for Puma-SAP. Le Gac got a puncture and falls back into the peloton some time later.
Half of the stage is raced when Monsalve attacks.
No big danger for the overall, but still a solid climber.
Oz really having a great race here. No stage win and no lucky race for their climbers but with Ford they have a big chance for a great GC result. So they are doing a lot now to bring the group back.
Who would have had expected that the time trialist William Ford is still fighting for a podium on the very last day. Surely a good feeling for the Australians seeing some of his leaders working hard for him.
Just 40km to go when the second Puma rider suffers a puncture. This time Egger falls back out of the group. Maybe they should check their equipment more carefully.
Kinney is really a fighter. Together with Ford and Kairelis the three biggest GC surprises so far attack the peloton and put more pressure on the former favourites.
After being brought back it`s again Ford and Kairelis attacking. This time a bigger name follows. Veloso challenging Krasnoperov now.
But also Kinney still has the energy to counter this move with Gadret following this time. So Jayco definitely being aggressive now with Calzati, Veloso and Gadret ahead of the peloton.
Last flat kilometers. Kwiatowski ahead of Arndt and Calzati through this sprint.
Gadret reaches the breakaway at first with ~10km to go. But also the white jersey of Ford is behind him.
But also Kinney is still fighting. But as soon as the steeper section starts he might get some problems.
Emu Export is forced to do something now. Krasnoperov is still in the peloton with Veloso and Gadret being a bit ahead.
With 8km the whole group including Gadret is caught. ~40 riders are still together including all big men. When will come the big uphill attacks
It`s Romain Sicard with the first one followed by Moreno with 6km to go.
Many riders can`t follow. Bazajev defends the green jersey, so he has done enough. Also Roux falls back and will fall back in the overall as also half the Puma team.
Also race leader Kinney is no longer able to follow and falls back directly after this group. He fought really hard and definitely will continue to save his top 10.
With 5km to go the two attackers are still within sight, when Seeldraeyers falls back out of the decimated group. He surely will lose some places but with good chances for the KoM jersey. Immediately before him William Ford had problems and is a bit behind now together with Kairelis.
Shaun Lewis has a good day obviously. Alone he is riding in a very high pace with many riders not being able to follow now. Maybe not the best tactic with Ford being a bit behind.
The next bigger names fall back. Meiji`s Sano and Doi can`t follow as also Khalmuratov, Arndt and most important Veloso, while Krasnoperov is still in the first group.
Just 12 riders enter the last kilometers in the first group.
Krasnoperov, Augustyn, Montenegro
Gadret, Calzati, Moreno
Sicard, Morizot
Carrara
Kiserlovski
Lewis
Jaramillo
Veloso`s group is ~1min behind, so he is still on podium course and also Ford, Kairelis arestill within 2'30 to the first group and have big chances to stay ahead, while Kinney already lost 5min.
Carrara and Sicard prove to be the strongest sprinters in this group and gap the next riders a bit. Will this become a duel between those two for teh stage win?
At least a late stage win for Vespa with Carrara winning the queen stage 14s ahead of Sicard. But will this be enough to get the aimed top 5 for the Italian?
Moreno leads the next group 37s back including his team mates Gadret and Calzati, Kiserlovski and the Emu Export duo Krasnoperov and Augustyn. This should be enough for the Russian to take the overall win in Taiwan.
Sure it is. Veloso comes in 2 groups later exactly 1min behind Krasnoperov. Still keeping the 2nd in the overall but without relaxing on the 9th day he could have taken the overall for sure.
Also Sano, Doi, Morizot and Khalmuratov are in now. Meiji obviously missed their top 10 goals when they missed the split to the first group.
Also the fight for the KoM jersey is decided. Seeldraeyers collected enough points and will take another trophy home for Emu Export.
3'01 behind Carrara William Ford is fighting hard and it was worth it. He will stay on the podium in Taiwan keeping his 3rd. Surely one of his biggest results so far and a great end for Oz Cycling.
Kairelis finished just a few seconds later and will also keep the 4th. So two Emu riders in teh top 5. Definitely goal acchieved.
Kinney lost more than 5 minutes in the end but this should be enough to get an unexpected top 10. Surely a successful race for Pirelli winning the point jersey, 1 stage and having the leader jersey for half the race.
So the first 4 overall places are filled with riders, who have taken profit from breakaways. Surely some teams including Meiji regret not to send one of their climbers into these breaks.
Sicard was the best of the rest in the end taking the last top 5 with Carrara just outside as 6th.
Big race favourite Gadret ends 7th ahead of his team mate Calzati, Kinney and again a Jayco rider with Moreno as 10th. Surely a good team result for Emu and Jayco.
