Welcome to Yorkshire – land of the tough talking people and a nasty little finishing section:
Dalby Forest is the setting for the finale on this being the second of three hilly rated stages which starts in Hull and works its way North along the North Eastern Coastline. It is wet today, which the British riders will be used to, so who will win today? Current leader Stefan Schumacher looks up for this but so is yesterdays stage winner Ponzi, Cillit Bangs star Jonny Bellis, the French punchaers Chavanel and Voeckler and you feel 100% Me will make their presence felt.
There were plenty of early attacks with Dan Lloyd timing his to take the early sprint over Frischkorn and Howard. But this is nuetralised with the peleton well remembering the chaos that marked the first hilly one in the South West.
We do get a new break form and the peleton are forced to accept this though the group of three that forms are powerful riders in Cappelle (Vespa), Blythe (100% Me) and Boucher (Pokerstars).
Powerful break of three forms
They are chased by Intesa’s Hutarovich and Wiggle’s Grippo, but these two find it difficult to close down the gap. Particularly with the three up front sprinting through the second sprint point Blythe taking it over Boucher and Capelle.
As we approach the final 50km the intensity builds with the three classic style riders still 3.52 ahead of the pack with only Hutarovich between at 1.40 to the breakaway. Wiggle, UBS and Cillit Bang are frantically trying to reduce the gap.
Teams working hard to keep the gap sensible
Blythe takes the third sprint (ahead of Capelle and Boucher) and also full points at the first climb ahead of Boucher and Capelle. Back in the peleton moves are beginning to be made here it Elijzen of Highroad who leads the splintering peleton over the summit.
Elijzen makes a move
Jonny Bellis, best young rider bizarrely wearing a regular Cillit Bang jersey despite being British champion keeps this attack going on the downhill.
Bellis keeps the pressure on
He is joined by stage 3 surprise rider Lobato, as they catch and pass Boucher from the breakaway.
Bellis and Lobato reel in leaders
These two move up to the front two but they have been followed by four riders Hoogerland, Froome, Eisel and Elijzen.
Nine man front group forms
On the climbing section Chris Froome begins to get a gap, showing his climbing prowess.
Froome gets aways from the others in the climbing sections
15km to go then we have Froome solo in the lead then
Bellis, Elijzen, Eisel, Lobato, Hoogerland at 19 seconds
Pasamontes, Vansummeren and Moinard at 37 seconds
Peleton at 58 seconds
At the second KOM, Froome takes the prime ahead of Bellis, Hoogerland and Lobato. These climbs are not going to effect the rankings in the KOM comp as these are just four point climbs, but coming at the end of this miserable day they are offering chances of gaps.
The lack of a move from either Voeckler or Schumacher is encouraging more riders to try and bridge to the front.
It is an attack fest here on stage five
Some of the strongest moves here are made by Chavanel, Proni, Rabon and Simone Ponzi. The two Italians Proni and Ponzi make it across to the front group with the others and take 3rd and 4th in the KOM rankings. Froome and Bellis lead us over as the two Brits are staying with the front group despite all this fresh faces.
Ponzi pushes on under the 10km banner, he needs to drop Bellis and Lobato here.
Ponzi keeps the pace high – Schumacher is distanced today
Rabon is keeping close the Italian, the Czech seems to like these conditions. Not sure it is Ponzi’s cup of tea but he has been around the world in the CTour this year and his results have been solid everywhere.
Voeckler is trying to make a move, we still are not seeing much from race leader Schumacher he is praying this all comes back together.
Aha, Ponzi suddenly suffers a fade on the false flat he may have thought it was flat or downhill all the way into the Dalby Forest Visitor centre he is mistaken. Rabon, Froome and Bellis go shooting past the suffering Italian!
Ponzi sees rivals push ahead
Rabon has timed his move well here just following the moves and now with 5km to go he is pressing on.
Rabon leads us under the 5km to go banner
Rabon started the day a minute back from Bellis and on the same time as Froome – so these three looking to make a move forward but Bellis could be taking the lead. A check behind...
Rabon, Froome and Bellis lead
Ponzi at 22 seconds
Pasamontes, Lobato, Hoogerland, Chavanel, Schumacher, Proni, Vansummeren, Moinard, Luke Rowe, Voeckler, Eisel, Loosli, Capacchi and Christoff van Heerden at 32 seconds
Then the peleton seem to have given up a bit and are at 1.40.
So the 18 riders ahead here are left to battle it out, Ponzi gets a second wind as we come towards the sprint, out of the large 14 man group it is Chavanel and Luke Rowe who find something to get away.
Chavanel and Luke Rowe move away from the large group
Late drama though as Elijzen and Vansummeren fall and their hopes of making a GC move are dashed.
Up front Rabon continues to power on, the Brits Froome and Bellis seem to be settling for this.
1.5 to go – they are sprinting for second behind
Meanwhile the recovered Ponzi is beginning to pick up speed again, with Chavanel and L Rowe bridging to the lead six.
Ponzi is coming past as his teammate joins with Chavanel
Ponzi will not get a second stage win though, this belongs to Rabon.
LEGO take a win
Behind Ponzi takes second, he stays ahead of Rabon on GC but will be behind Bellis who takes 3rd the 4th successive stage he has been active. Luke Rowe and Chavanel take 4th and 5th ahead of Froome.
five men finish with Rabon
Schumacher leads his group behind just 44 seconds behind, it did come close to being closed down but it is not enough to save his lead but he does stay up in second place.
Schumacher leads a group of 10 riders behind
The peleton is at 1.34, a lot of attacking for small gains but that it is the tight Tour of Britian now lead by a Brit Jonathan Bellis!
