Another gnarly sort of stage with a late climbs likely to effect what is forecast to be a smallish group sprint. This race is proving to be a bit of a war of attrition before the TT and Baldy stage.
Patterson pass is crested just 14 km from the finish, can a rider attack clear and survive to the finish? Or will the sprinters have their day. Red Bull's Van Stayen cracked the whip and got his team to work all day yesterday, as Daryl Impey turned himself inside out to survive in the lead group. Kreder, Granjel Cabrera and Holloway cannot be ruled out. Could be tough for the likes of Guerao and Griepel.
We actually start climbing right from the gun with a 8km 2nd cat climb to cruise up.
Giling, Kroupis, Laengen jump clear on the climb.
Wyss tops up his mountain points by upping clear of the pack at the last minute behind behind Kroupis, Laengen and Giling who took the prime in that order.
Wyss preservers with the move to catch the lead 3 riders, it possibly scuppers the chances of a break taking this as Wyss started the day at 20 seconds to Van Den Hugenhaben.
Wyss and the trio build up a decent lead and the Swiss rider takes the sprint prime nipping clear of his companions to comfortably take the full time bonus.
Onto the mid stage climb and it's Festina who have decided to pace things to catch our breakaway. Confident they can bring Guerao to this finish today.
Kroupis takes the top points at the crest of this climb ahead of Wyss and Giling.
It moves both Wyss and Kroupis to 20 KoM points, six behind current KoM leader Reichenbach.
Another Bacardi man Sokolov zips up to the prime point out of the pack to gain the 5th place bonus moving himself to 16 KoM points.
It's the classic game of catch the breakaway here, with Festina running things through Lebris, Donald and Pichon.
It still looks a tough finale for Guerao though.
The breakaway of four riders look pretty resigned to their fate with 25km to go to the finish and 10km to the top of the climb their lead is just 1.30. Wyss or Kroupis could have chances of snatching the KoM jersey today if they can make it to the top of the final climb first.
On the climb Festina keep the gap pegged at around 1.20, feeling this is bridgeable in the finale without wasting Guerao's energy away, however this peace is broken with an attack from a Pearl Adidas rider.
It is one of the big race favourites in Machado.
Contador responds.
Wow Kablam, is this going to be an important stage in the Tour of California?
Brajkovic and Pedraza think so as they also now attack across to Contador.
3km from the top of Patterson pass, Machado catches the breakaway looking to ride right past them.
16km to go:
Machado, Kroupis, Wyss, Giling, Laengen lead
Contador, Brajkovic at 31 seconds
Pedraza at 58 seconds
Pokerstars - Red Bull led pack at 1.25.
I'd expect the pack to blow apart over the top, meanwhile Machado destroys the break in the last kilometres of Patterson Pass.
Wyss manages to crest the climb in second place, meaning he has done enough to claim the KoM jersey.
Machado didn't initiate his attack for KoM points though and leads the race into the last 10kms with a 25 second gap on Wyss, Contador, Brajkovic and Kroupis.
The pack has Pedraza now at the front, with Van Den Hugenhaben playing close order, with the Red Bull and Pokerstars crews. They are about 1.30 back though so it will be tough to catch the escapees.
The Contador - Brajkovic group sit up!
3km to go and Machado has 1.12, it looks like he will claim a brilliant solo win.
Pokerstars have a train with Dumoilin leading out Holloway, with Van Stayen and Granjel Cabrera right there.
Impey is being led out by Biondo, with Kocjan, Kreder, Howard, Morkov and Reynes looking ready for the sprint.
The gap is reducing, Machado may well want a recorded gap to snatch the GC lead here.
600m to go for Machado and 1300m for the pack. Van Stayen decides to launch here with from behind Holloway. Impey, Granjel Cabrera, Kocjan, Morkov and Kreder are in with a shout of podiums also.
The sprinters are only at the 1km banner though as Machado can celebrate.
Van Stayen and Impey are battling it out behind with Holloway launching perhaps too late.
The motorbike between will surely record the gap of around 35 - 40 seconds as Machado enjoys his win.
Holloway is making little impression on Van Stayen and Impey with Kreder coming through in fifth.
Impey cannot come around Van Stayen, the gap is now showing 25 seconds. The judges will decide who gets the race lead.
Holloway gets 4th over Kreder, Kocjan, Skujins and what is this Impey?
Commentators mistake it was Biondo who was with Van Stayen!
25 seconds is indeed records meaning Machado takes the race lead
Tirloni misses the time cut today.
Stage results
Rank
Name
Team
Time
1
Tiago Machado
Pearl Adidas
4h49'14
2
Michael Van Stayen
Simply Red Bull
+ 25
3
Maurizio Biondo
Aker - MOT
s.t.
4
Dan Holloway
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
5
Wesley Kreder
Project 1t4i
s.t.
6
Jure Kocjan
Team Bacardi
s.t.
7
Toms Skujins
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
8
Daryl Impey
Aker - MOT
s.t.
9
Mikel Landa
Wikipedia
s.t.
10
Robin van der Hugenhaben
Koenigsegg
s.t.
11
Tejay Van Garderen
Wikipedia
s.t.
12
Michael Mørkøv
Team B&O
s.t.
13
Raúl Granjel Cabrera
Koenigsegg
s.t.
14
Alberto Contador
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
15
Samuel Dumoulin
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
16
Ricardo Van der Velde
Team Bacardi
s.t.
17
Janez Brajkovic
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
18
Vicente Reynès
Santander
s.t.
19
Mario Vogt
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
20
Michael Albasini
UBS - BMC
s.t.
21
Kiel Reijnen
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
22
Leigh Howard
Milka - AVG
s.t.
23
Jack Bauer
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
24
Jurgen Van den Broeck
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
25
Walter Pedraza
Koenigsegg
s.t.
26
Domenik Klemme
Team B&O
s.t.
27
Richie Porte
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
28
Ethan Weiss
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
