2nd last chance for the sprinters? Just by looking at the profile it`s very similar to yesterdays stage with a few hills and a downhill to the finish.
So Lo Cicero might get another chance.
Also Ventoso and Gavazzi are good bets and both need to gain more points as in especially Rui Costa is constantly taking points in the fight for the point ranking.
And as the profile is that similar it might also end in another breakaway success.
Well, let`s see what scenario will happen today.
Only 3 riders in todays breakaway. Pancake Beatse Matteau
Also KoM runner up Van Baarle and Schelling tried to join but they were not allowed to go. So it`s not a very dangerous group. Neither GC wise nor for the KoM ranking as Pancake with 5 points only can`t make a huge jump today.
First sprint and Beatse takes it ahead of Pancake and Matteau. No fight though.
PFG Armavia with the usual chasing on the flat rated stages. They just don`t give up here and try it stage for stage. Eventually it would be smarter to save all their energy for the last stage, that looks far easier than the other stages.
Matteau, Beatse and Pancake the order at the 1st KoM. So even last mentioned is not interested to spend any energy for those points. So the KoM is not of interest for him.
100km and a gap of 7'30. But different to today the pace is higher in the peloton. Armavia, Amex and Prio Porto obviously don`t want to allow a 2nd consecutive breakaway success.
2nd KoM and again Pancake is not interested as he takes the 3rd only behind Beatse and Matteau.
In the background you might see the peloton already as the gap is down to 3'15 with 45km to go.
Not looking too good for them now.
34km and down to 2'40. They really have to fight hard now to keep their small chance to win that stage.
Pancake takes the sprint here ahead of Beatse and Matteau but this is not important at all for them.
15km and we reach the last sprint. The trio is still fighting and so keep the gap at 1'16 with Pancake doing most work now. He also takes this sprint ahead of Beatse and Matteau again.
But they had no chance today. Too many teams wanted a sprint finish and so they are caught with 9km to go. Lots of PFG Armavia riders in front and also Lo Cicero is within the first rows so his chances look better today.
3 real trains with the UPC riders building a 4th train a bit behind.
Borges
Selig
Mendes
Farrar
Wang
Ventoso
Kupfernagel
Girdlestone
Tzortakis
Traksel
Lo Cicero
Belletti
Gavazzi
Priamo
Groenewegen
Sobal
Boily
Costa
Andriato
Again Mendes with a monster leadout for Ventoso. Also Farrar looks far stronger than Kupfernagel again and they might chance roles eventually.
PFG Armavia struggles and it doesn`t look too good for Lo Cicero.
Gavazzi realizes this and tries to change trains.
900m and Gavazzi comes through the middle taking the long way. Ventoso is still behind Mendes and also Kupfernagel hasn`t started his sprint yet.
Gavazzi goes past Ventoso and this is the sign that the Spaniard has to go as well with 600m. Farrar still going strong while Kupfernagel can`t follow. Not ideal for Amex.
And Ventoso went too late. Gavazzi finally with the win for UPC and a well deserved today as he started the sprint from far behind as first rider.
Ventoso at least takes the next 2nd for Prio Porto with Priamo coming out of nowhere to take 3rd, which makes it a pretty good result for UPC today.
Costa as 4th collects enough points to take the point jersey ahead of Ventoso and Kritskiy/Gavazzi.
Sobal as 5th ahead of Traksel, Boily, Belletti and Farrar at least as 10th. So the sprinters coming from further behind did pretty well today, while Lo Cicero (11.), Kupfernagel (13.) or Tzortakis (18.) struggled quite a bit.
