So we reach our second true mountain day in the Vuelta a Columbia with the 29km Alto Bonita awaiting for the riders today. It is another one of those long shallow climbs, we are still waiting really for one of the big GC riders to make their mark.
Race leader Saldarriaga faces the dilemma of whether to go for his own ambitions or support his leader. He is a good climber but probably not as strong as his teammate for that last test today.
However plenty of interest early on with the sprinters having a go at the first sprint.
Manarelli - > Benitez - > Popov
It is not really a sprinters tour, so any chance they have to shine they will gratefully receive! The points competition, so often the domain of sprinters is currently led by a breakaway man Bajadali. He also leads the KOM competition, but now stage 4 winner Jose Chacon decides to make a break for it.
Chacon brimming with confidence breaks the Yamaha breakaway stanglehold
He quickly gets a decent gap and will take the opening KOM prime, behind him though the sprint is won by Iban Mayo over Jordi Grau for second place.
Iban Mayo takes yet more KOM points
The Basque man moves up to 27 points on 32 points, still a little way off of Bajadali's 44 points, by the next KOM Chacon up the road helps himself to the full four points on offer ahead of Mayo with Zaugg getting 3rd ahead of Grau. This modifies things to Grau and Chacon in 33 points with Mayo on 30 points, it is slow going but the accumulation may just work after the 15 stages!
Jordi Grau though reacts to finishing just forth on the last climb, he goes on the attack dragging two other riders with him.
Grau, Parra Pinto and Barberi attack
It is a speculative one in reaction to a sluggish peleton who are allowing Chacon (currently 4.17 down) quite a lot of leeway. At the third KOM, another 4 pointer, Grau does take the second place over Barberi and Parra Pinto. These riders of course are still behind Chacon who now has 37 KOM points to Grau's 36.
With 50 to go then Chacon still has three minutes on the three chasers and nearly six minutes on a 49 man peleton, with the autobus some 3 minutes further adrift. Chacon will roll through the next sprint ahead of Grau and Barberi and we rock up to the last climb. Then whammo...
Koldo Gil attacks right at the bottom
Okay major moment here as probably the best climber in the race decides he is going for a long solo effort. Riders behind maybe thinking this is way too early on this near 30km monster of a climb, Van Den Broeck however throws caution to the wind and tries to bridge.
VdB claws his way back to Gil's wheel
There seems to be some other riders who wish to make it across, it is obvious that Gil abd Van den Broeck are the big two favourites.. but this is very early.
Montenegro and Ortega follow
Yamaha and Unicredit have played their hands then as Quiksilver, Pirelli and Red Bull take it easy and limit the gap. Pirelli soon decide however to send Hesjedal off down the road with about 18km to go, but as soon as he bridges Gil just ups the pace again!
Spaniard is in fine form today
This news sparks the other climbers in the peleton to start to try and make their move as Y Martinez, Parra Busta, Schwab, Zaugg, Rodrigues all attack from a disintegrating group.
Time to bridge up to make a new front group
On this long climb though Koldo Gil is really making his move, he is catching the still going strong Chacon ahead and putting distance between himself and everyone else.
Gil is making them suffer today
So here are the gaps with 15 km to for the stage (the climb finishes 8 km before the finish)
e1Chacon e2 Gil at 1.03 e3Van den Broeck at 1.40 e4Montenegro, Hesjedal at 2.05 e5Parra Busta, Y Martinez, Zaugg, Schwab at 2.37 e6Ortega, Rodrigues at 3.16 peleton 26 riders at 3.43
The last 5km of the climb really begins to hurt the riders, Montenegro begins to really struggle but as do the other riders in between.
VdB leaving Montenegro well behind here
Hesjedal moves around the Yamaha man though and tracks Van den Broeck well, though these riders are not making any impression on Gil who catches Chacon 2.5km from the top.
Hard moments for Chacon
Chacon digs deep but ultimately at the top it's Gil who has a clear gap, Chacon will take second place though and the KOM jersey.
Gil on his way
The final descent into the finish sees Hesjedal and Van den Broeck catch Chacon and behind a big front group of 23 riders form. But Gil is not caught his big long attack today giving him a stage win and he will take over the GC.
New race leader - Koldo Gil
Van den Broeck takes second place over Jose Chacon he gets third. Hesjedal is also in the group of three here and they are 40 seconds behind Gil but 88 seconds ahead of the chase group.
