Today’s stage is going to prove a crucial one to any riders GC ambitions, it’s the individual 31.2km time trial that finishes with the 19km climb of Santa Elena. It is a fairly undulating one that averages at 5.6% with the 12 or so flat kilometres to begin with it will take a mixture of good Time Trial and good climbing ability to conquer this one.
There are two checkpoints out on the course, but I am only going to pay attention to the second that is taken about 25% of the way up the finishing climb. Early on we can see the conflict between pure TTer and pure climber as Javiar Aramendia (Lego) and Julian Rodas (Red Bull) set some early benchmarks.
Aramendia
Rodas
2nd check: 33.11
2nd check: 33.37
Final: 59.11
3rd check: 59.19
Both riders were the only ones for some time to come inside the one hour mark, but their times indicate the kind of damage Santa Elena can do to a non climber. Aramendia though is not too bad up mountains, Unicredits Brian Vandborg is also a TTer who can climb reasonably well.
Vandborg sets some good checks
2nd check: 33.03
Final: 58.48
This was 23 seconds faster than Aramendia’s pretty decent looking time, but the lead LEGO domestique Hubert Schwab completely wiped this away going really fast in the last part of the climb.
LEGO coming into form here
2nd check 33.24
Final: 57.50
It does seem to favouring the climbers at the moment, next up we have a rider who will be desperate to make up some time. Vitor Rodrigues is lying 19th 6.36 down on race leader Koldo Gil this is largely due to an ill timed mechanical problem a few days ago. He cannot beat Schwab, however and that is slightly underwhelming for the Bimbo Nutella rider.
Another disappointing day for Rodrigues
2nd check 34.18
Final: 58.36
Going behind him is one of Benfica’s lead domestiques Krasnoperov, who to be honest would be leading most of the other teams here. He produces some outstanding checks on his way to a new best time.
Former leader wipes takes the provisional lead
2nd check: 32.27
Final: 56.54
This just underlines the kind of damage that one can do out on the Time Trial circuit, Krasnoperov is that good mix of TT and climber which is perfect for this course. Unicredit leader Sergio Ortega current 11th at 5.24 will move up after he places a very decent time.
Ortega serges up the GC with a very good ride
2nd check: 32.23
Final: 57.18
This type of time puts a minute plus into riders like Mayo, Zuagg, Nozal and Damian Martinez who are ahead of him in GC. Red Bull GC leader Edwin Parra Bustamante had a good prologue ride and does well again here.
Parra Busts out some more sweet rhymes for Red Bull
2nd check: 32.51
Final: 57.30
Good enough for third place at that point as we entered the top four riders on GC, Yas Martinez, Hesjedal, Van den Broeck and current leader Koldo Gil. Quiksilver’s Martinez will hope to make up ground today as he has that dual good climber good TTer quality. Indeed he pretty much matches Unicredits Sergio Ortega out there.
Solid stuff from the best young rider in Columbia
2nd check: 32.37
Final: 57.19
Hesjedal does not particularly enjoy it today, it is particularly evident in the final kilometres as the rider starting two minutes behind nearly caught him in the finale.
Canadian nearly caught towards the end of his run
Then again the rider behind him was having a particularly good day it is Jurgen Van Den Broeck.
VdB putting pressure back on Koldo Gil here
The current GC leader has shown already he is a fantastic climber but compared to the best time Triallers he loses a lot of time in the first flat section and seems below par on the climb itself.
Lego leader not having his best day
The checks then for the top two riders:
VdB
2nd check: 31.43
Final: 55.47
Gil
2nd check: 33.14
Final: 57.47
Gil loses two minutes to Van Den Broeck here on a key day in the fight for the overall. Martinez closes to just five seconds on Hesjedal with Parra Bustamante overtaking Saldarriaga in fifth.
