One last lumpy day in the tour of the Basque country and one last opportunity for the riders to make up time before tomorrow's nasty time trial. The last double climbs are short but being so close to the finish is sure to create some suspense.
The break contains Filippo Pozzato
a rider who really would have hoped to have done better on GC. He made the early move with Rubens Bertogliati
None are King of the Mountain threats but are pretty decent on the hills and would take quite some chasing. After not quite living with the top two defending champion Trofimov's Sony Ericsson team take up the challenge of chasing this move down.
It's another touch and go situation as with 60km to go the lead is nearly eight minutes. The pack is getting volatile as Damiano Caruso
attacks.
Wiggle have always enjoyed the hilly stuff, but they are finding it hard to score the wins they are accustomed to in the Protour. Caruso finds once again the domestiques are able to chase him down and Sylvain Chavanel
does the donkey work for Robert Gesink.
The gap to the break continues to reduce and before the last double climbs it is down to just three minutes. That said there is only 20 or so kilometers left so the break does still have a chance. Wiggle obviously don't think much of Zaini's chances as now Simone Ponzi
makes a move with Stefan Schumacher
Both of course are well up there in GC and whilst they stay away over the summit it is a joint Jack Wolfskin and Pearl Adidas venture that catches them. Tanel Kangert
particularly producing the catch on the downhill.
Onto the final climb and the break still have just over two minutes with Pozzato pacing things Guldammer, Zaini and Betencourt desperately try to hang on to the Italians wheel. He looks in top form today.
Having reduces the pack to lead domestiques and favourites Ponzi tries to attack again on the final ascent. This time Robert Gesink
has to respond!
Up front Pozzato has reduced things down to him and Guldhammer as they near the summit.
But behind the favourites attacking is reducing the advantage quickly with Gesink, Ponzi and Trofimov reeling in Betencourt. They are only a minute or so back.
As Kangert brings Bakelants and the rest of the favourites back, Ponzi tries once again to get away on the descent.
But Gesink seems to have made it his mission to ensure the young Wiggle rider doesn't get any time back and chases him down with Bakelants playing close order.
Ponzi is kept to within 15 to 20 seconds of the pack and just cannot quite get across to the lead two as Pozzato assumes his usual position on another riders wheel!
Meanwhile Trofimov makes a burst to get across to Ponzi with Bakelants trying to chase on eight bonus seconds are available and possibly the points jersey for him.
Pozzato leaves it until 600m to go to make his final move for the stage win.
Guldhammer has no answers and Pozzato takes the stage win.
The pack are withing 20 seconds of the lead two and Trofimov out sprints Bakelants, Van Garderen, Gesink and Pozni for third place. This moves Trofimov to just one second off the podium (LL Sanchez Gil sits in that place).
