We hit one of the two key stages in this race. This and the 10km time trial later in the race should decide the overall. There are two long, though not particularly tough climbs on offer today. The first one is Laver’s Hill, which is 14.2km in length but at a measly 2.8%. There is one short section above 10% but not much else to write home about. The second climb up Cape Otway Road is 2.9km in length but a much tougher 6.5% in gradient. Both climbs are actually longer than this, given that they continue going uphill beyond these stats, but the extra sections are not particularly difficult. After the second climb there is a fairly gentle descent to the short flat section which takes us on to the end of the race.
Adams, Landa and Matthews are our first three attackers, going straight away together.
Then two more riders bridge straight up to this trio – Shikai and Ovechkin. Ovechkin currently wears the mountain jersey despite being second in that competition. He has it on loan from yesterday’s winner Bernucci, who is wearing the points jersey.
Several more riders also bridge up to the five leaders: Valjavec Agostini Geslin Ford Seledkov
Even though there are 10 riders at the front of affairs, more attacks go: Pineau Krieger Beppu
Then: Velits Speirs Battaglin
So with 16 riders up front, things could obviously not stay the way they were. So 8 riders attacked away together: Shikai Agostini Seledkov Velits Valjavec Adams Ford Beppu
Agostini is the best placed in this group, being 1’11” down and so no one here is a huge threat on GC. In addition Ovechkin didn’t try to get into this smaller group and he just sits up. So with all the mountain points on offer (16 points maximum on each climb) the new mountain jersey leader will almost certainly come from this group.
Another two riders in the running for the mountain competition are Speirs and Battaglin, who manage to bridge up.
We come to the first sprint prime and Beppu takes the points ahead of Speirs and Velits. Their gap is out to 4’20”, with Hollister, Cyclevox and California Giant working together to keep this under control.
Only a few riders contest the second sprint, with 86km remaining on the stage. Speirs takes the points this time, just edging out Velits. Ford is in third. The gap now sits at 7’03”.
With 66km to go, the break hit the first climb of the day. It starts off by jumping straight to a 10% gradient but only for a few hundred metres then it is mostly gentle gradients the entire way up. Seledkov, Velits and Valjavec come to the front and are content to set the pace in this early part.
Back in the peloton the colours at the front have changed as Appleby and Gerrans do most of the work. And what hard work it is! They drop a group of about 30 riders fairly early in the climb, and in that group are: Hermans Kolesnikov Clement
Meanwhile the Herald Sun Tour becomes the Herald Rain Tour as the heavens open up. Another small group is dropped off the back and in it is Cozza who isn’t great over hills but may have been hoping to hang on through today. Most of the sprinters are also dropped including Kennaugh, but Davis is still sitting comfortably in the peloton. Landa starts to pace these second groups back, hoping to bring Hermans into contention.
The break reaches the mountain prime, which is worth 16 points and thus the provisional mountain jersey lead. It is fairly close, but Valjavec takes it ahead of Seledkov and then Velits. Speirs is struggling at the back but holds on.
The gap is down to 5’08” with another 1’30” back to the second peloton. The pace is still fairly high and the gap between the two pelotons extends slightly. The pace jumps up even higher as, on an unclassified bump on the descent, Bono and Van Goolen try to get away.
Bono came so close to the stage victory yesterday with a late attack and is clearly here with the personal goal of a stage win. This duo get a gap over 40” ahead of the peloton and work very well together.
On this descent, as the rain slicks up the roads, there are a number of crashes unconnected from each other. Bizarrely two riders in the break fall – Ford and Velits! They both get back on their bike and start to work together, but their day is over. Back in the peloton Cooper and Markov fall as well but neither were big GC riders.
The second climb beings with 26km to go and this climb is much harder than the first. It is a fairly consistent 7-8% most of the way up then flattens out a bit near the top. It is only 2.9km in length, however, though there is a long period of steady climbing afterwards. Valjavec leads onto the climb.
Back in the peloton just as the climb is about to start there is an attack from one of today’s favourites – Efimkin! He quickly catches Bono and Van Goolen.
The gaps at the start of the climb are:
1’30”
48”
31”
2’49”
Break
--->
Ford
--->
Efimkin
--->
Peloton
Velits
Bono
Van Goolen
Realising that he has to attack if he wants to win this, it is Dowsett who goes next. Clearly Tennant is no longer considered the sole team leader!
A whole raft of riders try to get away 200 metres later: Kirchen Evans Vandborg Kiryenka Davis Koren Kessler
Interesting to see the race leader here. He can climb fairly well for a sprinter over these sorts of hills. Regardless Mandri keeps the pace up and of these new names only Kirchen can get away. Cyclevox are riding a very shrewd race here.
Meanwhile Valjavec and Seledkov have destroyed the front group as they both ride clear of everyone else, leaving riders strewn up the road.
A new group forms in front of the peloton as several smaller groups and riders come together. There is now a group of eight comprising: Dowsett Bono Van Goolen Kirchen Speirs Velits Ford Efimkin
They have a 1’10” advantage on the pack.
Kiryenka senses an opportunity to get away and jumps out of the pack. Davis looks like he is going to follow but sits up.
Dowsett attacks clear of his group of eight riders. No one tries to go with him but Bono and Kirchen set a hard pace to try to keep up.
Three more riders jump from the peloton now, hoping to catch Kiryenka and possibly put themselves in a strong GC position: Koren Konovalovas Kessler
This is a big attack as these are all favourites for the race and they have mostly been keeping their powder dry.
And they catch Kiryenka as we hit the mountain prime. There is still some climbing to come, but it is pretty much a false flat from here on out.
Speaking of the mountain prime Seledkov went over first with Valjavec second. This will be enough for Valjavec to take the mountain jersey today.
Davis leads over a group of 17 riders which has torn away from the rest of the peloton in this high pace. In the group there are: Mandri, Lowe, Richardson, Beyer Davis, Mercado Pasamontes, Jacques-Maynes Duyn, Smukulis Lloyd, Doi Bobridge Traficante Salerno Evans Vandborg
And let’s have a look at the time gaps through the mountain check:
Soledkov + Valjavec
+29”
Adams + Shikai
+15”
+44”
Battaglin
+8”
+56”
Agostini
+14”
+1’10”
Beppu
+21”
+1’31”
Dowsett
+12”
+1’43”
7 Chasers (Gr. Kirchen)
+41”
+2’24”
4 Chasers (Gr. Kiryenka)
+30”
+2’54”
Peloton (18)
Dowsett is caught by the Kirchen group, who also manage to catch all of the other dropped breakaway members. They drop Speirs as well leaving 12 riders in their group which is mostly now comprised of the former breakaway.
Just as the descent down towards the finish starts Dowsett attacks and this time Kirchen goes with him.
The attack doesn’t go very far as Van Goolen pulls them back.
The 4 K riders of this race – Kessler, Koren, Kiryenka and Konovalovas all catch the group containing Dowsett and Kirchen, making a big group of 16. Now there is only the 2 leaders, the 16 rider group and the 18 man group around Davis to follow.
In fact things get even easier as Vandborg pulls the peloton formed around Davis up to this 16 man group, creating a 34-strong group to chase down the two leaders.
Some are clearly not pleased with this state of affairs, however, as Dowsett, Bono and Van Goolen attack on the descent.
With 5km to go Valjavec and Seledkov have a 1’31” advantage over these three attackers, who have another 27” on the peloton behind them. That’s a total of 1’58”. Seledkov is only 1’48” down on GC so he is currently still the provisional yellow jersey!
Valjavec opens the sprint from in front and is certainly looking strong!
And he holds on for the stage win! That’s two in a row for Unicredit from breaks!
Now the timer starts to see if Seledkov can take over the race lead.
The three late attackers start their sprint, and Dowsett goes much faster than the other two, quickly getting a gap.
Bono pulls him back, however, to take his second podium in two days. The peloton were bearing down on these two, but what about the time checks?
The peloton are given the same time as Bono and as such are only 1’17” down on the leaders today, meaning that Davis keeps his leader’s jersey by only 19” ahead of Seledkov. He is too tired to sprint for the points and the competition is much more open. Lowe takes fifth with his teammate Mandri in sixth. Lloyd is a surprising seventh with Richardson making it three Cyclevox riders in the top ten. Van Goolen takes ninth and Efimkin rounds out the top ten.
Looking at the jerseys, there are now only 11 riders who are under a minute behind Davis, but there are some strong time trialists there! Bono is only one point behind the Australian in points, while Valjavec takes the mountain jersey as well as the stage win. Trilux, California Giant and Vespa look like the only teams left who can take out the team competition. Finally, Bobridge looks pretty secure in his young rider jersey.
