If it wasn't for the break, I would've finally gotten a 3rd place in a stage xD

Another victory for Crelan is a bit of a surprise.

Why Potgieter of all people in the break

Crelan on fire!

Ah, the San Luis Performance Randomiser is back. Good to see.

Sky replaced Belkin as the luckiest team this year then by the looks of things. And of course, Sky really need the luck with their team.

Luck? Where did we get lucky?

I think its because your 3rd place last year was quite unexpected.

Oh no, insulted the Game Master. That's a 2000point penalty.

2 hours for the whole report (stage + writing + images) but since I don't have a numpad, I don't have quick access to the accelaration controls. am usually distracted for a while as well so that adds some time too.

Omloop 2013 iirc

I'm also at 1,5-2 hours for a whole report. It also depends on the amount of things happening in a stage.


Great stage in San Luis for Sagan. This should win him the GC. Josh did great keeping Peter at the front.

@San Luis:
Well that probably means Sagan has wrapped up the GC with another beastly stage. Betancur did fine, just unfortunate that I have a stage win goal

@Langkawi:
How on earth did Hutarovich win the sprint in the peleton?
Because of another breakaway it didn't matter again though, but Markus seems to be able to defend his lead in the points clasification, so I'm still pleased.

A very flat stage and yet another opportunity for the other sprinters to beat Cavendish and the mighty team of Team Sky. I think that the riders have learned there lessons and I also think Peter Sagan won't wait for his leadout today, but this is the last call for the Cannondale team to show some sort of support for their leader.

Tomorrow begins the hilly terrain towards Nice and we start of with a soft stage, but the narrow roads in the end will sort out some favorites, but lets get this day over first! Cavendish, Coquard and Kristoff are the favorites to take a stage win and some of the other sprinters does also stand a chance.

The Race

P. de Vries (VCD), J.Kern (TNE), D.Wyss (BMC) and Nathan Haas (GRS) is the first to form a break, but is soon catched up by J.Moreno (CSS) and A.Gougeard (FDJ)


Julian Kern takes the KoM sprint and will wear the jersey tomorrow.

Name	Team	Points
Julian Kern	Team Netapp	4 pts
Danilo Wyss	BMC Racing	2 pts
Pieter de Vries	Vacansoleil	1 pts

Today's first intermediate sprint is set and won by Julian Kern. Pieter de Vries and Alexis Gougeard takes the last points. The gap is currently down at 1'56 with 64 km left.


Sky and Europcar hunts down the breakaway with 45 km left of the stage. This might give some riders a chance of setting out an attack, but an Intermediate sprint is up ahead and I think Cavendish and Coquard wants a bite of that one.


Coquard makes little effort of following Cavendish, which takes the 3 points and some energy may have been used from Cavendish here with 38 km left


No one seized the opportunity and the stage will end in a bunch sprint. Kristoff has Tvetchov and Bole at his side, but Coquard has his usual help from the Chavanel brothers. Cavendish has Hayman and Swift by his side and both has shown great leadout skills, but this time Sagan seems to be at the front!


Swift starts the sprint early this time and seems very confident in Cavendish's skills from previous. Bole has Kristoff behind him, while Calzone and Coquard seems to be alone already!


Cavendish opens early! Rojas and Coquard seems to have taken the bait and follows Cavendish's lead! Bouhanni, Debusschere, Gilbert and Kristoff haven't opened with full strength yet, but where is Sagan ?


Bouhanni, Coquard and Rojas are all ahead of Cavendish now, but from this view we can see Sagan approaching down the right, but can Kristoff keep up with the acceleration from the others or will he take Sagan's wheel ?

missing picture

Kristoff held his line and in the end he wins by a small margin down to Sagan on his left! Hayman and Cavendish was obviously too tired to make a real effort, but Sagan showed pace like a madman! Coquard takes the podium in front of Bouhanni.

Result

GC

Points

KoM

4th again, nice work Bouhanni

Still no Euskaltel in the break. Disappointing - hopefully that means that they have taken very well care of Ion before the hilly stages.

9th, great work Jorge

Kristoff seems to only do good in WT races..

Holy shit, we did something!

Breakaway Count: 2

This GC is official, no more changing of it in any way. Kern on 9th, take it home boy.

Didn't realise there would be so many flat stages Probably should've brought a sprinter better than Davis