You join us here in Cambridge NY for the 2016 edition of the Tour of the Battenkill. Most of the big guns are here for a tough classic: bumpy in all forms of the word, with dirt, gravel, cobbles and hills, a real classics man will take this one out. It's two laps of the traditional route, resulting in a 200+km race with a little over 25km of cobblestones. A beautiful summer's morning greets us here as we begin your full, uninterrupted coverage of what should be a corker.


Wang, Barta and Matthews are our break it seems, the latter should be enough to want the peloton to make a hard second half of the race, as if he's in a group of favourites he's faster than almost any of them, whilst Barta is a cunning ploy by Spartacus - a good teammate who'll hopefully be there to help later on.


Zepuntke's had a misfire of a year so far but his team is keeping the faith as they lead us into the second lap - the break have 4'58" with 90km to go. The crowds are three or four people deep, the Americans are out in force to cheer for Summerhill.


75km to go and Azteca must have been asked to start doing work after 120km hiding, so Samayoa is attempting to bridge.


The Honduran is caught and his would-be companions won't be far off - 40km to go and they have a slim 20 second gap.



House Strava sends forth Gaudin and Summerhill, Zepuntke, Vanbilsen and Maes hang on for dear life whilst Cancellara, Baugnies and Teunissen are having a bit of difficulty, however all are tagging along now as the peloton splits exactly in half - two groups of 54, with Nepom the main casualty.

The splintering bunch

Onto the penultimate cobbled sector and we do have a front group of 21:
House Strava: Baugnies, Langeveld, Gaudin
House Eritrel: Debesay, Lagab, Bikienga
House Lierse: Vanbilsen, Joseph, Verhelst
The White Walkers: Summerhill and all the people in the team who like him as a person (his manager on the radio)
House SPARTACUS: Spartacus, Sibilla
Jacobs, Wyss
Zepuntke
Teunissen
Maes
Franzoi
Bester (we hear the Telekom manager has collapsed with shock that they have a rider here)
Visconti
and the up and coming Gaday.


Gaudin has done his thing and leaves 10 men clear in a split. Franzoi, Debesay, Lagab, Baugnies, Maes, Cancellara, Vanbilsen are all here along with Teunissen and Zepuntke, a we hear both managers have collapsed in shock that they haven't screwed this up yet. Meanwhile out further in front...


Ice has taken full control of this song as the home favourite makes his move with 23km still left to go. Meanwhile we received news I spoke too soon: Zepuntke has screwed it up and has been dropped. Whoda thoughit?



Viano do Castelo has given our supreme overlord and part-time MG manager faith as Debesay rides his heart out for his leader; he pairs up with the fiery-kitted ba dum tss Baugnies to catch the Iceman. No clearer is the effect of Amadou Bakari on African cobbled cycling shown than here, as the most dominant team in this chase is from the motherland. 16km and one cobbled hill to go.


The Strava leader now puts in a dig of his own, which sheds some dead weight in, surprisingly, the form of Vanbilsen.


What is this sorcery? Actual weakness shown by Danny Summerhill? Or a gentle bluff as he peels off and lets Debesay free. Could be too big a risk too late, but you must bear in mind the two up front are alone and were the main chasers for 8km before!


The duo have found each other now and have 24 seconds heading onto the final cobbled sector and under the 10km banner, though the 6 chasers are working in an orderly fashion: can they shut the gap?


This is the best of bluffs or the worst of nightmares for Summerhill in the one American race he could win: he's slumped over the handlebars and mere metres seperates the leaders from the chasers as Lagab gets an armchair ride up the hill. Time to think about who's the best sprinter? There's no clear favorite but with the conditions the Algerian must be the favourite!


The duo crest with a small gap and we get a glimpse of a familiar sight: Strava domestiques leading the hunt for minor places.


The Eritrean tires but doesn't crack! Meanwhile the gap has increased to 30 seconds with 5km to go without the help of Summerhill or Lagab.


2km to go, one last hill and Teunissen sees his last chance for that elusive win as he pushes for everything to catch the two up ahead and


they can practically touch them now! It's all downhill from here, except when it's uphill at the end, but it's downhill now: who will have the legs - if either of the leaders do they might want to start now - 1600m left!


The two at the back may just be tired - Debesay is anyway as he cracks whilst Baugnies' last hope is positional advantage as the rest bide their time and Franzoi opens proceedings from 5th wheel, but then thinks better of it.


1km to go, everyone is going except Baugnies - and he might want to now!


700m, Baugnies has the crucial gap meaning nobody can get in his slipstream, everyone else is launching with Cancellara, Franzoi and Debesay the only ones left with a shot at the win.


No change at the front with 400m left, however a clear pecking order means we know who'll be 6th, 7th and 8th while Teunissen picks up great speed to challenge for the podium, and Franzoi is looking like a good bet for 2nd but isn't catching the Belgian!


Baugnies will take the win, meanwhile Cancellara is half a wheel away from 2nd, and Teunissen is running out of road for a podium finish!


A great, gutsy win from Baugnies here whilst


it’s a bittersweet finish for Teunissen as he overcomes the two in the middle and shows he would have won if he'd been positioned better, Franzoi holds off Cancellara for 3rd. Maes takes 5th ahead of Debesay who's unlucky to take only 6th and Lagab who didn't have the legs to capitalise on a perfect opportunity. Summerhill will be bitterly dissapointed with 8th.

1	Jérôme Baugnies	Strava	5h03'50
2	Mike Teunissen	Generali - AXA	s.t.
3	Enrico Franzoi	Shimano - Siam Cement	s.t.
4	Fabian Cancellara	Novatek-Panarmenian.net	s.t.
5	Nikolas Maes	Arrinera	s.t.
6	Mekseb Debesay	Eritel - Sonatrach	s.t.
7	Azzeddine Lagab	Eritel - Sonatrach	s.t.
8	Danny Summerhill	Azteca - NBCSN	s.t.
9	Thomas Vedel Kvist	Spotify - Haglöfs	+ 1'43
10	Sebastian Langeveld	Strava	s.t.
11	Pieter Jacobs	Team UBS	s.t.
12	Kenneth Vanbilsen	Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam	s.t.
13	Shaun Nick Bester	Team Telkom for Africa	s.t.
14	Shiki Kuroeda	Meiji - JR East	+ 3'04
15	Damien Gaudin	Strava	s.t.
16	Lucas Manuel Gaday	SanCor	+ 3'44
17	Tesfom Okbamariam	Kenya Airways - Dimension Data	s.t.
18	Dmitri Kozontchuk	Compal - Merida	s.t.
19	Michel Sibilla	Novatek-Panarmenian.net	s.t.
20	Salfo Bikienga	Eritel - Sonatrach	s.t.
21	Boy Van Poppel	Spotify - Haglöfs	s.t.
22	Julien Vermote	Novatek-Panarmenian.net	s.t.
23	Ruben Zepuntke	Wiesenhof - Andrtiz	s.t.
24	Danilo Wyss	Team UBS	s.t.
25	Stijn Joseph	Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam	s.t.
26	Tobyn Horton	Banc na hÉireann	+ 4'23
27	Giovanni Visconti	Compal - Merida	+ 5'07
28	Romain Zingle	Wiesenhof - Andrtiz	s.t.
29	Louis Verhelst	Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam	s.t.
30	Bert De Backer	Strava	+ 6'28
31	Clément Lhotellerie	In-n-Out p/b Carrefour	s.t.
32	Jean-Lou Paiani	In-n-Out p/b Carrefour	s.t.
33	Christoph Taubel	Wiesenhof - Andrtiz	s.t.
34	Mariusz Gil	Netia - Norske Skog	s.t.
35	Kevin Eeckhout	Novatek-Panarmenian.net	s.t.
36	Cedric Lebris	Arrinera	s.t.
37	Ermin Van Wyk	Strava	s.t.
38	Marc Machado	Vontobel	s.t.
39	Paul Ariko	Kenya Airways - Dimension Data	s.t.
40	Julien Taramarcaz	Vontobel	+ 7'02
41	Sam Harrison	Banc na hÉireann	s.t.
42	Silvan Dillier	Team UBS	s.t.
43	Sameera Chatarunga	Ayubowan!	s.t.
44	Alexandre Aulas	In-n-Out p/b Carrefour	s.t.
45	Henrique Avancini	Flores - Ceitec	s.t.
46	Komi Dossouvi	Eritel - Sonatrach	s.t.
47	Fabien Taillefour	Generali - AXA	s.t.
48	Mirko Selvaggi	Strava	s.t.
49	Michael Matthews	Compal - Merida	+ 7'44
50	Oscar Gatto	Vontobel	s.t.
51	Aidis Kruopis	Spotify - Haglöfs	s.t.
52	Martin Velits	Novatek-Panarmenian.net	s.t.
53	Michael Schär	Vontobel	s.t.
54	Christophe Laporte	Ayubowan!	s.t.
55	Sujith Silva	Ayubowan!	+ 9'09
56	Isaac Speirs	Banc na hÉireann	s.t.
57	Ahmed Youssef Belgasem	Flores - Ceitec	s.t.
58	Maksym Vasilyev	Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam	s.t.
59	Yudai Arashiro	Meiji - JR East	s.t.
60	Claudio Corioni	Strava	s.t.
61	Samuel Coronel	Azteca - NBCSN	s.t.
62	Otavio Bulgarelli	Flores - Ceitec	s.t.
63	Saya Kuroeda	Meiji - JR East	s.t.
64	Fernando Gaviria	Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam	s.t.
65	Lucas Schädlich	Wiesenhof - Andrtiz	s.t.
66	Alexandr Nepomnyachsniy	Shimano - Siam Cement	s.t.
67	Jan Barta	Novatek-Panarmenian.net	s.t.
68	Fabrice Jeandesbosz	Generali - AXA	s.t.
69	Manuel Oseas Rodas Ochoa	Azteca - NBCSN	s.t.
70	Chequan Richardson	Azteca - NBCSN	s.t.
71	Lukas Spengler	Team UBS	s.t.
72	Wout Van Aert	Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam	s.t.
73	Dadley Corwin	Azteca - NBCSN	s.t.
74	Marlon Antonio Samayoa	Azteca - NBCSN	s.t.
75	Morten Reckweg	Netia - Norske Skog	+ 10'28
76	Jack Bauer	Compal - Merida	s.t.
77	Nihal Silva	Ayubowan!	s.t.
78	Jean Junor	Compal - Merida	s.t.
79	Daniel Schorn	Wiesenhof - Andrtiz	s.t.
80	Yusuke Hatanaka	Meiji - JR East	s.t.
81	Jan Ghyselinck	Generali - AXA	s.t.
82	Martyn Irvine	Banc na hÉireann	s.t.
83	Maciej Bodnar	Arrinera	s.t.
84	Samuel Ssabagwanya	Eritel - Sonatrach	s.t.
85	Jasper Stuyven	Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam	s.t.
86	Daniel Paulus	Wiesenhof - Andrtiz	s.t.
87	Masatoshi Oba	Shimano - Siam Cement	s.t.
88	Alexandr Braico	Team UBS	s.t.
89	Davide Malacarne	Generali - AXA	s.t.
90	Magnus Cort Nielsen	Spotify - Haglöfs	s.t.
91	Floris De Tier	Vontobel	s.t.
92	Guy Sagiv	Arrinera	s.t.
93	Ronan Van Zandbeek	Vontobel	s.t.
94	Adam Petrie-Armstrong	Banc na hÉireann	s.t.
95	Michiel Van Aelbroeck	SanCor	s.t.
96	Yanjanani Sakala	Team Telkom for Africa	s.t.
97	Lionel Biondo	SanCor	s.t.
98	Kritsada Changpad	Shimano - Siam Cement	s.t.
99	Sebastien Reichenbach	Team UBS	s.t.
100	Luis Pulido	Azteca - NBCSN	s.t.
101	Ran Margaliot	Arrinera	+ 12'21
102	Sarawut Sirironnachai	Shimano - Siam Cement	s.t.
103	Meiyin Wang	Shimano - Siam Cement	s.t.
104	Josef Cerny	Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam	s.t.
105	Amith Udaya Kumara	Ayubowan!	s.t.
106	Angelo Tulik	Strava	+ 12'54
107	Jonathan Fumeaux	Team UBS	s.t.
108	Carlos Quintero	Flores - Ceitec	+ 13'35
109	Wataru Mutsumine	Meiji - JR East	s.t.
110	Mihran Avetisyan	Novatek-Panarmenian.net	s.t.
111	Juraj Sagan	Arrinera	s.t.
112	Richard Laningo Laizer	Kenya Airways - Dimension Data	s.t.
113	Juan José Haedo	SanCor	s.t.
114	Jakhongir Darmonov	Compal - Merida	s.t.
115	Mauricio Guillermo Frazer	SanCor	s.t.
116	Fabricio Ferrari	Aeropostal Venezuela Ciclismo	s.t.
117	Chiaffredo Grippo	Aeropostal Venezuela Ciclismo	s.t.
118	Madushanka Perera	Ayubowan!	s.t.
119	Yamato Shirota	Meiji - JR East	s.t.
120	Hussein Manfred	Kenya Airways - Dimension Data	s.t.
121	Roland Thalmann	Vontobel	s.t.
122	Shane Archbold	Wiesenhof - Andrtiz	s.t.
123	Stylianos Farantakis	Compal - Merida	s.t.
124	Marcus Faglum Karlsson	Spotify - Haglöfs	s.t.
125	Joseph Kimathi	Kenya Airways - Dimension Data	s.t.
126	Martin Weiss	Vontobel	s.t.
127	Edison Bravo	Coldeportes	s.t.
128	German Anibal Orue	Azteca - NBCSN	s.t.
129	Johann Rabie	Team Telkom for Africa	s.t.
130	Tushantha Rajapakshage	Ayubowan!	s.t.
131	Hillary Kiprotich	Kenya Airways - Dimension Data	s.t.
132	Giorgi Nareklishvili	Arrinera	s.t.
133	Jean Bosco Nsengimana	Team Telkom for Africa	s.t.
134	Karol Andrzej Domagalski	Netia - Norske Skog	s.t.
135	Alexander Kamp	Spotify - Haglöfs	s.t.
136	Markus Fahnert	Netia - Norske Skog	s.t.
137	Balazs Rozsa	Compal - Merida	s.t.
138	Rafaâ Chtioui	Team UBS	s.t.
139	Yukiya Arashiro	Meiji - JR East	s.t.
140	Janier Alexis Acevedo	Coldeportes	s.t.
141	Sachin Dulanjana	Ayubowan!	s.t.
142	Adrien Niyonshuti	Team Telkom for Africa	s.t.
143	Hayato Yoshida	Meiji - JR East	+ 15'30
144	Ryan Gibbons	Team Telkom for Africa	s.t.
145	Filipe Cardoso	Aeropostal Venezuela Ciclismo	s.t.
146	Manuele Boaro	Generali - AXA	s.t.
147	Freddy Johansson	Spotify - Haglöfs	+ 16'55
148	Morne Van Niekerk	Team Telkom for Africa	s.t.
149	Jaroslaw Dabrowski	Netia - Norske Skog	s.t.
150	Klemen Stimulak	Arrinera	s.t.
151	Stefano Pirazzi	Aeropostal Venezuela Ciclismo	+ 18'28
152	Emanuel Buchmann	Wiesenhof - Andrtiz	s.t.
153	Ahmad Haidar Anuawar	Shimano - Siam Cement	s.t.
154	Sebastian Henao	Coldeportes	s.t.
155	Dion Smith	In-n-Out p/b Carrefour	s.t.
156	Colm Cassidy	Banc na hÉireann	s.t.
157	Peter Hawkins	Banc na hÉireann	+ 19'23
158	Krister Hagen	Netia - Norske Skog	s.t.
159	Tormod Jacobsen	Spotify - Haglöfs	s.t.
160	Asbjørn Kragh Andersen	In-n-Out p/b Carrefour	+ 20'36
161	Rodrigo Melo	Flores - Ceitec	s.t.
162	Christos Loizou	In-n-Out p/b Carrefour	s.t.
163	Carlos Henrique Cancellara	Coldeportes	s.t.
164	Emerson Santos	Flores - Ceitec	s.t.
165	Chun Wing Leung	Shimano - Siam Cement	s.t.
166	Tomasz Marczynski	Netia - Norske Skog	s.t.
167	Basilio Ramos Ticona	Flores - Ceitec	s.t.
168	Bonaventure Uwizeyimana	Kenya Airways - Dimension Data	s.t.
169	Heiner Rodrigo Parra Bustamente	Coldeportes	s.t.
170	Artemio Moschella	Aeropostal Venezuela Ciclismo	s.t.
171	Juan Pablo Dotti	SanCor	+ 23'17
172	Royner Grover Navarro	Coldeportes	s.t.
173	Amanuel Gebrezgabihier	Eritel - Sonatrach	s.t.
174	Dario Diaz	SanCor	s.t.
175	Murilo Affonso	Coldeportes	s.t.
176	Krzysztof Marchewka	Generali - AXA	s.t.
177	Roy Goldstein	Generali - AXA	s.t.
178	Nick Clesen	Flores - Ceitec	+ 24'54
179	Anibal Borrajo	SanCor	s.t.
180	Matala Seboka	Eritel - Sonatrach	s.t.
181	Maky Roman	Aeropostal Venezuela Ciclismo	+ 25'21
182	Adel Barbari	Kenya Airways - Dimension Data	+ 26'01
183	Mustafa Carsi	In-n-Out p/b Carrefour	+ 27'02
184	Jose Mojica	Aeropostal Venezuela Ciclismo	s.t.
185	Remberto Jaramillo	Aeropostal Venezuela Ciclismo	+ 28'38
186	José Angel Gomez Marchante	Banc na hÉireann	s.t.
187	Ricardo Mestre	In-n-Out p/b Carrefour	+ 29'10
188	Rodolfo Torres Agudelo	Coldeportes	s.t.
189	Blake Caldwell	Team Telkom for Africa	+ 30'06
190	Salem Kemboi	Eritel - Sonatrach	+ 30'23