An early break of 7: De Gendt, Bak, Burke, Van Winden, Aulas, Rollin and Stalder
Meier, Facci, Coletta and Walker will join them
Van Winden has won an intermediate sprint earlier in the race, and seems to have got the bug - the only one interested in it from the break. Bak 2nd Rollin 3rd
Once again, the winds stretch the peloton, but do not break it
And another sprint win for Van Winden. This time from Rollin and Coletta
30km to go and the break leads by 2 minutes. 2 of the races regular aggressors William Ford and Hagen now attack
By 15km to go, they have made it across - only to see Walker, Aulas, Stalder, De Gendt and Bak launch away
Into the last 10km, De Gendt hols a solo lead
Behind De Gendt, the same pattern is emerging with Swift behind Schinker and another teammate, while Pokerstars also building up, with the majority of sprinters just behind
Crash! Sten Stenersen goes down, causing a small gap
And theres a bit of chaos at the front aswell, the trains that had been building now seem scattered
De Gendt still leads. 15 seconds with 5km to go as Kittel leads through. Looks like Schinker and then Swift trying to grab on, with Roelandts also up here
Sure enough, one long train forms. Schinker, Swift, Roelandts, Holloway, Mohs, Avelino, Vanderbiest, Bewley, Castaneda, Guerao, M Rowe and Van Stayen. Stage 3 winner Goss is missing.
Schinker does what he can, but Swift is forced into a very early move. He won going early yesterday, but now he is off with over 2km to go and everyone on his wheel - De Gendt is caught
Roelandts and Holloway are best placed, but its Mohs who is launching from behind. Avelino had Mohs' wheel but seems to have no sprint at all as Vanderbiest and Bewley try to dodge past him
Mohs storms past Swift
Vanderbiest seems limited to following Mohs, while Holloway is getting involved also - but quickest is Bewley on the other side of the road
Stage win number 2 for Erik Mohs! Again Bewley's superior speed is too late, or from too far back as Vanderbiest holds on for 2nd
Swift ultimately ends 5th, somehow staying ahead of Roelandts all the way to the line
That gap that formed never fully closed, but behind Mas taking 79th on the stage, Milka's Bret sprints through to prevent any time loss - saving his 24th overall aswell as that of others - Vesuvio's Michael Ford seems to have been the highest placed at 13th overall
So, no further time bonuses for Swift today and Mohs moves into 2nd overall, 15 seconds down. And with Castaneda 3rd at 21 seconds, it seems like only 2 riders can now win this race. Vanderbiest only climbs to 41st, while Bewley is 11th, 1 second short of the Vesuvio cluster. Swift holds a 1 point lead over Mohs in the points classification, with Bewley a further 7 back, then 4 more to Avelino, whose positioning skills appear stronger than his sprinting skills right now.
