The weather forecast predict a cloudy day with very high wind speed 55-70 km/h (Gale)
The morning break is Tuft (Orica), Piantino (Androni-Sidermec), Viel (Unieuro-Wilier), Kuznetsov (Katusha) and Fedi (Southeast–Venezuela).
Very weak breakaway that any of the better teams should easily be able to reel in, even if they get a substantial gap.
Now we can’t expect Orica or Katusha to work in the peloton, which was off course their intension.
Even though they haven’t got the best option to win, with Intxausti and Nordhaug as their strongest rider, Team Sky decides to lead the pack.
The Breakaway get a gap of 6’20 and with about 120 km left, Astana start to lead the peloton. Not very hard but enough to slowly reduce the distance.
About mid stage we got the first climb to Barbagelata (14.3 km at 6.6%), Fumeaux (IAM) attacks at the bottom of the climb. The breakaway has 3’06”
First Tiralongo and when he is done, Kangert are taking some very hard turns in front of the peloton. A small group gets a gap and catch Fumeaux, besides Kangert, it is Aru, Fuglsang and Sky’s Nordhaug. The peloton is now 61 riders. There are no longer riders in front of group Aru.
On the short downhill from Barbagelata the group gets caught, now 49 riders lead the race going up the Lago del Brugneto climb (3,8 km at 9.2%), López leads.
We have had several bad crashes over the route, some of them forcing riders to abandon, but over the top of this climb we got one that may well change the outcome of the race.
Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEDGE) are down loosing crucial time.
López have been setting a high pace on the long downhill, reducing the peloton to 24 riders, we can see Intxausti, Cunego, Dennis, Martinez sitting right behind the Astana train.
López swings off falling back fast, his job is done for today.
11 km to the top
With All the other Astana domestics gone, Fuglsang and Aru attempt to break up the group with a fierce pace, as most of the other favorites still got domestic, but it is not working very well, the group is tinning out but not fast.
7 km to the top Fuglsang is done and swings off, Aru attacks only Cunego (Nippo) can follow.
Cunego suck wheel, not wanting to help. Aru has to slow down not to burn out.
Form behind Mamykin (Katusha) get contact. A little further back also Nordhaug (Sky), Martinez Poveda (Southeast – Venezuela) and Tiago Machado (Katusha) is getting closer.
Aru with Cunego and Mamykin on whell, shakes the others off and with 800m to the line Aru delivers the final strike, this time for the win.
Evaluation:
Overall:
This was the 25 year old Fabio Aru’s first win of the season, and his first win since winning the Vuelta a España in September last season.
Biggest positive surprise was Katusha’s Matvey Mamykin, underrated by media and getting a podium. Clearly a career highlight for the young Russian
The most disappointed must be Orica-GreenEDGE with stage favorite Adam Yates finishing outside top ten, due to a unfortunate crash.
Many riders had to abandon the race:
Torres* (Androni), Vorobyev (Katusha), Ishibashi – Nibali – Yamamoto (Nippo), Tommassini (Area Zero) Malaguti – Molteni (Unieuro) and Tomio* (Roth)
[*] long term injury
Astana:
Even though Astana came to the race with an overkill squad, good to see Aru getting his first season win.
Fuglsang should and could have done better, but had a massive explosion after delivering Aru.
The original morning breakaway is 9 riders, Talha Ayenes (Torku Seker Spor) wins the KoM sprint at Grida Sela in front of Oleksii Tarkovskyi (Amore & Vita)
Peloton at 1’33 – 143 km to go
After the climb while closing in on the first intermediate sprint in the coastal town of Brela, important sprinters attack and get 1’26 to the peloton, the group consists of Van Poppel (Trek), Bettiol (Cannondale), Haussler (IAM), and Bonifazio (Trek).
As you might expect this turned out to be wasted energy, as the peloton could not allow that to happen. With 120 km left, the peloton leads the race.
A new breakaway are formed this time four riders:
Norbert Banaszek (Verva), Talha Ayenes (Torku Seker Spor), Anton Muzychkin (Minsk) and Joshua Hunt (ONE)
With 104km to go, Astanas important lead out Lieuwe Westra are down, losing 2’12”
The breakaway has 46” at this point.
A few attempts from the peloton are brought back. Lieuwe Westra back in the peloton, looking fine.
Astanas Andriy Grivko is taking a few turns in front of the peloton.
Joshua Hunt wins the 2nd KoM sprint over Talha Ayenes,
Banaszek have to let go of the front group.
20 km to the line, the three riders in front has 3’27”
The distance is melting fast and with about 4km left, the breakaway is over.
Astana has a fine train up with Lieuwe Westra in front of Ruslan Tleubayev and Andrea Guardini, but at the critical moment just when the sprint is starting, Guardini is in a fight with a Trek rider, losing Tleubayev’s wheel.
Jasper Stuyven (Trek) is looking good getting a gap just before the RED KITE
Form Tleubayev’s wheel, FDJ’s Laurent Pichon is coming fast, overtaking Stuyven on the last 100m to grab the win in Split.
Jasper Stuyven 2nd over Paweł Franczak from Verva-ActiveJet.
Andrea Guardini 4th.
Evaluation Stage :
Overall:
This was the first season win from the 29 years old Frenchman, and his first win since winning Boucles de la Mayenne back in 2012. A surprise win and a nice comeback from Pichon , who otherwise haven’t got many highlights over the last few years.
Also a fine podium by Paweł Franczak, can say the underrated outplayed the favorites today.
Astana:
Under the circumstances Astana can’t be satisfied with less than a podium, 4th is just bearable at best.
It is clouded this morning, might start to rain at any moment.
As soon as the roads start to raise up the first climb, we get the early breakaway it is Boem (Bardiani), Busato (Southeast), Dotti (Unieuro) and Krizek (Roth)
134 km to go
The breakaway passes the top of the uncategorized climb with a tailwind of 12-15 km/h, and it had started to rain a little.
Peloton at 6’05.
On the downhill we got a crash, 5 riders are down, amongst them IAM’s Marcel Wyss and Astana’s Scarponi, both skilful climbers. The peloton is not fast and they get back soon, but might be injured.
It is Sky controlling the peloton, but the pace is moderate and the distance continues to grow.
110 km to go, peloton at 8’50
Dotti wins the intermediate sprint in front of Boem
From here Sky starts to reel in the breakaway, when we start the climb to the first categorised clim, it is down to 5’08.
Passo Sant'Udalrico, 9.9 km, 3.5%
Lars Boom is assigned to watercarrier today, and now the pace set by Sky is starting to hurt him, this will be the last bottles he can deliver today.
Matteo Busato wins the KoM in front of Dotti.
Peloton at 4’24
Then it is Passo Santa Barbara, a HC climb of 13.9 km at 7.7%, very hard at the first 6 km.
Astana’s strategy with this very strong team is to isolate Froome.
First they send López out.
Soon also Caruso (BMC) and Yates (Orica) accelerates away from the peloton.
At this point the rain is pouring down.
With the peloton reduces to 15 riders, and Froome isolated, part one of the plan was successful, but López are not able to sit with Caruso and Yates.
Astana change strategy now leading the peloton with Cataldo and Scarponi in front.
With 1 km to the top most of the Astana train are at their limits, Vincenzo Nibali attacks and soon Froome counter. The duo catches Yates on the downhill.
Starting the final climb, Brentonico 6km at 7.7 %
Caruso leads with 42” to Nibali and Froome, Yates could not hang in now another 51” behind.
From the peloton Cunego (Nippo) attacks.
Froome set a high pace at the very tough early part of the climb, Nibali loses his wheel. They are both slowly closing in on Caruso
The situation when Caruso has a little more than 3 km left.
Nibali has closed the cap to Froome they are at 32”
Louis Meintjes (Lampre) has attacked form the next group, now at 1’56”
4 riders at 2’13, Cunego (Nippo), Yates (Orica), Niemiec (Lampre), Wyss (IAM)
Louis Meintjes is brought in by the reduced peloton, instead Cunego attacks again.
Under the red kite Caruso got just 20”
Nibali is leading the next group with Froome just hanging on. Nibali has attempted several short accelerations, but haven’t been able to lose Fromme.
But when Nibali starts sprinting within the last 500 meter, Froome can’t, he has nothing left.
López has regained some energy closing in on group Meintjes.
Simon Yates are cooked, he has lost momentum.
Caruso wins on Brentonico with 11” to Nibali, Froome 3rd at 26”
Evaluation Stage :
Overall:
This was the first season win from 28 years old Damiano Caruso, born in Ragusa, Sicily.
Caruso impressed with an 8 overall in last year’s Giro d'Italia, but this is his first stage win since a stage in 2013 Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali.
Astana’s Tanel Kangert had a very bad day losing 42 minutes, but all riders made it to the line within the time limit.
Astana:
A great day for the team, Nibali holding the lead, and Froome losing time. Caruso a close 2nd but he should be more manageable.
17/4-2016 Giro dell'Appennino 1.1
19/4 -23/4 2016 Tour of Croatia 2.1
20/4-2016 La Flèche Wallonne
