21/4 Stage 3/5 Plitvice National Park – Vojak (Ucka) 230.0km
KoM leader Talha Ayenes (Torku Seker) opens the stage, the early breakaway forms with 6 riders and later on the first small peak after about 20 km, additional two riders attack from the peloton.
After 34 km we got what is to become the breakaway of the day, it is Lestido (Tusnad), Janiaczyk (Wibatech), Ayenes (Torku), Hunt (ONE), Kirsch (Stölting), Kukrle (Whirlpool), Dan Craven (Cycling Academy) and Celano (Amore & Vita).
Anthony Delaplace (Fortuneo) and Lieuwe Westra (Astana) are keeping up a sensible pace in the peloton, after 50 km the distance is only 3’09
The situation doesn’t chance over the next 100 km, when the peloton approach Gornje Jelenje (cat1) with 75 km remaining the distance is 2’44.
Gornje Jelenje is 12.4 km at 5.2%, Astana sets Oleg Zemlyakov up front, he had rather fine legs today and setting a good pace he attempt to avoid further attacks.
On Gornje Jelenje, Ayenes and Kukrle attacks splitting the front group in two, Ayenes wins the KoM.
The breakaway is over on the downhill. A peloton of 71 riders now lead the race.
Amongst the stronger riders behind the peloton we got Davide Rebellin (CCC Sprandi), he is 1’09 behind the peloton, with 6.8 km to the start of the final climb.
The fight for position on the climb has started, Francis Mourey (Fortuneo) is pulling the bunch forward with 53 km/h, Ruslan Tleubayev (Astana) ready to take over.
The final climb to Mount Vojak is 22.0 km, at 6.1%, a very uneven and constantly changing climb with many hard sections mixed in with more easy sections.
There are a few unsuccessful attacks at the beginning of the climb, but the first serious attempt come after 10 km, it is from Eduardo Sepulveda (Fortuneo), the pace get so high that the favorite group explode.
Sepulveda get 25” to the 2nd group with Aru, Pantano (IAM), Rogers and Kišerlovski (Tinkoff), Santaromita (Sky Dive Dubai), Reichenbach (FDJ) and quite surprisingly Rebellin who has come back in last minute and made it to the front.
Race favorites Stetina and Shilov sits in a third group at 1’24 with race leader Bonifazio, further back Sørensen at 2’22”.
Rogers accelerates, and Pantano, Kišerlovski , Santaromita and Reichenbach follows, they close the gap to Sepulveda.
Aru is not having the legs today and have to find his own pace.
Rebellin pays the price form having to close a huge gap earlier, he explodes losing a lot of time fast now.
The situation is not as bad for Aru as it looked like, the group in front has to slow down and he make it back.
Seeing that several of the others does not look good anymore, Aru takes the front and lead for a while. With 7 km to the top it is Aru, Sepulveda and Kišerlovski in front, 30 seconds down to the next group.
Sepulveda attacks again, and again the others haven’t got the energy to counter.
Eduardo Sepulveda had the best legs today, he wins at mount Vojak with 52” down to Fabio Aru.
Robert Kišerlovski takes the last podium, coming in at 1’29”
Evaluation Stage :
Overall:
This was the first season win from 24 years Eduardo Sepulveda, born in Chubut Province southern Argentina, and his first win since his transfer to Fortuneo - Vital Concept.
In 2015 Sepulveda had two victories Tour du Doubs (1.1) in September and Classic Sud Ardèche (1.1) in February at the time with Bretagne - Séché Environnement.
Today positive surprise was Ivan Santaromita, coming from small Continental team Sky Dive Dubai, unnoticed by media, he made it 4th in front of many renowned Pro Tour Riders.
Today’s disappointment must be Trek – Segafredo, with the best rider Peter Stetina outside top 20.
Astana:
A win from Aru would have been great, but won’t complain coming 2nd, always a fine result. Oleg Zemlyakov and Andriy Grivko in top 20 is also a god result from them, not the being the best climbers.
Stage
1
Eduardo Sepulveda
Fortuneo - Vital Concept
5h58'45
2
Fabio Aru
Astana Pro Team
+ 52
3
Robert Kišerlovski
Tinkoff
+ 1'29
4
Ivan Santaromita
Sky Dive Dubai Pro Cycling Team
+ 1'55
5
Jarlinson Pantano Gomez
IAM Cycling
+ 2'23
6
Sébastien Reichenbach
FDJ
+ 2'37
7
Michael Rogers
Tinkoff
+ 3'05
8
Nathan Earle
Drapac Professional Cycling
+ 4'08
9
Davide Rebellin
CCC Sprandi Polkowice
s.t.
10
Sergey Shilov
Lokosphinx
+ 6'49
Spoiler
16
Oleg Zemlyakov
Astana Pro Team
+08:01
17
Andriy Grivko
Astana Pro Team
+08:01
36
Ruslan Tleubayev
Astana Pro Team
+13:52
46
Daniil Fominykh
Astana Pro Team
+14:36
48
Lieuwe Westra
Astana Pro Team
+14:36
142
Gatis Smukulis
Astana Pro Team
+28:19
143
Andrea Guardini
Astana Pro Team
+28:19
GC
1
Eduardo Sepulveda
Fortuneo - Vital Concept
14h35'55
2
Fabio Aru
Astana Pro Team
+ 56
3
Robert Kišerlovski
Tinkoff
+ 1'35
4
Ivan Santaromita
Sky Dive Dubai Pro Cycling Team
+ 2'05
5
Jarlinson Pantano Gomez
IAM Cycling
+ 2'33
6
Sébastien Reichenbach
FDJ
+ 2'47
7
Michael Rogers
Tinkoff
+ 3'15
8
Nathan Earle
Drapac Professional Cycling
+ 4'18
9
Davide Rebellin
CCC Sprandi Polkowice
s.t.
10
Matija Kvasina
Synergy Baku Cycling Project
+ 6'59
Spoiler
20
Oleg Zemlyakov
Astana Pro Team
+10:27
22
Andriy Grivko
Astana Pro Team
+11:58
33
Ruslan Tleubayev
Astana Pro Team
+14:02
38
Lieuwe Westra
Astana Pro Team
+14:46
53
Daniil Fominykh
Astana Pro Team
+18:33
96
Andrea Guardini
Astana Pro Team
+28:29
97
Gatis Smukulis
Astana Pro Team
+28:29
Points
1
Niccolò Bonifazio
Trek - Segafredo
39
2
Laurent Pichon
FDJ
34
3
Eduardo Sepulveda
Fortuneo - Vital Concept
25
KoM
1
Talha Ayenes
Torku Seker Spor
26
2
Eduardo Sepulveda
Fortuneo - Vital Concept
16
3
Blazej Janiaczyk
Wibatech - Fuji Żory
14
Team - Tinkoff
Young - Eduardo Sepulveda (Fortuneo-Vital Concept)
Again is partly clouded, but it does not look like rain. There is almost no wind.
Rohan Dennis (BMC) opens the stage, Lars Boom have been allowed a day as a free rider, after 3 hard days carrying water, he counters.
We got a 5 riders breakaway, besides the two already mentioned also Matthias Brändle (IAM), Julen Amezqueta (Southeast) and Pavel Kochetkov (Katusha)
It is Luke Durbridge from Orica-GreenEDGE doing most of the workload in the peloton, but also Nippo - Vini Fantini takes part in the chase.
With 75 km to go the distance is 4’17
Over the two 2nd category climbs, Dennis looks very strong. He wins both KoM sprints, and an attack on the last climb provide him with a gap of more than 1’10.
At the bottom of the downhill it is reduced to 52” – in the process Brändle (IAM) have lost contact with Group Boom, now at 2’48.
Peloton at 3’35 – 45 km to go.
Dennis has 2’13 to the trio and 2’30 to the peloton passing under the 10 km banner, only a crash or a major mechanical can prevent this win.
Looking back with about 5 km to the line Lars Boom can see the peloton coming closer and closer, only one shot left now attacking and get away from the others, hoping the peloton will not fight very hard, now that victory is impossible for the top favorites.
Rohan Dennis win the last stage of Giro del Trentino in Cles, with a 2’04” margin to Lars Boom, Julen Amezqueta third in 2’38”, the same time as the peloton.
Evaluation Stage :
Overall:
This was the 2rd season win from the 25 years old Australian, after he won a stage in Circuit de la Sarthe just a few weeks ago.
Also a great podium from just 22 years old Amezqueta from Southeast – Venezuela, who haven had many result yet, besides a win in U23 race Volta a Portugal do Futuro last year.
Astana:
Good to see Lars taking a podium, in a race that is otherwise not suiting his strengths
Evaluation Race:
Overall:
This was Vincenzo Nibali’s 4 win of the season, After also winning a stage and the GC in Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco in the beginning of April.
Most disappointed team could be Katusha, having a top 10 candidate in Machado, they ended with best rider Van den Broeck at 19th. Otherwise the favorites did fine.
Astana:
Just a perfect race for the team, cloud not be better.
Perfect weather, sunny with just a few clouds and almost no wind.
7 riders gets away on today’s breakaway adventure. Best placed in GC is Lachlan Norris (Drapac) 40th at 14’46. The others are Oram (ONE), Mascaro (Tusnad), Ponomarenko (Amore), Mager (Stölting), Tamouridis (Baku) and Gretchyn (Torku Seker)
The peloton take it easy, Trek, Wanty and Fortuneo is sharing the front, but the pace is very limited at the distance it 6’31 with 100 km left.
Astana set Smukulis up to help at the front of the peloton, but the breakaway is working together nicely and with 50 km remaining the gap is 5’49”.
A series of roundabout at the last part of the race helps the breakaway keep up the distance, the long stressed peloton have a hard time passing, and it is also making it hard to keep the teams together preparing for the upcoming finish.
30 km to go, peloton at 3’04”
With just 2 km to the finish the breakaway has 32”, it looks like a breakaway win, Lachlan Norris attacks.
At exactly the same time we got a huge crash in one of the roundabouts, 127 riders are either down or caught behind the crash losing minutes on the last few km.
Nathan Earle (Drapac), Pierrick Fédrigo (Fortuneo), Julien Loubet (Fortuneo) and Alex Kirsch (Stölting) never makes it to the line.
Lachlan Norris wins the stage in Umag, in front of James Oram and Christian Mager, all from the breakaway. The peloton gets over the line in the same time.
Evaluation Stage :
Overall:
This was the 27 years old Australian’s first win of the season, and his first win since a stage in Tour of Japan 2013.
Every sprinter team must be disappointed, losing this opportunity.
Many teams have publicly expressed discontent with the safe on the final kilometers of the stage.
Nathan Earle is out with a broken arm
Pierrick Fédrigo is out with a ruptured tendon in the back
Julien Loubet is out with a coronoid fracture
Alex Kirsch is out with a broken collarbone
Astana:
First of all and most importantly Aru did not lose time in the accident, but the team did not do well today, could and should have done more to avoid the breakaway win.
19/4 -23/4 2016 Tour of Croatia 2.1
19/4-22/4 2016 Giro del Trentino - Melinda 2.HC
