Have a last look at today’s profile before the race really starts. A 19 km long mountain with an average of 7,5% and parts up to 13% is quite something. To be fair, the race organisation itself doesn’t know the exact average of the mountain, so it could be a bit steeper, or less steep. Whatever it is, it’s hard and it will test the strength of the 162 Kenyan gladiators at the startline.
Tanovitchii is the first rider to attack, and he brings six riders with him. Vilela is the only other PCT rider, as the five other names among the first seven are Sotberg, Maccagli, Mugisha, Battistella and Sleen. In the slipstream of the race organisation car we find Rochas and Natarov, while a bit further behind are Covi-19 and Tunisian champion Ben Nasser.
Except for Natarov, all chasers have been caught by the peloton in the opening phase. The riders have been going uphill at around 3% since the beginning, but now they really start that 19km long climb for the first time. The seven leaders are 45” ahead of Natarov, with the peloton another 45” behind. 150 km to the finish line.
A bit over halfway the mountain the seven leaders have got 2’ over Natarov, while the Swisslion rider is keeping the peloton at an additional 1’30”. In the peloton, Valter, Herrera, Plucinski and Stork are setting the pace. Even though the peloton will ride on gravel the whole time today, the part where they have to get over a mountain isn’t really Thomas’ favourite part. The Brit is being dropped with around 140 km to go, this might be a very lonely day for him.
128 km to go as the leaders cross the finish line for the first and penultimate time. Eight leaders now, as Natarov kept believing and made it to the first group just before the top. Kudos to him!
In the descent, we see that MOL and DK – SVA Zalgiris have decided to put a working guy as well. The difference between the leading group and the peloton at 4’15” with 100 km to go. Thomas another ten minutes behind.
52 km to the finish line as the riders start ascending. From here until the start of the mountain the race will only become harder with the kilometres passing by. First we have gradients of 1-2%, then we go to gradients of 3-4%, and with around 18.5 km to go the final climb really starts. The gap to the peloton now at 3’10”.
Attack in the leading group! 23 km to go and just before we head onto the final climb as Battistella tries his luck. Vilela follows him, the duo has a 10” gap over the other six leaders and an additional minute over the peloton.
The two groups come back together, Sotberg is the next to attack with exactly 20 km to go!
He doesn’t manage to get away. MOL and Repsol – Netflix setting the pace in the peloton just behind the leaders with 18 km to the finish line, as we’re officially on the final mountain!
Tanovitchii’s attack formed the break of the day, and he’s also the last survivor. With 15 km to go he has a small gap over the 109 riders left in the peloton. All names who should be in that peloton are actually there, no big names left behind.
The pace isn’t super high yet, as Tanovitchii is still 20” ahead of a chasing group of 42 with 12 km to the finish line! Roson dropped quite early, but most of the team’s leaders are still in the leading group, except for Mai maybe. It has even started to snow in Kenya... Ken ya believe it?
Tanovitchii is caught with 11 km to climb, this calls for an attack in the group of favourites! Preidler gladly answers the call, as the Austrian goes for glory!
Choi is clearly on domestique duties for Cattaneo, the Hong Kong national champion catches Preidler under the flag of the last 10 km! An elite group of 27 has now formed, with Garby and Intxausti the missing (co-)leaders.
Tenorio leads the dance with 9 km to go, as the elite group has become even more elitist! The fourteen riders able to follow the Spaniard’s wheel are Nerz, Choi, Cattaneo, Padun, Kudus, Preidler, Wellens, Henao Montoya, Monsalve, Beltran, Pantano Gomez, Denifl, Oomen and Carthy. Next group already at almost a minute!
Seems like Tenorio really likes to dance! After the Tour of the Middle East disaster he is trying to make up for it by winning the Kenya Mountain Classic now, and as Nerz loses touch it’s Cattaneo trying to keep up with 8 km to the finish line! Behind Monsalve there is a small gap over Denifl, Carthy, Oomen and Choi, while Pantano Gomez and Beltran are even further behind now!
The group Denifl makes it back to the first chasing group, where Cattaneo sits down with 7.5 km to the finish line! Henao Montoya and Monsalve now trying to close the gap to Tenorio!
Henao Montoya brings the others back to the Spanish champion, which gives us another race situation with 7 km to climb! Nerz and Choi can’t follow anymore, so we now have eleven leaders!
But there he goes again! Tenorio immediately with another attack! Wasting his energy again, or is he really too strong for the others today?!
Strong acceleration by the Spaniard, who has 40” over the ten chasers entering the final six km! Choi leaves Nerz behind in his search for the twelfth place!
Kudus leads the ten chasers into the last 5 km, but Tenorio’s lead has grown to 1’20” already!
Tenorio already in his final three km with a two minute lead over the chasing group, what a demonstration! Choi has actually joined that chasing group now, with Nerz at an additional 50”, Beltran another 15”, then Pantano Gomez another 30” behind and a peloton of 25 following one minute later.
Even though the mist doesn’t allow him to see the finish line, he’s definitely coming closer. 2.5 km to go as the Spanish champion is still advancing at a good pace, surely this can’t go wrong anymore?
Well, never say never! Denifl uppens the pace in the chasing group, which sees Choi, Oomen and Padun dropped! The difference with 2 km to go now at 1’40”!
The eight chasers coming closer quickly! 1.5 km to go for Tenorio, who has a 1’20” lead! They’re right around the corner, unexpected suspense in the finale!
Even though the weather conditions aren’t optimal, the chasers can still see the Desigual rider under the flamme rouge! Time difference now around fifty seconds!
As our leader enters the final 700 meters with a gap of 35” over the chasers, three riders leave the others behind! Is any of those three, Denifl, Wellens or Henao Montoya strong enough to make the catch in time?!
Tenorio already cheering with 300 meters to go!
But this camera shows us he should better not waste any time, as the chasers are coming extremely close now!
It seems his confidence was well placed though, as Tenorio is back in business! He wins the Kenya Mountain Classic and becomes the most successful rider in the history of Desigual!
Henao Montoya will definitely make his manager happy with a second place. Wellens will also step on the podium, as he beats Denifl for third place.
Kudus in fifth ahead of Monsalve, while Preidler beats Carthy for seventh. Cattaneo is ninth.
Padun completes the top-10 ahead of Oomen, while Choi is the second MOL rider, finishing twelfth.
Colombian champion Beltran finishing strong and taking the thirteenth place, while Nerz is fourteenth and Pantano Gomez fifteenth.
A bit later the peloton crosses the finish line to score the remaining points. Lunke the first CT rider in sixteenth. Thanks for watching/reading, see you soon!
