We're here in Slovenia, where many of the best punchers who can sprint and sprinters who can pun..errr...climb hills, have turned out and will try to take home the race win. It's a coldish sunny day as we get started.
Favorites
Last Name
First Name
Team
HIL
RES
SPR
ACC
Eiking
Odd Christian
Hilcona Racing Team
81
74
68
76
Guerreiro
Ruben
Team Würth MODYF
77
73
72
72
Korosec
Rok
Trans Looney Tunes
75
71
75
78
McCormick
Hayden
Cervelo Test Team
76
71
73
73
Bystrom
Sven Erik
Ethiopian Airlines
79
72
68
76
Morin
Emmanuel
Hilcona Racing Team
78
73
69
76
Grosser
Aaron
Cervelo Test Team
74
72
75
75
Houle
Hugo
Cervelo Test Team
73
68
77
75
Nikiema
Bachirou
Simba Cement - Tanga Fresh
77
74
70
76
Wackermann
Luca
Euskotren - Pays Basque
74
74
74
72
Vendrame
Andrea
Ethiopian Airlines
76
73
71
75
Five rides form the early break - Thompson, Pickrell, Paulus, Vinokourov and Klahan.
Soon after, Serrano and Alajmi go after them.
Serrano catches up on the small uphill sections before the second major climb.
Alajmi wouldn't be able to bridge the gap and was caught with 100 km to go. The pack's deficit is 3'22".
Duchesne is the first big name to attack. A long way to go still, 55 km.
Serrano is dropped from the break with 48 km left.
Both the attacker and the dropped rider are caught with 40 km to go.
The pack trail by 1'9" another 10 km later. Trans and Wurth-MODYF doing all of the pace-making for the moment. 34 riders have dropped from the pack, but all the favourites are safe. The pack are starting the last set of climbs.
Serrano and Yates attack from the pack. 27 km remain.
Meanwhile, Thompson has dropped his breakaway buddies.
All the riders who were ahead of the peloton barring Thompson are caught with 21 km to go. 108 riders remain in the peloton.
Thompson is caught 4 km later.
There's a split in the pack with 14 km to go. Duchesne, Pibernik, Zordan, Bernard, Yates, Watson and Hofstetter are the stronger riders in A1.
The peloton is down to 33.
Wackermann, Eiking and Nikiema get away from the lead group with 10 km left.
Nikiema is dropped a couple of kilometers later.
He would make it back another kilometer later.
The attackers are caught with 5 km left. 70 riders remain in the front group.
13 riders get away another kilometer later. Could this be the winning move?
Korosec gets away with 2 km to go. The others are caught by 14 more riders from the previous peloton.
Korosec still leads comfortably with 1 km to go. The peloton is back to being 69 riders strong.
The situation is the same with half a kilometer left.
Korosec wins! A smooth ride to the line after a perfectly timed double attack.
Jensen and Serrano take up the 2nd and 3rd positions.
Eiking takes 4th in a tight three way battle. Nikiema and Bystrom are the ones he pushes down to 5th and 6th, respectively. Hermans is 7th.
McCormick wins the sprint from the next grouplet for 8th. Guerreiro is 9th.
Robov is 10th, followed by Grosser, Wackermann and Morin, in positions 11 to 13.
Houle is 14th, followed by Welten, making up the Top 15.
Today's winner - Rok Korosec.
Korosec uses his skillset to perfection for a race like this and picks up a famous home win for himself and his team. Jensen and Serrano complete the podium.
