Rolf interviews Michele Scarponi before the stage:
RS: What can you say about the race and the stage.
MS: Obviously the race have been perfect for me, couldent have asked for a better start. Today’s stage for me is about getting through with as little effort as possible without losing time. At the same time I hope for Guardini that he has the good legs today.
RS: Thanks for your time.
Nakhal Fort
The Race
4 riders gets away in the morning breakaway, Astana set riders in front, but they are not actually chasing just setting a decent pace.
The mid stage climb to Bousher Alamrat is rather hard win grades up to 12.6 %, but it is not important as the pace is still very limited at this point. The chase starts with just 45 km left, when Dimension Data takes the lead of the peloton.
The break is reeled back in.
Tinkoff’s Daniele Bennati has a critical puncture within the last 10 km; this may reduce Peter Sagan’s options, at a finish that might suit him well.
The stage is won by Michael Matthews (Orica) over Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) takes the last podium.
Astana never gets close to a good finish the last 15 km are too irregular to keep Guardini in position. Laurens De Vreese is the best at 20th.
The ITT is held in Sagres, just 7 km from the west most part of Algarve, Cap Saint-Vincent.
The stage favorites are Sky’s Thomas, even though he has shown bad form in the previous stages, Movistar’s Malori and BMC’s Phinney.
Astana’s Sánchez might have a chance, but it is more important that Dario Cataldo has a good stage not losing time in the GC.
Luis León Sánchez on the route:
The Race
Astanas first rider is Maxat Ayazbayev, he set a relative ok intermediate, at the time 4th but losing a lot of the 2nd half he ends up 11, but it early and he ends up as no. 156.
Matvey Nikitin, does a little better, setting a 10 best, he ends up as no. 64.
BMC’s Taylor Phinney sets a strong new best time 24’17”
Then it is Dmitriy Gruzdev, he sets a very impressive time as 3rd, 42’ after Phinney
Daniil Fominykh dosen’t impress, his end up as 123.
Movistar’s Malori reduces the best time with another 27” it is now 23’51”
Lieuwe Westra set and ok time (34), while Eros Capecchi disappoints a little (96)
Then it is Luis León Sánchez, a little disappointing he sets an 12 best intermediate, but he is faster on the last part making it to 5th losing 35’ to Malori, he ends up as 7th.
Astana’s last and most important rider Cataldo, set a 24th intermediate losing 41”, but the last part has more climbing and he only loses another 17” to Malori, he ends up as 18th a very good result from him.
The result is enough to secure him a 3rd in the GC.
Andrey Amador on the route:
Adriano Malori win’s the stage, but in the GC he is 6’19 after.
Vasil Kiryienka set’s a 4th best time, he takes over the lead of the race, moving Andrey Amador down to 2nd.
Today’s stage is flat most of the time, but it finish in a mountain finish to Jabal Al Akhdhar a 5,7 km climb with an 10.5% gradient. Especially the last 1,7 km is very hard with 13,5%
Rolf has been allowed to have an early meeting with race leader Scarponi at breakfast.
RS: I guess this is the ultimate stage deciding the race, what are your expectations?
MS: I think I may have a chance, if everything work out as I expect and my legs are ok, but cannot forget that we got Alberto, Tejay, Porte as stage favorites not to mention Pierre Rolland, Adam Yates and many other very strong outsiders.
It is not going to be easy and I am not going to complaint if this ends out in a podium.
RS: Thanks and very good luck !
Samail castle:
The Race
The morning break gets away with too much hassel, it is eight riders the best placed are Eduard Vorganov from Katusha, he is 5’19 behind in the GC.
Astana’s Lars Boom and Laurens De Vreese takes part in leading the bunch, the pace is not hard but enough to keep the distance stable around 3’20
With 20 km left, the breakaway is almost over, now it is time for the GC contenders fight for position, the pace is very high.
Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx) attacks from the bottom of the climb. Contador (Tinkoff) counters with Damiano Cunego (Nippo) on wheel. Michele Scarponi with Adam Yates (Orica) and Richie Porte (BMC) are also in front of the peloton, 20 sec. behind Alaphilippe.
Cunego runs dry fast, he fall back. From behind Pierre Rolland (Cannondale) catch up, while Adam Yates struggles to hang on.
About 1 km left, Contador is now alone in front, while Scarponi, Porte and Rolland catches Alaphilippe, Yates has now lost about a minute to group Scarponi.
Alberto Contador wins the stage with 1’24 to the next group, Rolland takes 2nd Alaphilippe 3rd, Porte & Scarponi gets the same time as 4th and 5th. Yates 6th loses 2’54
Alberto Contador now leads the GC with just 3 sec over Michele Scarponi, Pierre Rolland third at 1’28
Stage 4 of Volta ao Algarve seems to fit the sprinters, the favorites are Modolo and Cimolai from Lampre and Debusschere from Lotto–Soudal
Without a true sprinter Astana would prefer to get a rider in a breakaway, hoping for a lucky punch and at the same time protecting Dario Cataldo podium.
City hall São Brás de Alportel:
The Race
A rather hard fight in the morning where many different riders attempt to get in the right breakaway, finaly Lieuwe Westra gets away with 5 other riders, they get over 4 minutes after just 30 km.
While the breakaway is steadily increasing the distance, the peloton is led by team sky in a relaxed tempo, around the 100 km mark the break has more than 7 minutes.
Even though the pace is not hard and the weather is fine, the peloton is haunted by many crashes, Jay McCarthy (Tinkoff) is hurt badly, he abandon’s the race with a spine fracture, he won’t be racing for at least a month, also GC 2nd Andrey Amador (Movistar) was down on the tarmac.
Getting to the last sprint, about 20 km left, Lieuwe Westra decides not to sprint for the points, instead he counters the sprint with an attack.
Westra get away, but on the last 6-8km the group behing him splits in two, Reto Hollenstein (IAM Cycling) and Blel Kadri (Ag2r) comes up from behind.
Hollenstein has that little bit extra fuel left, he wins the sprint over Lieuwe Westra. Kadri takes the last podium.
The rest of the breakaway loses ’33, the peloton sprint was won by Jens Debusschere, 4’33 behind the winner.
Nothing is changes in the GC, but with 4 riders in top 20 Astana takes over the Team Classification.
Stage 5/6 Al Alam Palace - Ministry of Housing in Boshar 142.6 km
Rolf Sørensen makes a stage description waiting for the riders at the Ministry of Housing:
“The Stage starts at Al Alam Palace in Muscat, one of the ruling monarch Sultan Qaboos royal residences. At the last part of the stage Bousher Alamrat will be climed 3 times, and from both sides, with maximum grades over 12%. From the top of the last climb there are about 12 km mostly downhill to the finish line here at the Ministry of Housing.”
The Race
The morning breakaway is 7 riders, including hill expert Michael Albasini from Orica. Although Albasini is more than 10 minutes behind in the GC, he is a huge threat to the stage.
Over the first climb, the breakaway has 4’22”, at this point the pace in the peloton is too high for many riders, notable rider left behind is Gilbert 2’05 down on the favorites in a group of 30, and Sagan in a group of 36 with Astana’s Guardini another 1’43 behind. When the favorites passes the top, the peloton is down to 66 riders.
The distance between the break and the favorite group increases further over the second climb to Bousher Alamrat, when the favorites reach the start of the final climb Michael Albasini (Orica) and Tsgabu G. Grmay (Lampre) is now alone in front with 7’16 to the 31 riders left in the favorite group.
Samuel Sánchez (BMC) attacks, Lars Boom with Michele Scarponi on wheel try to counter.
Sánchez (BMC) keep’s an fantastic speed downhill starting to overtake rider by rider from the original breakaway. In the meantime Richie Porte (BMC) has attacked starting to close in on Michele Scarponi.
In front Tsgabu G. Grmay has attacked leaving Albasini behind. Grmay win’s the stage with 46’’ to Albasini, Samuel Sánchez 3rd at 3’01.
Michele Scarponi finishes right in front of Richie Porte at 3’42, while race leader Alberto Contador get in at 4’41. Michele Scarponi will be new race leader with ‘56” to Contador and 1’31 to Porte.
The filmcrew records Leth making a stage overview in front of “A igreja de Santo Ildefonso” in Almodôvar:
“The final stage starts in Almodôvar actually not a part of Algarve, Almodôvar belongs to the Beja District. From there the route moves south into the Serra do Caldeirão a hilly rock massive with max altitudes between 500-600m. The stage finishes in Malhão a very small village in the hill’s, remarkably housing a Tibetan Buddhism center.
The Race
A total of 13 riders attacks within the first few km of the stage and create the breakaway of the day.
Sergey Shilov (Lokosphinx) sitting in the breakaway, is 16th in the CG only 2’34 behind, the peloton has to react to the situation. Astana, Lotto Soudal and Sky keeps the pace up.
The pace is very hard over the first two climbs, so high that the pursuing group of 18 riders gets a gab to the peloton, the top of the GC sits in this group but Luis León Sánchez is in the next group 1’05 behind the favorites.
25km to the line, at the foot of the last cat 3 climb, the pursuing group catches the breakaway.
The pace decrease after the break is caught and a large group including Sánchez gets back to the front group, now 67 rider.
An attempt by Pavel Brutt from Tinkoff at the 10 km mark is reeled back before the final climb towards the finish.
2,5 km to the top, Jan Bakelants (Ag2r) attacks, Dario Cataldo counters with Leopold König on wheel.
Bakelants win the stage, Cataldo 2nd just in front of König both at 0’46”.
The favorite group gets at 1’26”, resulting in a very close GC, Cataldo is still 3rd, but grabs the overall point classification.
Stage 6/6 Hawit Nagam Park - Matrah Corniche 138.8 km
Rofl Sørensen: The stage start at Hawit Nagam Park, with The Bimmah Sinkhole,a beautiful site where fresh water mixed with sea water gives a unique green color. From there a mostly flat stage up to Matrah district in the eastern part of Muscat city.
Stage bookmaker favorites are Cavendish, Sagan & Ewan.
The sinkhole at Hawit Nagam Park:
The Race
The morning breakaway is 9 riders, including KoM leader Jan Polanc (Lampre).
The peloton is led by BMC and Orica. Orica most likely for Caleb Ewan, it is less obvious who BMC is riding for ? Protecting Richie Porte’s 3rd in GC, or could it be hoping for a stage win from Greg Van Avermaet ?
13 km to the line, the breakaway has about a minute when Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) attacks from the peloton:
Hagen wins the stage in front of Iuri Filosi (Nippo) and Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step)
Astanas best was Lars Boom (7) Michele Scarponi wins the GC, in front of Alberto Contador.
Over the last week Von Trier have grown rather tired with the project, and at the same time Zentropa have been able to agree with Danish Radio to broadcast the film as a two episode special about Astana.
This is the trailer beeing broadcasted on Danish TV.
(Music - Pain of Salvation: Road Salt)
After the filming is over, I will make some changes, increased difficulty and a different reporting. I will close this story and continue the season hereEdited by Tamijo on 14-10-2016 20:22
19/2 Nakhal Fort, Oman 
19/2 2016 
23/2 Zentropa, Filmbyen Avedøre, Denmark
