*** Favourites ***
Kittel (SGM), Veelers (TAM), Davis (DOM)

Tulik (TAP) and Mosquera (TCS) are the first two riders to attack.

The peloton isn’t going to just let anyone get away today, so the six riders out front at the first intermediate sprint has less than a minute to the peloton.
Wilmann (HAI) takes it ahead of Niermann (TCS) and Poos (SEP).

Things are still very close at the time of the second intermediate sprint, though it seems a break is starting to get established.
Tankink (ING) takes it ahead of Poos (SEP) and Wilmann (HAI).

We’ll get back to you with the full list of breakers once they’re over two minutes.

Heading into the final 150 km 14 riders have built a gap of 4’17’’.
They are Haas (TCW), Tankink (ING), Nierman & Mosquera (TCW), Van der Sande (MAG), Poos (SEP), Rousseau & Tulik (TAP), Kump (PER), Wilmann (HAI), Sanz (BUL), Starzengruber (RBM), Young (AXA) and Femal (CSC).

It’s a tough fight for the first KOM.
Tankink wins ahead of Van der Sande and Rousseau.
The break has just under six minutes advantage now.

100 km to go and Allianz is starting to get a little help from Nintendo in the peloton. Still no sign of Kittels SGL-team though! The break holds just over eight minutes…

Van der Sande puts in a massive effort towards the top of the main climb and takes the points ahead of Wilmann and Haas. That puts the Belgian in the mountain jersey tomorrow.

80 km to the line and the break holds 7’04’’. Still no sign of SGL – Magix in the peloton!

70 km and 5’58’’

Now would you look at that. With 60 km to go and a gap of 4’45’’ SGL has offered a rider to help in the chase.

50 km and 4’04’’

40 km and 3’11’’

Tom Leezer decides to attack from the peloton with 30 km to go and the break still 2’29’’ ahead.

It was as silly as it looked and 5 km later he was reeled back in.

Sanz takes the last intermediate sprint ahead of Tulik and Tankink.

With 20 km to go it’s still Allianz dominating the chase. They have 1’20’’ still to catch in.

Sanz tries his best to make the break last, but with 9 km to the line it’s all over.

5 km to the line it’s Allianz for
. Behind him Kittel – Davis – Rojas – Hondo – Gavazzi

Julien Simon opens his leadout for Ciolek with 2,5 km to go, but Kittel squeezes in just ahead of his fellow countryman.

1 km to the line.

Kittel seems completely out of form as Rojas snatches the win!

*** Favourites ***
Kittel (SGM), Rojas (NAC), Veelers (TAM)

Daniel Foder (SEP) is the first rider to go on the attack today.

Nintendo – Ambuja is controlling things harshly on the first part and it’s not until 60 km into the race that a break actually manages to get more than two minutes.
The breakers are Bahati (CSC), Kiendys (AXA), Mosquera & Niermann (TCS), Leezer (ING), Preidler (RBM) and Van Leijen (TCW).

At the first intermediate with 101 km to go Van Leijen surprises the other with a long sprint and takes it ahead of Leezer and Preidler.
The break has 9 minutes to the peloton, where Allianz and SGL have started to help Nintendo.

The second intermediate is taken by Van Leijen ahead of Kiendys and Leezer. The gap is now down to 7’30’’

No one wants to contest Kiendys for the first KOM, so he gets it ahead of Preidler and Niermann.
As usual it’s Allianz in charge of the peloton most of the time. They have 60 km to reel in a gap of 5’44’’

Kiendys takes the second KOM and the jersey with a long sprint followed by Van Leijen and Preidler.

46 km and 4’30’’

30 km to go and the peloton is starting to gain time quickly. Still 2’36’’ to reel in though.

Kiendys takes the last intermediate sprint ahead of Van Leijen and Mosquera. Just over a minute to the peloton now.

Just when the break is caught with 10 km to go Bulgari – Indetex applies a quite alternative strategy as Oliveira goes to the tarmac pulling GC-candidates Michael Rogers (DOM) and Jesse Sergent (HAI) down with him.

Both Haier and Domino send riders down to help their captains, but they have already lost more than two minutes before they get any help.

4 km to the line Allianz have their train ready in front. Van Avermaet ahead of Simon and Ciolek.

Simon opens the sprint with 2 km to go. Ciolek and Hondo right behind him, while Schulze struggles to deliver Kittel a couple of bike lengths further back.

Ciolek puts in his punch just under the km mark still with Hondo in his wheel. Kittel, Pozzato and Biondo side by side just behind.

400 m to go.

Ciolek thanks his team for their excellent work all day as he catches Fischer and Detreute by a round right on the line.

*** Favourites ***
Kittel (SGM), Davis (DOM), Veelers (TAM)

It’s a bit slower start today than the first two stages, but eventually Tankink decides to open the attacking.

Tankink (ING) takes the only KOM of the day ahead of Der (AXA) and Haas (TCW). Also in the break: Starzengruber (RBM), Foder (SEP), Kump (PER), Hansen (TCW), Femal (CSC) and Van der Sande (MAG). At this point they have 2’30’’ to the peloton.

Starzengruber takes the first sprint ahead of Femal and Haas.

Now this is weird. As soon as Allianz get the GC lead they stop taking responsibility in the peloton…
100 km to go and the break has 8’15’’

80 km and 6’51’’

The second intermediate with 56 km to go gets really close. Kump wins ahead of Tankink and Der.

5’16’’ to the peloton.

40 km and 4’33’’. Looks like Allianz is needed to direct the chase…

Starzengruber takes the last intermediate in front of Foder and Kump.

21 km to the line and the break still holds 2’58’’. Looks like they might actually have a chance to make it!

And the peloton seems to have given up in chasing the stage win as they loose half a minute over the next three km.

Nathan Haas knows he is not the fastest sprinter so he attacks with 17 km to the line and is followed by Jesper Hansen and Bram Tankink.

Meanwhile the peloton is shattered by a huge crash. 51 riders remain in the first group. Among them Cancellara, Durbridge, Terpstra and Rasmussen. Ciolek is one of the riders caught behind.

Going in to the final 10 km Tankink and Hansen have 55 seconds to the rest of the break, who has 3’32’’ to the main group. Looks like the peloton have lost this one!

Tankink looks superior today and pulls away from his Danish companion with 7 km to the line.

Hansen is caught by the rest of the breakers in the final km

Bram Tankink both started and finished the break today. What an effort!

Biondo takes the final spot in top 10 in a close sprint behind.

Allianz was the only team capable of controlling the race in the first two stages. Today they took a day off in the yellow jersey and blew everything for themselves and all the other favourites.

Vicioso, Clarke, Vrecer and Amorison had to abandon following the crash.