The riders will cross a very undulating circuit 3 times before heading on to a flat finish. We should be looking for a mass sprint, as the hills don't seem hard enough to displace the sprinters.

The first attack comes from Giordani (VIN). He is soon followed by Bertazzo (AND) and Le Montagner (BSE).


Before a real break can form, we have a split! 49 riders are already behind after just 17km.


The first attackers get into the break, as well as Van de Walle (LTB), Beyer (CSS), Hardy (COF), Aregger (IAM), Huguet (ARG) and Declerq (TSV). So, Argos and IAM take the pressure off themselves to chase. How will this effect things later on?


The first group to be dropped get back with 175km to go, but just 5km later, 37 are behind. They again get back within 5 kilometres.


This split is a game changer! With 57km to go, 75 riders have been dropped, including a few favourites - Brouwer (BEL), Van Hummel and Markus (VCD).

They do get back withing 5km (again ) but immediately 52 fall back again - however this time with no favourites.


45km: With the break still ahead, Muravyev (AST) goes on the attack.


On the last hill, most of the break gets caught. Hardy and Beyer are still ahead and Wynants (BEL) attacks.


20km: Bouhanni is dropped! Ladagnous comes back to help, but it looks like Demare is alone. The group behind has 22 in in, and with the previous dropped group still behind, there are only 37 left in the so called peloton.


15km: Only 13 riders are left in the lead group, including Degenkolb, Haussler and Brouwer. Hardy is somehow still ahead, and the group of 13 isn't gaining ground.


13km: Off goes Iglinskiy. He passes the Frenchman and keeps going at a blistering pace.


Hardy has stayed at about 100m from the sprinters' group for about 5km now. With 5 to go he is still ahead, but is caught with 3km left. Iglinskiy still leads, by 1'40 in fact! Could this be a shock win?


Haussler is the only one with a leadout. The other 2 sprinters are in his wheel.


But the lack of riders to relay pays off! Astana have a shock win by more than 2 minutes.


Meanwhile, the sprint is starting behind. Haussler is the first to go, but the other two are faster than him.


Degenkolb gets second while Brouwer claims 3rd by an inch.

What a great race! Definitely not what was expected!

[img][/img]