STAGE 12: Gunnisen - Aspen 208 KM

Stage Favourites:
*****Serpa(CAR) ****Tschopp(AER) ***Szymd(IBA)
**Atapuma(SAH) *Clarke(BLU)

We have two long mountains to deal with today in the USA. With the final climb at Independence pass being 32 kilometres from the finish the favourites may not even attack and leave the win to a break.

Welcome to the boondocks! The break climb the back roads of the mountains of America.

We have 10 in the break today, they are: Lobato, Appleby, Champion, Bono, Fischer, Rogina, Morajko, Von Bon, Boily and vandeWalle.

Snow, although not much of it, makes its presence felt on highest points of the route.

A UK Youth rider gets back on his bike after falling on the long descent. The racing is really easy today, no one is in any difficulty despite the stage profile.

With 85 KM to go Pliuschin takes up the chase with the break at 6'50, he has some engine and will ride for some kilometres.

The final climb is upon us with 54 km to go and the break at 4'00. Atapuma, Rodriguez, Bochman and Golcer attack: they can't get away.

With 38 KM to go now Mori is riding solitary on the front. The same riders attack. This time they get away .... Not for the first time Atapuma is the quickest up the final climb and leaves the trio in his wake.

Atapuma can't bridge across to the 10 riders, he will be disappointed he missed out on 16 KOM points. But he does bridge across on the descent after passing the exhausted Lobato and von Bon.

This 9 rider break will fight out the finish. They are willing to take more risks than the peloton who are now resigned to the minor places with Iberia riding a steady tempo on the front. The other late attackers are in no mans land.

With Lobato dropped surely Fischer is the overwhelming stage favourite. Despite this Appleby leads the break towards the finish. There are no attacks! Surely they are handing the win to 7up.

But he won't have it his own way. The fresher man, Atapuma, is coming back at the Brazilian at a frightening pace....

Fischer does hold off the super Atapuma and takes his and 7up's second win here. 7up are now the only team to win multiple stages. Fischer now moves into the points jersey, showing you can do well purely from the breaks. Champion is having a great TOTC himself, he rounds off the podium.

The peloton have a leisurely day, although a late crash towards the rear caused three riders to abandon, our first abandonments. They come home @ 3'42 led by Bozic, yes the sprinters had no trouble with these mountains.

Stage Favourites:
*****Clarke(BLU) ****Serpa(CAR) ***Cummings(SAH)
**Martens(NOK) *Hermans(BEL)

After many anonymous stages since their win, Bozic could be seen helped back to the peloton early on.

A 7 man break get clear today, The riders: B Schierlinckx, Rosseler, Kipling, Brammeier, Preidler, Dowsett and Nys.

With 75 km to go , like stage 12, Nespresso put one man on the front of the peloton. A few kilometres later Houle of Borussia Dortmund joins in. The break have 6'00 over the peloton.

With 29 KM to go it is looking good for the break. Iberia are just riding steadily and the break have over 3'00. Staf Schierlinckx, despite his brother being in the break, attacks! At the same time his team mate, Martens, falls. No one goes with this attack so the Nokia Ekspla rider retreats back to the peloton and sees his German teammate move towards the front.

The break will fight it out again today. The peloton take it really easy once again and are over 3'00 down ahead of the Lincoln stage, too many suffering from jet lag maybe?

Kipling is spent and the battle will be between Nys and Dowsett for the stage win!

Dowsett looked like he might challenge but the resilient Belgian was too strong up the final climb. That is 2 wins on the bounce for 7up. Could they have wished for better? Super from Nys, although the peloton could have had the win if they wanted it no doubt.

Niels Albert (left of picture) was at the stage today, deep down he must respect his arch rival's skills to pull this one off.

Martens leads home the peloton after being dropped, he looks to be the best puncheur here. Hermans shows his face for the first time and finishes with a top 10.