Stage Favourites:
Pozzato (LAM) Stybar (OPQ) Vantomme (CRE) Trentin (OPQ) Gatto (VIN)

This is a pan flat stage and a relatively short one. Therefore it should favour the fastest sprinters here opposed to the likes of Pozzato.



Three regulars make the break, they are: De Vreese, Klimov & Day.


33 KM to go: The break are 4'00 ahead.

The time gaps looks good for the break, however the chase soon starts behind and another sprint looks on the cards today.


Konovalovas on the front.

With less than 10 KM to go all the sprinters are getting into position, the break are marginally ahead, but are fighting on.


Vaconsoleil take charge.

With less than 3 KM to go the sprint train of Vaconsoleil ensures we will have a bunch sprint today. The team create a small gap back to the other trains, only Drucker can follow.


300 meters to go.

Van Poppel gets the perfect lead-out today, for once Lampre don't take charge. It will be Van Poppel vs. Drucker for the stage win by the looks of it.


Stage win Van Poppel.

After showing well at many sprints and intermediates, Van Poppel finally picks up his stage win today and moves into the green jersey in the process. He was too strong for Drucker (3rd) and was able to hold off a rampant Pozzato (2nd) thanks to the excellent advantage he received from the lead-out.

GC:

Stage Favourites:
Caruso (CAN) Duarte (COL) Stybar (OPQ) Failli (VIN) Rabottini (VIN)

A mostly flat stage with one decisive 3rd cat. climb, around 10 KM in length, which summits 17 KM from the finish. Well and truly the last stage to decide the GC.



7 make the break, they are: Konovalovas, Delfosse, Van Hecke, Trentin, Saramotins, Day and Klimov. They say there is power in numbers, well will the largest break of this Tour of Qinghai Lake make it all the way to the finish?



No chase today. For the first time the break will be allowed to contest the victory with no teams interested in chasing from the peloton.



27 KM to go:

The break hit the final climb with an advantage of over 8'00 back to the peloton. Even if the favourites attack from the bottom they will surely not catch the break today.


Failli starts the attacks.

Failli puts in multiple attacks which really animates the yellow jersey group. Duarte, Firsanov, Brambilla, Denifl and Caruso are countering all of the moves. Whereas Johnson is struggling on the hill more so than the mountainous stages and Rabottini finds himself boxed in.



The 8 man breakaway rode together until there were just meters to go on the final climb, before Van Hecke attacked to claim the 6 KOM points. This caused many counter moves and the break, subsequently, broke up on the descent. Van Hecke found himself ahead with a decent advantage.



Some 6'00 later Duarte, Caruso, Firsanov and Denifl are the first out of the peloton to summit the major climb of the day. The climb has proved harder and more selective than expected but Duarte and Caruso never looked in danger of being distanced by the other.


That is how to descend!

Saramotins put in an exhibition on descending today. He quickly caught and passed Van Hecke before powering on, leaving the likes of Delfosse and Trentin well behind. The IAM rider goes downhill at a totally different speed to those behind.


Stage win for IAM.

The Latvian really did ride a superb last 15 kilometres, showcasing great power at the end of stage. He puts over 1'00 into Van Hecke (2nd) and Trentin (3rd).



Once again, Duarte and Caruso cannot be separated. The Colombian leads home 'the big two, over 5'00 down on Saramotins. Johnson didn't look as capable today, however, he does put more time into Rabottini ahead of the final three, sprinter friendly, stages of this Tour of Qinghai Lake.

GC:

POINTS: