Stage Favourites:
Pozzato (LAM) Van Poppel (VCD) Stybar (OPQ) Fenn (OPQ) Kennedy (MTN)

Classified as flat, but we do have an unclassified climb with percentages of 10% with around 30 KM to go. The GC days may be over but there is still stage wins to be had and the points jersey is still up for grabs.



The break today: Dion, Klemme, Louder, Boev and Peron.


Reguigui: The Algerian champ.

Good steady conditions make for easy riding in the first half of the stage. With another sprint on the cards, however, the peloton soon speed up.



Sagdijev on the front for Lampre. Would Pozzato take his third win today?



The break hit the final climb. It is certainly more difficult than it looks on the route map. If some favourites attack it could really break up the race into a million pieces.


Venter controls the peloton.

Venter (MTN) sets a steady pace up the ramps of 10% and ensures the peloton crest the climb with none of the sprinters dropped. However, one feels if a Caruso or a Duarte put in an attack the sprinters would have lost contact very quickly.

With 22 KM to go it is downhill to the finish, the break still have 1'30 of an advantage.


Louder (UHC) is still ahead as we go under the 1 KM banner.

Only one rider survives as the sprint trains take up the chase, however, he soon will be caught. Once again Lampre and Vaconsoleil show the other teams how to execute a lead-out.


Louder is caught.

The sprint is on! The win looks as if it will come from either Van Poppel, Fenn or Vantomme today. Ista is also mixing it up today, whereas Pozzato is a bit too far back to contest the podium on the day.


Win No.2 for Van Poppel.

The green jersey takes his second win of this Tour of Qinghai Lake, winning by a bike length over Fenn, who marginally passed Vantomme (3rd) in the final. Pozzato (5th) now trails Van Poppel by 18 points in the fight for the green jersey.

Stage Favourites:
Kennedy (MTN) Trentin (OPQ) Fenn (OPQ) Van Poppel (VCD) Schnaidt (CSS)

We have 6 laps of a circuit which takes in a 9% hill. After all the racing we have been through that hill could really destroy any hopes for many sprinters on this penultimate stage.


Delpech leads the break.

The 4 man break today: Delpech, Wallays, Clarke and Pauwels. Some of the smaller teams (such as Bretagne & Topsport) have done really well to make the break time after time.



Plenty of fans come out to cheer on the race.


35 KM to go.

42 riders are dropped from the peloton. Trentin, was riding on the front a few kilometres ago, now he is out the back trying to help Fenn (the biggest name dropped) to regain contact. Fenn, De Marchi and Failli would not make it back to the peloton. That 9% hill is really doing some damage.


Avery battling to stay in touch with the peloton.

Clinton Avery would soon be dropped. With 28 KM to go the peloton are down to 62 riders, many of the sprinters can be seen towards the front of the peloton weary of being caught out.


Voltali Feunard struggles to hang on to the rear of the peloton.

............


Kennedy - Dropped.

With 20 KM to go the peloton are down to around 50 riders as stage favourite Dave Kennedy is dropped in a group alongside Voltali Feunard. MTN riders drop back, but they must realise it is in vain.


Lampre dish out the pain.

Lampre are the culprits for much of the suffering. The Italian team, in an effort to make the race hard for the other sprinters, really push on the pace over the hill. It is looking good for Pozzato.

The break would be caught with 12 KM to go. A 38 man peloton would contest the finish.



Van Poppel has survived the last of the hills and has his team on the front coming into the final few kilometres.


Pozzato launches.

However, Pozzato is the first sprinter to lauch his final effort as we hit the final 300 meters. Is this win no.3?



Stybar looks to challenge ......


Win No. 3 for Pozzato!

It has proved to be a grand decision in coming to this race for Lampre, Pozzato picks up his third stage win. Stybar put up a great sprint today but just couldn't muster enough speed to pass the resilient Pozzato. Van Poppel, sees his lead in the points jersey cut, finished very quickly but ran out of road.

The winner of the green jersey will not be decided until the final stage tomorrow.

Stage Favourites:
Van Poppel (VCD) Fenn (OPQ) Schnaidt (CSS) Kennedy (MTN)

The final stage is finally upon us. The stage takes in many laps of a circuit with a small but steep hill, however, said hill shouldn't cause too many problems.



MTN lead the peloton early on.


Stage winner, Van Hecke, makes another break.

The break today: Klemme, Van Hecke and Hovelynck. Surely Van Hecke wouldn't surprise everyone to take another stage win today?



The break are well in control with around 30 KM to go. Like yesterday Lampre are really pushing on the pace over the hill, however, the hill is not difficult enough to cause any fractures in the peloton.


Stybar attacks!

With just 7 KM to go it looks as if we are set for some déjà vu. Van Hecke has distanced Klemme and Hovelynck and has a good margin back to the peloton who are struggling to bring the Belgian back, '55 is the gap.

Over the top of the last summit of the hill we see Stybar attack. Caruso also puts in an attack, shadowed by the yellow jersey, however, the tentative move gets nowhere.


Stybar - caught.

With 5 KM to go there is a bit of hesitation as Stybar is caught. Van Hecke is still out-front, it looks a 50-50 whether he can hang on or not.


Vaconsoleil vs Lampre for the final time here.

The two sprint trains have formed one of the most iconic images of this Tour of Qinghai Lake. They bring Van Poppel and Pozzato into a good position as the sprint nears, however, Van Hecke battles on out-front.


Schnaidt and Vantomme can't handle the pace.

They can't follow the nine sprinters/lead-out men who motor on in search of a stage win, if they can catch Van Hecke that is .....


Stage win No.2 for Van Hecke!

Van Hecke puts in another epic solo ride to take his second stage win in such fashion, incredible!

Pozzato was the fastest finisher and finished meters from claiming his fourth win here. It may not be a fourth win for Pozzato, however, he will leave with the points jersey after overhauling Van Poppel, who could only finish 6th, by one solitary point.

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