STAGE 16: Roa de Duro - Ciuadad Romana de Clunia 156 KM

Stage Favourites:
*****Szymd(IBA) ****Sella(ALC) ***Serpa(CAR)
**Konig(NES) *Clarke(BLU)

As a result a quality rider in Ciolek made the 8 man break. He was joined by, Monsalve, Appleby, Sergent, Parra, Champion, Morajko and Alizadeh.

With 85 KM to go the break have 9'00 over the peloton with no chase behind.

At this stage in the race the break have in excess of 14'00 over the peloton.

Ciolek, Parra and Sergent distance the other 5 with a strong attack. The others carry on setting a decent tempo after not initially reacting.

Sergent .... can ride across to the wheel. Ciolek .... CAN NOT RESPOND. The final climb kicks in, the remains of the break are '30 behind and reducing the gap, but it looks too little too late.

For a while both are on level terms. Then inch by inch, Parra moves into the lead. Inch by inch, he extends it.

Parra rides the perfect break away stage and takes the win because of it. De Weert may not be performing but Swiss Life have done well through Bodnar and now Parra. Monsalve surges up the final climb the quickest and rounds off the podium.

Szymd attacks late on, this catches the other favourites off guard. He would pull out a further '20 to the likes of Koren and ....... MASSIVE TIME TO SOME OTHERS!

Yes folks today we had a time warp!

All of the peloton came to the final 2 KM climb together. However, some must have passed through a wormhole as some of the time gaps were extraordinary/ unexplainable. Tschopp is the biggest loser on the day GC wise. He somehow manages to lose over 2'00 to Szymd. The way Szymd has been riding the fight for 1st may now be over. Cummings moves back onto the podium.

Wormholes......

The multiple stage winner attacks knowing another stage win is on the horizon, he is joined by B Schierlinckx, Sieberg, Ardila, Barbin, Zitta, Maes, Ginanni and Sagan for the break of the day.

The only other incident in the peloton early on was Tschopp puncturing.
The Aer Lingus rider has now had multiple mechanicals, however, the red jersey Szymd is yet to have one.....

He claims 10 KOM points with 87 KM to go to move into second in the KOM competition. He will wear that jersey tomorrow. It has been a great TOTC for the Schierlinckx brothers and Nokia - Ekspla.

There is no chase from the peloton. AGAIN! With 80 KM to go the break have 8'30, the gap continues to grow. We are looking at another break fighting out the win.

Sagan, Schierlinckx, Ardila and Sieberg have been dropped by the 5 strongest of the break over the final climb. On the same climb, when the peloton reaches it, we have some mini fireworks.

Konig, who else, is the first to put in a dig. He is shortly followed by Cummings. Tschopp then puts in an attack by himself. This means many domestiques are tailed off the peloton....

He puts in a small attack and catches up to the escapees. With nothing but a downhill slope to the finish there would be no more attacks from the peloton.

Zitta is the first to launch his final effort.

But it is not long before Fischer, expecting his 3rd win, comes storming past. Ginanni, a good sprinter in his own right, has no problem following the wheel. Has the Brazilian underestimated him?

Fischer underestimates the sprinting prowess of Sahin's sprinter and pays for it, although a 2nd place finish and the out right lead in the green jersey competition is a good consolation. Ginanni was more than capable to come around the Brazilian in the dying metres, the Turkish team are having a definitive TOTC.

Koren leads a depleted peloton home in the battle for 10th.