Ambition: This stage will be one more suited to R. Porte than to the sprinters, so we'll see what happens.
The breakaways begin, and as usual Pauriol joins in. However, he is deemed too great a threat by the peleton which doesn't let him get very far.
However, he did manage to make it to the 1st intermediate sprint, but only manages a 4th, beaten by K. Arvesen (Sky), D. Pate (HTC) and G. Steegmans (Quickstep)
Eventually a breakaway group is established. R. Sicard (Euskatel), K. Arvesen (Sky), M. Finetto (Liquagas) and G. Lequatre (Radioshack) They build up a gap of 4'15'' and finally with 66km to go, my men take the lead at the front.
At the 2nd intermediate sprint, Finetto comes first with Arvesen second and Lequatre third.
The breakaway makes it to the intermediate climb. Arvesen makes it the top first, taking the mountain jersey off Pauriol. Gutted!
We come to the final climb and, with 5km to go, Porte set off.
Then soon after Sagan goes for a leadout attack for E. Boasson Hagen. These attacks catch up with the breakaway.
With 1km to go, it's a 3 horse race between Breschel, Porte and Boasson Hagen.
And...........
Breschel makes it 3rd time lucky. However, thankfully for us, he doesn't get enough time to take the yellow.
Thanks to everyone for all the advice. I do have another question:
How do you change the logo for the team, when they are wearing one of the leading jerseys? Boasson Hagen just has the cyanide symbol on his back.
Ambition
Well, we really want to hold onto the leaders jersey and hopefully extend Boasson Hagen's lead over Breschel. But what we would really like to see it Pauriol regaining his Mountain jersey.
Sadly, I forgot (again) to view the race replay for my screenshots, so you'll have make do with my descriptions. Sorry.
Between about 15 to 20 km into the race, a massive breakaway of 18 riders forms. As usual, Pauriol is involved, along with Oss (Liquigas), Kohler (BMC), Roberts (Saxobank), Amador (Movistar), Sieberg (OmegaPharma), Krivstov (AG2R), De Gendt (Vacansoleil), Howard (HTC), Miroronev (Katusha), Muravyev and McCartney (both Radioshack), Kondrut and Righi (both Lampre), Iglinskiy and Grivko (both Astana) and Jenkins and Wegelius (both UnitedHealthCare)
Originally the pack sets off in hot pursuit, but, with just a 30'' interval, they slow down. However, they never really let them get away, allowing them a maximum break of only 1'45''. However that allows them just enough time to take in both the imtermediate climb and the 1st intermediate sprint. Pauriol completes his mission and makes it to the top of the climb first regaining his jersey! Success
He also manages to come 2nd in the 1st sprint, sticking well to the wheel of Kohler before just being beaten by Oss.
Once again the pack is all together again. with about 85km to go.
But not for long. Between 78 and 75km to go, 7 riders seperate from the group, once again including Pauriol who is in excellent form with a +5. Alongside him this time are Ignatiev (Katusha), Boucher (OmegaPharma), Hunt (Sky), Rollin (FDJ)Morkov (Saxobank) and Kohler (BMC).
This group only ever gets a break of 1'15'' yet still manage to make it through the 2nd intermediate sprint, with Pauriol coming 2nd again, this time to Rollin.
The sprinting team finally start to make the pace and this group is caught just as they go under the 20km banner. Rollin tries to attack again with Hunter (RadioShack) but this break doesn't even get off the ground.
So it all come down to the sprint. This success of our team is shown by the fact that Breschel is trying to catch the wheel of Boasson Hagen. Well, to be true everyone is, and Breschel ends up third in the cue behind Boonen and Farrar.
Yet our lead out team proves too strong, and once again Hagen brings home the stage win.
Results 1. E.Boasson Hagen Emperors 3h02'20''
2. T. Farrar Garmin-Cervelo s.t.
3. T. Boonen Quickstep s.t.
4. M. Breschel Rabobank s.t. 5. P. Sagan Emperors s.t.
6. P. Ligthart Vacansoleil s.t.
7. F. Sabatini Liquigas s.t.
8. D. Bennati Leopard s.t.
9. G. Steegmans Quickstep s.t.
10. D. Hondo Lampre s.t.
By the way, my podiums is seriously screwed up. I'm using the PCMdailyExpansion Pack V0.5->1, but when I try to install the podium fixer, it says that it cannot create the files.
Ambition
Hold onto all the jerseys. Pauriol in particular needs to be careful of an attack on his mountain jersey.
The stage started with a number of minor attacks that never really came to anything. The 1st intermediate sprint came and went with De Gendt (Vacansoleil) in 1st followed by McCartney (Radioshack) and Albino (Geox).
Then one man, Iglinskiy (Astana) sets off on his own. The pack is setting a slow pace, but he doesn't make the most of it, only building up a gap of 1'15'' by the 2nd intermediate sprint. Sagan decided to have a go for some spare seconds to cement his 2nd place on the young rider's jersey. However, he passes Iglinskiy and comes 1st followed by Hunt (Sky) and then Iglinskiy.
Soon after this sprint, a group of 5 other riders make the jump up to join Hunt and Iglinskiy. These riders are Ignatiev (Katusha), Rollin (FDJ), Boucher (Omega Pharma), Wegelius (UnitedHealthCare) {4th on the Mountains} and Pauriol because of Wegelius.
The groups still only manages a 1'45'' gap. They make it to the 1st intermediate climb. Pauriol comes 1st followed by Boucher and Rollin.
The peleton seems to have closed the gap with 20km to go.
Yet, the break makes it over the second climb, with once again, to secure his jersey, Pauriol 1st, Ignatiev 2nd and Rollin 3rd.
But the peleton slows again, and the break, having dropped Wegelius, still has a 1'00'' lead with 10 km to go.
The break then drop Boucher, but still have a slender lead with 5km to go.
