Verona/Omega Pharma-Quickstep (Who started the move), Erviti/Movistar, Haas/Garmin Sharp, Chernetskiy/Katusha and Meier/Orica GreenEdge have a lead of 5m 20s

With no reaction coming from behind it looks like the five have been granted there freedom, for now

A number of teams are sharing the workload from the front of the peleton

The advantage of the leaders has come down to under four minutes

The peleton are having a bit of a breather after all the recent chasing

The crowds are out in there thousands today cheering on there hero's

It looks like the end of the day for Zandio/Sky Procycling who has punctured twice and finds himself out of the back of the race

Albasini/Orica GreenEdge has decided to liven thing up by attacking from the peleton

He's within twenty seconds of catching the leaders

Meier has attacked

Its not going to be a homegrown success as the attacks from behind are coming thick and fast

Bellemakers/Lotto Belisol and Zabriskie/Garmin Sharp are clear goin under the red kite

And its the Lotto Belisol man who is the strongest at the finish

Garmin - Sharp

I am not happy one bit with the outcome of this race, when you look at the team we brought here, a top ten would have been the least we expected, but we were not capable of delivering even that

Alessandro Bazzana
Alexander Efimkin
Sondre Holst Enger
Caleb Fairly
Javier Megias
Fred Rodriguez
Ben Swift
Tejay Van Garderen

Luyten/Ventilair, Van Overberghe/Topsport Vlaanderen, Tulik/Team Europcar and Didier/Radioshack-Leopard have comfirmed themselves as the break of the day

Race Radio is saying the lead is 5m 51s

Astana, AG2R La Mondiale and Omega Pharma Quickstep are sharing responsibility at the head of
the peleton

The clouds ahead look threatening

The foursome are on ther first section of narrow road

A minute has been shaved off the advantage

Maaskant/Garmin Sharp and Offredo/FDJ have decided its time the race came alive and have attacked off the front of the peleton

Tulik ups the pace at the front as the race closes in from behind

Only Didier and Van Overberghe remain up the road and they have 1m 12s lead

Inside the final ten kilometres and Langeveld/Orica GreenEdge attacks closely followed by Dockx/Lotto Belisol and Offredo/FDJ

Zabriskie/Garmin-Sharp is on the attack once again

Tanner/Belkin leads Ahlstrand/Giant Shimano under the red kite

But in an exciting finish its Boonen/Omega Pharma Quickstep who comes from behind to nick it at the line

Accent Jobs - Wanty

Another poor showing by us during the race but Ben Swift's fifth place at the finish more than made up for that

- Jack Bobridge
- Joseph Dombrowski
- Tyler Farrar
- Vegard Stake Laengen
- Fred Rodriguez
- Joey Rosskopf
- Gary Sutton
- Ben Swift

Four riders escaped early on and have been given there freedom by an uninterested bunch, they are Dombrowski/Team Novo Nordisk, Barras/MG Maxifuel, Ignatiev/Katusha Team and Higgins/Eddie Stobart Procycling, there current advantage is 6m 49s

The early break has now been recaptured and the next group is trying to form a breakaway

Nine riders have formed what is a very strong group and was initiated by Pate/Sky Procycling, it includes, Ladino/Colombia Claro, Sieberg/Lotto Belisol, Higgins again, Faiers/Team UK Wales, Margaliot/Metaltek, Matysiak/CCC Polsat and Aguardiente pair Gonzalez and Casas

There lead has just reached the two minute mark

Team NetApp Endura and IG Sigma Sport are closing the gap with there shared pacemaking

The race has been brought back together by a well organised train of Team Novo Nordisk

Farrar is at the back of the train waiting for the time to pounce

Team NetApp Endura have strength in numbers as we pass under the red kite

And at the line its Schorn who makes it count and claims the first stage

Daniel Schorn - Team NetApp - Endura

Daniel Schorn - Team NetApp - Endura

Team NetApp - Endura

Despite not getting the stage win i am still happy, we had Dombrowski in the early breakaway and tomorrow he will lead the Montains Classification.
And we had a well organised train at the finish which secured 4th and 6th for Swift and Farrar respectively

With a lead of just over 8m the following five riders are enjoying themselves in the sun and in front of the TV cameras, they are Rodger/Node4 Giordana, Townshend/Madison Genesis, Friedman/Team Optum, Bone/Aguardiente and Isaychev/Katusha

Our breakaways have lost over two minutes of there advantage in the last twenty kilometres

Race Leader Schorn/Team NetApp Endura is not far from the front of the peleton as it ramps up the pace

Bone is the provisional race leader on the road

The breakaway is on the outskirts of Knowsley as the finish gets closer

It was a brave effort from the guys but now they are back in the pack and the sprinters must be licking there lips in anticipation of another sprint finish

Dombrowski has managed to pull the Team Novo Nordisk train to the front of the race

Bennett/An Post launches into his sprint and Swift tries to follow

But the Irishman is just too strong and sprints to a great win

Gabriel Bone - Aguardiente-Antioqueno

Sam Bennett - An Post - Chainreaction

Polygon Sweetnice

Oh so close for Ben today after some terrific work from Joseph in the closing kilometres

For a third day in a row there is a Katusha rider in the break of the day, this time its Kuschynski along with Stepniak/CCC Polsat, Kennaugh/NFTO and Moyano/Colombia Claro

Latest time check is 4m55s

Bennett/An Post is looking well protected by his team mates

They continue to work well together despite the lead being reduced with every pedal turn

With both An Post and Team NetApp Endura working hard on the front of the pack the breakaway is once again in there sights

Moyano attacks at the ten kilometres to go banner

Back in the pack a touch of wheels takes down a number of riders and delays many more

Swift/Team Novo Nordisk is sticking close to Bennett

As the favourites watch each other Clancy/Rapha Condor-JLT tries a surprise attack for the line

But he gets outwitted by Janiszewski/CCC Polsat who snatches the win at the line