Here is today's profile, which features three passages of the Mur de Huy. The other hills shouldn't do too much damage to the peloton, and we should see a large group fight it out for the win on the Mur.
Here is your 16 man breakaway group. Not really sure why the peloton let so many riders get away. The riders up there are: Van Goolen (Accent Jobs), Loewenherz (Katusha), Muravyev (Astana), De Vreese (Topsport), De Kort (Argos), Geslin (FDJ), Veilleux (Europcar), Catteneo (Lampre), Tiernan-Locke (Sky), Vantomme (Crelan), Ruijuh (Vacansoleil), Vangenechten (Lotto), Pauriol (Sojasun), Rohregger (Radioshack), Sicard (Euskatel), and Sutherland (Saxo Bank).
With 100 km to go, the breakaway has the large gap of 7 minutes to peloton, which is being led by Garmin and Omega Pharma.
With only 50 km to go, the gap is still at over 4 minutes! But there is no way the breakaway could take a World Tour Classic right?
Don't be fooled by that shot, the gap is still at 2 45 with only 35 km to ride in the classic. Some of the breakaway riders might get a huge result in this Fleche Wallonne.
It seems the peloton has woken up, and with 25 km to ride the gap is down to 1 45. There is still no attacks in the bunch.
With 20 km to go, Catteneo of Lampre has decided to take matters into his own hands and try to solo to victory. The gap is currently at 1 30 back to the bunch.
Behind the attacks are starting to rain down, with Gilbert putting the others under pressure.
This is the group that emerges from the big attack by Gilbert. All the main favorites are here, and they trail Catteneo by 1 15.
With 7.5 km to go, Catteneo is finally caught by a group containing the early breakaway + Martin, Valverde, Uran, Sagan, Betancur, and Gilbert.
With 4.5 km to go, Pariol tries to catch the favorites off-guard with a last ditch attack that is countered by Van Goolen.
After two km in the lead, the duo are brought back at the foot of the Mur, and the winner will come from this 21 man group.
The finale starts with Dan Martin putting in a brutal attack, and the others are struggling to respond!
However, all the attack served to do was drop the breakaway and Carlos Betancur. Martin will also have to lead as the riders start their sprints. Surely Sagan will win now.
Under the flamme rouge they go and Peter Sagan is riding away from everyone but Gilbert!
With 500 m to go, Gilbert has pulled to within a wheel length of the Slovakian! But does he have enough left to get by him?
No he doesn't as Peter Sagan takes Fleche Wallonne! Martin is third, Valverde foruth, and Uran fifth. Unfortunately for the early breakaway, they are swept up by the bunch with 500 m to go, and none of them got a top 10 after leading at 2.5 km to go.
Very sadly, something went wrong in the export, and since I did this on classic mode, I can't see the result. However I do have a pic of the top 10 I will put it in excel form right now, and upload the export file from mediafire. Hopefully someone can get it to work.
[table=100%]1st Peter Sagan
2nd Gilbert
3rd Dan Martin
4th Valverde
5th Uran
6th Betancur
7th Kwaitkowski
8th Mollema
9th Verboven
10th Roche/table]
Edited by welker3257 on 17-03-2014 02:32