The Lehigh Valley Classic is one of those uninspiring routes - pure flatness. Thats good for the sprinters of course though, and the opportunists.
The inevitable break featured 8 riders: Pichot, Higgerson, Haddou, Williams, Gallopin, Clancy, Khalilov and Timofeev
BMC had no rider in the break, and their first half of the race did not get any better than that. Both Fabian Wegmann and Taylor Tolleson crashed (individually) and subsequently will be the last 2 men to finish today.
With 30km to go, the break leads by 2 minutes on the pack. A pack which Sebastian Lang is attacking from
Plenty follow, Wallays, Bacquet, Charteau, Nydam, Zirbel, Rojas Gil, Joachim, Kuchinski and Hivert are just the first. But theyre not going to have it easy in catching the break, who are now putting in a further move of their own.
Ed Clancy puts in the strongest attack - just moments after it seemed he was to be dropped from the break - and now has a solo lead with 2 laps to go.
The rest of the break are caught by some of the attackers, as the group momentarily swells to 12
I say momentarily because 5 of them are soon up to Clancy. They are Lang, Nydam, Hivert, Joachim and Kuchinski.
Clancy is immediately dropped but recovers and returns to the group. 6 men lead, a group of 12 is next with a mix of early break and attackers, and then there is the pack. Vespa, Kenda and Jack Wolfskin are key parts of the chase for now - but 100% Me also start helping out, not confident in Clancy then.
10km/1 lap to go and Benoit Joachim attacks the lead group. At a similar time, Mickael Bourgoin punctures and so will miss out on a bunch sprint - whether that sprint be for 1st or 7th. (The 12 men in between groups have been caught)
Joachim's move is not decisive, the other 5 bring him back with 4.5km to go
But they had better watch out, the pack are closing in now, but so is the finish!
The group is swallowed up as the sprint begins, now who is up here to challenge for the win?
There are 100% Me riders to the right but Kennaugh and Swift, potentially a formidable leadout, are too far back. Instead we have the Kenda duo of Vanderaerden and Casper - with Napolitano and Haedo right there!
Vanderaerden's job is done as Casper moves to his left - Napolitano and Haedo forced to go around Vanderaerden. There may be another Kenda card in play though, with Forero just behind Casper - De Fauw in tow.
What looked like a disadvantage for Napolitano and Haedo in going around Vanderaerden is slung in to an advantage with a sharp right hand turn putting them in line with Casper
Napolitano takes the lead - can Haedo challenge him?
But here comes the line, and the win for Danilo Napolitano!
