Its our last cobbled classic of the season in the CTour and we are in Denmark. Fitting to be in Scandenavia as the undisputed champion team of the CT cobbled season IKEA are here. Four time winner Pieter Vanspreybrouk heads the team once more, whilst lieutenent Niels Albert grabbed a sprint win in France last time out.
Its last chance saloon for everyone else, Adam Blythe (100% Me) and Vladimir Gusev (Cillit Bang) in particular have had a cobbled seasons to forget. Vespa Caffreys, have looked the most likely to upset the IKEA runaway train as Steegmans and Verbist are here in Denmark once more.
It's your standard distance of around 200 km and the weather is most unpleasant its raining and very windy. These cobblers will not be complaining they are used to these conditions! Sam Bennett (100% Me) gets the race moving out of first gear with the first attack of the day.
youngster is a frequent early break man.
It doesn't take too long to create an early break of eight riders. Justo Mayo (Bbox), Jarc (Milka), Passalacqua (Vespa), Rasmussan + Reekers (Cillit Bang), Albourdainy + Lucus Martins (Bimbo). Your Cillit Bang riders are just sitting on once more, not really a tactic that has done much for them, but enough to get the others irate for sure!
The Ikea machine leads the peleton, such a familiar sight in the CTour over cobbles they seem to have the perfect team. They refuse to let the breakaway take hold, it never has more than a 90 second lead.
The machine at work
The wind is beginning to drop as Ikea reel the breakaway completely in. Only six of those riders were working in the move anyway and too be honest they were not riding the cobbled sections very well at all! So gruppo compacto into the nasty set of 5 cobbled sectors between 95 km and 75 km to go.
The Danish version of hell!
Wind really picks up as some of the stronger teams are making this difficult and as we enter the last of the five sections at this point we can see who is well placed.
Last section of cobbles, decisive moment coming
It's Ikea with all seven members near the front, Gusev has a rider in support, also the whole Pokerstars outfit are riding well up. Note the Blue-ish jerseys of Telenor they are here to support Scandenavian racing. Its Ostergaard and Florencio who give them the best hopes here. They get over the cobbles - the wind is also a factor in splitting this thing up.
Its getting decisive
With two further sectors not far up the road, its the ambitious Pokerstars team who are ready to sieze the initiative. Its a long way out but this worked well for them in France a week or so ago.
Green team hurting all!
Its all a bit unwieldy, Vespa back behind this move bust a gut to nuetralise it, but just as they do the IKEA Bianchi pounce hard over this nasty section...
Big move this.
Gusev is the Cillit Bang rider, three of the Ikea men make it (Albert, Vanspreybrouk, Giaux) and three of the Pokerstars men (Van Impe, Kluge, Geslin). Its working nicely as they pull out a more than useful 90 second lead. Back in the peleton after some discusson, 100% Me and Vespa are doing the majority of the work.
Gotta control this
The front seven work hard to maintain this, Giaux is not quite in this class of rider and eventually has to leave his two teammates.
Bye bye Ikea workhorse.
It leaves us with our lead six who at 50km to go have 56 seconds on Giaux and 1 minute and 44 seconds on a reducing by the km 31 man peleton. 100% Me are not really pulling any more, Bimbo Nutella though are lending Vespa a hand. The wind is beginning to bite and the Pokerstars men seem to be fading, Vanspreybrouk and Gusev are watching each other a bit. Good time for the other man to make a move then.
Niels Albert goes solo
The Belgian very very quickly builds a good lead, Gusev is not going to bridge it with Vanspreybrouk and the Pokerstars men are not looking strong. Albert by 40 km has a 79 second lead on the five riders who are now only 30 seconds ahead of a 28 man peleton. Quite a lot of cobbles left though and the peleton maintain a reasonable rate and catch the five men.
Only one left ahead now.
Vespa feel they have done enough work at the front and things relax a lot, Niels Albert of course keeps riding. Everyone is playing a dangerous game here, the lead gets to 2 minutes 44 seconds with 35 to go before this...
Vanspreybrouk attacks.
It seems a strange and perhaps selfish move by the IKEA man, but then also it seems that it was what everyone else was waiting for. Its Gusev who is first to respond and we see Adam Blythe (100% Me) going to. The Brit has been quiet so far today and easily is the strongest now after the other two were in the earlier move.
Blythe shows some power
So 30 km to go and here is the situation: e1: Albert (IKEA) e2: Blythe (100% Me) at 1.43 e3: Gusev (Cillit Bang) + Vanspreybrouk (IKEA) at 2.00 Peleton (led by Vespa) at 3.20
Clearly riders in the peleton need to make a move, before that a problem for a key Milka man.
Puncture for Stybar.
Its a blow for Milka, nothing is really happening for them in the Cobbles season, now Hushovd is rather left alone in the main group. Vespa have had enough of leading all the time and its Verbist who goes first, with Eisel (Bimbo Nutella) and Thomas (100% Me) in tow with Steegmans (Vespa) a little further back.
Vespa make a move
Its been an active 10 km, here are the updated gaps with 20km and one big cobbled sector to go: e1: Albert e2: Blythe at 1.28 e3: Gusev, Vanspreybrouk at 2.40 e4: Eisel at 2.54 e5: Thomas at 3.04 e6: Verbist, Steegmans at 3.25 Peleton (22 men) at 4.32
Albert is holding strong.
Eisel and Thomas seem the strongest men here at the moment as they both bridge to Gusev and Vanspreybrouk. It creates a group of four, but two of the riders Thomas and Vanspreybrouk are not going to work. 100% Me and Ikea have their men up the road. Over the last set of cobbles and drama as a pink fist goes up in the air.
puncture for Gusev
Bad moment for Cillit Bang this, no way is Gusev going to get back to a podium place. Up front Adam Blythe is gritting his teeth and really going
for it.
Blythe's saves his best for last
The question is - is he going to catch Albert. 10 km to go....
Albert still has a healthy lead.
Blythe still is some margin off, what does the stopwatch say? e1: Albert e2: Blythe at 1.14 e3: Vanspreybrouk (missed this moment) at 2.02 e4: Thomas, Eisel at 2.34 e5: Verbist, Steegmans at 3.10 e6: Gusev at 4.27 Peleton (17 men) at 5.00
The peleton has gradually been eroded, its really mainly made up of the Pokerstars and the Telenor team with a sprinkling of other men. One rider sadly dropping back is veteren Swede Magnus Backstedt of Falcon. Always a bit of a long shot this for Falcon!
Back to the Eurosport commentary booth for you Maggi
As the km tick by its becoming clear that Albert though tired is doing enough to hold on to his lead. With 5km to go Albert has 1.15 on Blythe and then with 2km this has only slightly been reduced to 1.08. Meanwhile behind Blythe, its Vanspreybrouk who is getting a reasonably clear ride into third. Eisel and Thomas are watching each other for 4th and 5th. Gusev has caught the Vespa duo of Verbist and Steegmans who to be honest are not really on great days.
Up front then its time to celebrate.
Fantastic solo win for Albert
Behind Blythe can only watch still a minute behind across the line
No breakthrough win for Brit
Vanspreybrouk makes 3rd, so never off the podium for this year. Eisel can beat Thomas in the sprint...
Nice enough season for Eisel.
Gusev does rally to 6th, ahead of Vespa duo who were actually reeled in by a fast finishing Hushovd.
Hushovds fight comes way too late!
Behind that Pokerstars and Telenor suck up all the places between 10th and 19th!
