Welcome to Holland and we have 208 km racing across the Dutch countryside, with some intriguing little bumps including a number of ascents of the Grebbenburg which is 1km test at a average of 4%. The last ascent of this is at 8km to go and with 3 other little digs in the last 25km there is something that might be of interest to an ambitious punchaer. Lets not kid ourselves however this is listed as a sprint fest and most of the best fast men are here hoping to score their team lots of prestige and CT points.
Ben Swift and Peter Kennaugh (100% Me) are listed as favourites, so it should be intriguing to see how that team play out its sprint tactics. Also listed on the favourites board is Napitiliano (Unicredit), Vaitkus (Falcon), Ciolek (LEGO), Hushovd (Milka), Vantomme (Highroad) and Goss (Bacardi). When you think of the sprinters here who are not listed there, it gives you a picture of how loaded this field is, but the nod to sprinters who have some hilly capability perhaps gives some inside knowledge to how the race will go.
The first news from the race is that it is raining, an early break tried to go but it number about 15 riders and was quickly neutrilised. The peleton was much happier with a second breakaway that went of initially six riders.
The peleton likes the looks of this all day out fodder
The names of those brave men in the rain are:
Quaade (Uni credit), Hampton (Wiggle0, Ortega (Petronas), Valinin (Tinkoff), Selander (Quiksilver), Kocjan (Bacardi).
Its good to get in a breakaway for if nothing else it means the rest of the team can relax in the peleton. Also good to see the Quiksilver jersey they have had precious little racing of late. A couple of other teams recognized this was the break of the day and decided to jump a rider across.
Telenor get a member over.
Sabatini jumps across with Cristoff Van Heerden (Falcon) to bolster the breakaways number to eight. But the peleton were not bothered and with 150 km to go the gap was a healthy (for a classic) 3 minutes and 46 seconds. In the peleton it was 100% Me who assumed responsibility to control the pace.
recent Olympia tour KOM Gaywood controls the pace
However the break pressed on and with 120 km to the gap is at 5 minutes and 10 seconds. Recognizing the danger Milka move forward with one of their foot soldiers commentators nightmare Szczawinski.
Mr unpronounceable takes the pace reigns.
It is working nicely with Milka and 100% Me bringing it down to 4 minutes with 100km to go. Tension is rising in the peleton and the weather is not improving, its dangerous out there and useful bike handler and big favourite Thor Hushovd (Milka) goes down. Milka feels that this man is their meal ticket and go back for him en masse.
Milka bring Thor back
The work very hard and get the Norwegian back in the mix very quickly, perhaps underlining that the pace is yet to hit its fullest. Thor's back with 93 km to go
But the game of cat and mouse is favouring the sprint cats as with 75km to go its 3 minutes, Milka are back on the front with 100% Me. Other squads realise they have to break this monotony, with 52 km to go a brave move goes led by Maaskant (Pokerstars)...
Masochist move by Maaskant?
Pokerstars have been trying all sorts of tactics over the season and their prominent green jersey has been easily noticeable ever race they have been in. Also jumping forward with the Dutchman is Kuchinski (Bacardi) and Chtioui (Telenor), both riders have men in the break and so this makes good sense. With 42.5 km to go we have our penultimate ascent of the Grebbenburg...
breakaway riding the headline hill of the Dutch Valley race.
Its hardly a climb of Amstal Gold quality, but its a climb nethertheless and after the pan flat stages in the recent Olympia Tour this complication is welcome. The 1km ascent's final flourish is with 8km to go and some sprinters will not like it. The eight breakaway riders have 1.25 to the three recent attacking chasers and 2.13 over the peleton. This is now controlled by Pendletons
Searching for a result for Van Heerden
Jaan Van Heerden was in brilliant form at the recent dunkirk stage race, he is one of many sprinters who will fancy this. The peleton are letting this hang at about 2 minutes and the 3 in between are closing but fairly slowly to the lead eight. But suprisingly the 3 chasers suddenly sit up and go back to the peleton, then suddenly Kocjan and Quaade attack.
Two riders feeling strong still.
Its a strong move considering they have been in the break for most of the day and under the 20km banner they have a healthy lead of the six others.
A good move.
They have 18 seconds of the six others and 1.43 on the peleton. The peleton however is beginning to really wind this up, but the pace is disrupted by what can be described as a lengthy 3km of false flat that steady climbs between km 18 and 15. Some ambitious riders choose this time to make a move.
A Quiksilver man makes a dash.
Five riders have the strength to try something at this point, the Quiksilver man is Staf Schierlincx, also following is Meersman (Highroad), Bagdonas (Bacardi), Boucher (Pokerstars) and Hermans (Wiggle). They make it quite quickly to the six riders, who have some company after a long while away from the peleton.
Making the junction.
Kocjan and Quaade still had 14 seconds and now a diminishing 57 seconds on the peleton. Still the riders ahead of the peleton have that little Grebbenburg on the back of their mind and still a number of attacks are happening in the front group. The Kocjan, Quaade move is neutralised and its a free for all.
Ortega and Hermans now moving.
Its the recent attackers from the peleton who are the freshest and young Hermans who looks really strong and as they go under the 10km to banner .
Wiggle with no real sprinters are trying something
The gap is 45 seconds which is dangerous because Hermans is going to be a difficult one to catch, only Schierlincx can power up to the young Belgian. But even he is finding it difficult to live with him with 7.5 km to go.
Storming through the rain is Hermans
This is usually the time when the sprint trains would form, but the peleton are in frenzied chase mode. They have let this one go a bit and its a real struggle now the gap at 7.5 km from Hermans/Schierlincx is 1.05! The pack's case is not helped when a mass crash involving about 40 riders arrests the momentum.
Chute
A quick body check only really reveals one major casualty Mercedes outside hope JJ Haedo! Van Poppel (Unicredit) and Fiellu(Petronas) are other names mentioned as in the crash. Up front though Hermans plows on now with Quiksilvers Schierlincx firmly attached to his rear wheel.
5km to go
Its tight, they have 20 seconds to Bagdonas, who is the only member of the breakaway also left everyone else has been mopped up by a now 91 man peleton raging beast which is at 47 seconds.
3.5 to go its curtains for Bagdonas but 36 seconds is the gap between Hermans/Schierlincx and the peleton. They begin to sprint with about 2500 m to go they can feel the peleton coming but they could well make it.
Dasterdly wheelsucking quiksliver man comes around.
Hermans is looking a little spent here meanwhile the peleton has no real sprint trains, its Milka desperately trying to claw back the gap.
Despairing chase.
There is one sprint train of note you may just see the Unicredit one with Borrajo leading out Napitiliano then Falcons blue jersey with Vaitkus and Petronas' Crocket behind that. As the helicopter zooms out with 1km to go its clear gaps...
Looking great for Staf
However both the twosome are losing power, Hermans in particular gritting his teeth is tying up and nastily with 500m to go they are upon him.
A storm coming.
Rattling past Hermans
But they run out of road and Staf Schierlincx wins the Dutch Food Valley Classic for Quiksilver.
What a way to emerge for Quiksilver
Behind the battle for second...
What might have been?
Its Napitiliano second, Vaitkus 3rd, Szczawinski a surprise 4th then Crocket, unicredits second man Gavazzi is 6th just taking Hermans who takes 7th on the line. The favourites? Lots of disappointments here in the rain... Vantomme is 15th, Kennaugh is 17th, Mohs is 22nd, Goss 25th, Swift 31st, Van Heerden 34th, Hushovd 37th and Ciolek 41st.
