After three flat stages, it is time to get down to business here in Belgium. There are plenty of decent Time Triallists in the peleton, so the good punchaers really need to pull their fingers out and put some hurt into these men on this tough hilly day. The last climb is steep and is right near the finish, we go up and down all day so given the right attitude this should be decisive.
One interesting sidenote is that the current leader Van Avermart is not a bad little climber, he knows the terrain and may be difficult to shake off. The Time Trial tomorrow is not that long and so it is not impossible for the Belgian sprinter to take the GC.
One rider everyone will be trying to break is Ignatiev (Wiggle) who has been phenomenal against the clock all year, but he is not unstoppable on the climbs.
A lot of riders are looking at each other at the beginning and a decent breakaway of six riders establishes itself.
Six pack on the attack
Yeah it is raining today, just to make it even tougher! Singing in the rain here are: Gavazzi (Unicredit), Stoltz (Cillit Bang), Sentjens (Intesa), De Weert (Highroad), Tiernan – Locke (Wiggle) and Ranneries (Falcon). It is up and down in the opening, no King of the Mountains at this tour by the way. On one of the steeper ones, Ranneries and Sentjens drop back a bit.
It would be curtains for the Falcon man, but Sentjens battles back
There are a couple of hotspot sprints, you would expect Gavazzi to go for them but he can only get 3rd at the first and 2nd and the 2nd one. Full results and pictures below!
De Weert - > Stoltz- > Gavazzi
And the second one...
Tiernan Locke - > Gavazzi - > Stoltz
It is probably not going to be worth much for Gavazzi, he is not that highly placed on the points comp. The gap back to the peleton is 5 minutes with 75km to go. Its race leader Van Avermarts Bimbo Nutella team that is chasing.
Nutella must be browning off the breakaway
It is perhaps a bit strange to see Bimbo Nutella at the front again, but they are confident in their leader Van Avermart. Though it must be said the hills are pretty steep today!
Nasty little bergs out there
Wiggle are really racking up the points as they push for promotion, they excel over this sort of terrain. Here Scarponi one of the workhorses of their recent Giro d’Italia campaign sets a nasty pace up the climb.
No horsing around from (Scar)poni
With 30km to go the gap to the break is 2.25, who are holding pretty strong. But the peleton is at breaking limit and it is time for the strongmen to attack. Who better than a rider in pink, to make his move!
Gusev is followed in an attack by Vantomme, Vandborg and Cavendish
Cavendish is stretching his legs here trying to get away before the nasty climb, as is Vantomme. But Gusev and Vandborg both very good time trailers are big GC threats. GC leader Van Avermart must respond and he does...
The man in black tries to catch the aliens!
Elizen (Highroad) is on his wheel, also Wyss (Falcon), Craven and Hermans join this move. The other GC men are looking at each other – it is a bit of a shock that the sprinters Van Avermart, Cavendish and Vantomme are going for this. But why not it only takes one big effort eh? Clement (Pokerstars) decides he better get his skates on too...
Pokerstars play their hand
He is followed by Kunitski and finally Ignatiev! Lots of attacks to keep track of, the break is caught and dispatched by some of the stronger ones and we are all over the place under the 20km to go banner.
Five riders at the head of affairs
Here are the groups and gaps: e1 Cavendish, Craven, Hermans, Gusev, Wyss e2 Elizen and Vandborg at 24 seconds e3Tiernan Locke, Van Avermart, Vantomme, Clement, Stoltz, Kinitski, De Weert, Ignatiev and Hoste at 49 seconds peleton at 1.57
It is cagey stuff as Craven and Hermans are not pulling at the front, Elizen and Vandborg bridge quickly. Behind that Vantomme, Ignatiev, Van Avermart and Hoste make it across to make it a group of 11 under the 10km to go banner.
Looks like one of these 11 will take the honours
Clement and Kunitski are some 30 seconds behind desperately trying to latch on before the steep climb in the final 10kms. The breakaway men are predictably fading back to a now lethargic peleton which is over 1 and a half minutes back. Onto this last climb then and the sprinters Vantomme and Cavendish are first to struggle. Also Van Avermart is beginning to feel those sprinters legs going in slow motion as he does Ignatiev attacks.
Yikes this Russian is hurting them
Only five riders can respond to the Wiggle man, his teammate Hermans, Gusev, Wyss, Craven and Elizen. These six have a decent advantage as four riders chase to save the race.
Clement, Hoste, Van Avermart and Vandborg desperate to catch
It is to no avail though the six are clear and Wiggle are really driving it, as they move into the last 2km Hermans does a really strong pull that no-one can get on the back of and out sprints his teammate for a brilliant one-two.
Wiggle take top two
These six have a decent gap and will battle it out in the TT tomorrow, the one rider who is not really a TTer Wyss took 3rd but will surely drop down tomorrow.
