Today's stage is rated as flat, though this being the Vuelta a Columbia it is far from simple. The stage is mainly raced at altitude before the last 35km brings us down to pretty much sea level. Along the at altitude section there is four small classified climbs and three sprint points in total.
We shall see if the sprinters have their way here, the best sprinters in the bunch are Manarelli (Red Bull), Benetez (Sport Lisboa) and Damian Martinez (Quiksilver). But given the long downhill, a break may well have a better chance and this race seems made for breakaways.
Not too many riders want to make an early gamble but Pirelli's veteren Tiralongo gives it a go.
Italian is joined by Unicredit's Quaade
These two go on the first climb of the day but are joined by the KOM point grabbers on the first climb. It is former leader Iban Mayo who follows his teammate Tiralongo through for the one - two at the first prime, Quaade third.
Pirelli collecting more KOM points
But by the second climb the two man breakaway of Tiralongo and Quaade has firmly established itself and they take the top two places with Mayo once again leading the KOM attackers this time taking third. Bit of a strange one really as Mayo is a long way off current KOM leader, also GC leader Saldarriaga who has 40 points to Mayo's now 7 points.
There is a couple of sprint points out there, Quaade is miles back on GC and Tiralongo at 4.22 is not really a threat. They roll over the prime with Quaade in front of Tiralongo this time and we have an almighty scrap for third. It's Benficas Van den Broeck who takes the two point and two second bonus.
VdB does not miss a trick
However at the next sprint prime it is an unlikely rider who takes third in Evan Oliphont of the Youtube-Twitter team.
Oliphant man takes third
This time Tiralongo takes the first place over Quaade, these two are looking for a stage win here. Quaade's team Unicredit have been quiet so far, they have Sergio Ortega for the overall but it could be tough for him to make the podium.
Duo keep working well together
However the chance of a sprint finish has a few teams interested, Red Bull cycling in particular who have sprinter Manarelli hoping to make it two stages in a row.
Red Bull on the charge
The route having chosen to visit the villages at altitude have run the risks of travelling on smaller roads - this unfortunately leads to a few crashes. Indeed news comes over that a headline star has been caught up.
Vitor Rodrigues has a mechanical problem
The young Portuguese climber looks like having a shot at the podium, perhaps even the overall GC win. But this crash with 75km to go is going to make it difficult as the peleton is in racing mode. Bimbo Nutella seem confident in the young mans ability to make it back only Delise is sent back.
Delise looking to pace Rodrigues back, Jianhua Ji is the Red Bull man
This strategy begins to look like a mistake as the pace in the peleton is high and the gap has grown quickly to over two minutes. Up front, Tiralongo realises if he is to win he needs to lose the excess baggage as he drops Quaade.
Unicredit crunched
But all he can do is just about take the final KOM points before the downhill ahead of an attacking Koldo Gil, Iban Mayo and Victor Hugo Orozco.
GC favourite Gil takes second at the final KOM prime
The Gil move has got everyone bothered and as Tiralongo is reeled in, Pirelli launch yet another move. This time it is former mountain biker and probably Pirelli best GC hope Ryder Hesjadal.
Canadian champ on the attack once again
He is great on the downhill, but this is not really a technical one and he is reeled in by a fast moving peleton. It is clear here that Rodrigues is going to lose time, however he is not the last to fall. Now former KOM Ndbri and Yamaha's Montenegro hit the deck.
More GC men fall off their bikes
Yamaha fall back en masse to help their leader, but at the front they are not slowing down. They will just limit their loses, Ndbri well he is left on his own Pirelli have other men for the classiment. Up front we are set for a muddled sprint.
2800 to go
It is Youtube's de Romijn who is leading over Red Bull's previous stage winner Jose Chacon. Mayo is the Pirelli man in about 4th place, with Van den Broeck in 6th place probably the best sprinter up front. His teammate Saldarriaga is well placed back in about 10th, however Benfica's plans are in dissarray when the rider in front of Van den Broeck goes down!
Keiran Page goes over bringing VdB down with him
Fortunately being at the front means that both will get back on at the back of the peleton easily. However the chance of a stage win has gone for Benfica with 800 to go it seems to be between four riders.
Just inside 800m to go
The Bimbo Nutella man on the left is Beraud a useful climber, Bragazzi is the Unicredit man and Cardoso is the Yamaha man on the inside. Sambris of Quiksilver is also in the reckoning and is coming fastest of all. But also moving fast is the Yamaha man...
Carduso makes his move
As Peraud rocks and rolls slightly, Adonis Cardoso Espanola nips away...
Adonis will have his manager in heaven!
He takes a surprise sprint stage win for Yamaha, Bragazzi takes second and Berard is third ahead of Sambris.
The other headline of the day is Montenegro/Ndbri coming in the best part of two minutes down, meanwhile Rodrigues comes in over three minutes down. A crash marred day in Columbia.
