The giant of Provence awaits us today, the stage finishes on top of Mont Ventoux which is sure to be one of the big decisive days in this year's Dauphine. With two Time Trials one short and one long the two GC leaders are Karpets and Plaza, with last year's TdF winner Fothen some 30 seconds back then the likes of Popovich, Intxausti, Spilak, Contador and Nibali between a minute and a minute 30 behind.
The pure climbers such as Emmanuelle Sella, Ricardo Ricco and Henao Montoyo are over three minutes back and are the riders who perhaps need to take advantage today.
Before we get to the last climb there is 4 categorised climbs, one 3rd cat and three 4th cats. It is a very aggressive beginning to the stage and things do not calm down until some way in. Somewhere in the mayhem one of the most attacking riders early Danacek of the all conquering Sony Ericsson goes over the first climb first.
KOM1: Danecek - > Busche - > Torres
The result of the early manoeuvres is a massive breakaway of 16 riders establishing itself.
16 riders, not so sweet for the chasing peleton but they have to live with it
Mourey and Bileka (Festina), Danacek (Sony), Sorenson (B+O), El Fares (Bacardi Colt), Camier (Carmuese), Torres (Energie Diesal), Szmyd (La Gazzetta), Sibela Romera (Starbucks), Mespoulade (Auber), Rangel (Lafarge), Rubiano Chavez (Cafe du Columbia), Busche (Wikipedia), Matamoros (Lipton), Costagli (Vesuvio) and Taberley (Domina Vacanze).
The peleton did not seem happy with this but eventually concede it has to get away. Danacek of Sony is the best placed on GC some 5.48 back this should not be a problem then to the GC contenders. Perhaps the biggest concern is the amount of helpers here. The second climb is the 3rd category, it is taken by La Gazzetta domestique style rider Szmyd.
Szmyd - > Costagli - > Rangel
This rider also leads them over the next climb too, netting himself seven KOM points.
Szmyd - > Mespoulade - > Matamoros
It is perhaps worth reminding ourselves that there is 40 points available for the first rider to the top of the Ventoux. So these points over the minor climbs do not mean much unless the break makes it to the end - 75km to go it only has six minutes so it looks unlikely.
The headlines here there is a Sony Ericsson rider goes down and it was their leader for this race Pedraza. This caused the whole team bar Danacek (who is in the break) to go back and pace him to the peleton. Sony show what a team they are by getting the climber back into the pack fairly quickly.
Pedraze gets back quickly
However moments like these can blunt a riders edge and given the competition here it looks tough for the Sony Ericsson team. Not that their rivals will be unhappy with this turn of events. Meanwhile four riders break from the peleton in one of those long range moves.
Four chasers break the break - peleton pursuit monotony
It is Ardila Cano of Cafe du Columbia, Solis of Carmuese, Perez Fernandez of Warner Brothers and Medvedev of Vesuvio. We saw this type of move often in the Giro and the Vuelta, it rarely seems to bear fruit other than offering attackers from the peleton a stepping stone. The peleton incidentally are being controlled by Marcus Fothen's Pearl Adidas team.
Pearl stay cool as usual
There are some that say Fothen won from a weak field in last year's tour, this seems cruel, the German has applied himself well here so far but today will be a crucial climbing test. Speaking of climbs the 4th KOM comes along.
Mourey - > Taberlay - > Torres
Szmyd does not then take over the provisional KOM lead from the current Mugerli/Martin joint lead. The positions seem irrelevent as are probably the sprint points that are either side of this 4th KOM prime. For the record sprint one is won by Mourey and sprint two is won by Taberley. But the main event today is the Ventoux which our break are on the lower slopes of now.
16 riders still together as we hit the main event of the day
The break have held their advantage will and have 3.30 on the chasing 4 and 5.30 on the peleton (there is a large group with Ford in at 8 minutes). The tension mounts in the peleton and it is Cafe du Columbia who break this with the first big attack of the day with 18km to go.
Gomez Marchente launches an ambitious attack
These early moves can go one of two ways, either it catches everyone unawares and is decisive or more often it leads to other moves. This seems in the former as initially four more riders go with the Spaniard, but they are allowed the luxury of time to build a gap. This is surprising as in these four riders are Kiserlowski (Starbucks), William Ford (Auber), Pedraza (Sony Ericsson) and 2nd place on GC Plaza (Jack Wolfskin).
In the breakaway up front Szmyd is putting the pressure on.
Szmyd is gapping everyone, El Fares is gamely trying to hang on
Meanwhile the Plaza group manage to merge with the 4 man chase group, the weakest links are ditched though. Ford, Perez Fernadez and Solis drop back meaning we have a stronger six man group between the remnents of the break and the reducing peleton.
Six man chase group
Actually make that four as now Ardila Cano and Medvedev find the pace mainly put on by Pedraza and Gomez Marchente too much. They drop back to the peleton led by Henao Montoya and Di Luca for Nespresso.
Two more drop back to a now speeding peleton
Szmyd has dropped most of the break up front, he has a 3.30 lead on the four man chasers and 4 minutes on the Nespresso lead peleton with 12km to go. Two riders are desperately clinging on to his wheel for all they are worth.
Szmyd, El Fares and Costagli making names for themselves
Nespresso neutralise the Plaza/Gomez Marchente/Pedraza/Kieserlowski move before the 10km point and now the pace is too much for some team leaders such as Lovkvist and De le Fuente.
Good climbers sliding off now
Just twenty or so riders left now as Szmyd does drop his two companions, but has 2.36 with 10km to go not sure that will be enough on the unforgiving Ventoux slopes. Some riders are under pressure in the favourites group but not Domina Vancanze's Vicenzo Nibali who puts in a really big move with 8km to go.
Nibali launches at the tipping point
As he moves past the remnents of the early breakaway his Italian rival Pozzovivo bridges across too him.
Pozzo revives his chances
In what seems like a Giro d'Italia groundhog day, it is Sella who is next to come across. However he brings across Tour de France contender Popovich to make it four at the front.
5.5km to go: four men clear of other favourites
Szmyd begins to get into the exposed bit, unfortunately he is not looking so smooth and his lead is down to just 42 seconds.
The harsh realities of the Ventoux climb set in for Szmyd
But this section usually offers the chance of a getting together if the gaps are small, that indeed does happen as once again the favourites come together.
Big favourites group merge
Well they are not all here, first the names of the riders here:
Fothen, Intxausti, Popovich, Ricco, Spilak, Sella, Torres, Contador, Nibali, Arroyo, Caruso, Pozzovivo
and Karpets.
You will notice the early attackers such as Pedraza, Plaza and Gomez Marchante have now dropped back, also gone are Nespresso helpers Henao Montoya and Di Luca. This climb has got some big victims today! Another victim is Szmyd who is reeled in just before two kilometers to go.
Nasty moment, brave Szmyd caught
The favourites start to look at each other, but one favourite seems to be in trouble as a gap opens behind to GC leader Karpets.
Karpets with Arroyo, Pozzovivo, Torres and Caruso lose touch
Seeing this and inside 1500 meters to go Nibali goes for the kill.
Nibali goes again now with hardly any distance to the finish
The Italian is having a great day, in fact Italians in general are looking strong as Ricco and Sella respond well to this along with Fothen.
Three riders respond to this last ditch move
Gaps look like they will open up here, Contador and Spilak reach down to hang on to this move at the top of the climb.
Spilak withing spitting distance
Contador does just about nail Fothen's wheel but Spilak does not seem to be able to hold, Intxausti also is trying hard to eliminate the gaps. But one man up front is concentrating on the win Nibali will take a superb win atop the Ventoux.
Nibali takes it
The picture obscures Fothen who takes third on the day but the GC lead, with Ricco taking a second place for wild cards Bacardi, Sella is 4th, Contador 5th all given the same time. Behind this though gaps are visable...
It is spread out behind the lead five
Spilak and Intxausti concede a bit of time, with the Popovich and Caruso conceding over 30 seconds and then a late spurt by Karpets gets him up to 10th.
Pedraza follows this lot back in 15th nearly two minutes down on Nibali, Gomez Marchente is at 2.45 and Plaza just over three minutes.
