Perhaps the headline for the day is that the last climb rated as 3rd category is just 10km from the finish and could be a chance for a GC contender or two to pinch some time before tomorrows Time Trial. But the odds seem to favour a sprint, with Trusov, Richeze and Napolitano taking one each so far could today be a chance for Galdos, Sabido, Guenieri or somebody else.
There is no early breaks so some of these sprinters get an early chance to flex their muscles.
Trains for sprint one
The Tinkoff Klimov/Trusov train seem best placed but when the sprinting begins it is UBS who prove the strongest. However Danilo Napolitano comes around both Forster and Richeze to register the maximum.
Napolitano - > Forster - > Richeze
It moves the Italian back up the points standings, who after winning the first stage has not featured in the previous two days final sprints. He now has 80 points and is one point behind Sabido, five behind Van den Broeck, but still 16 behind Trusov the current points leader.
Next point of interest is a 4th category little road bump, Petrov some 12 points clear with a maximum of 11 available today has won that competition. But there will be a battle behind between numerous contendors for the minor places. Petrov nethertheless gets involved in the battle, just for the fun of it.
Txurruka - > Petrov - > Rohregger
Txurruka has really looked for these points in the last couple of days when it became apparent that he would not place that well on GC. He now has 35 points and lies joint 7th some seven points off of Serpa and 4th place in the KOM competition. Rohregger cannot make it up there and must be slightly disappointed with his effort here in his homeland, maybe tomorrow he can move into the top five.
Following this climb his team send a rider up the road with a familiar name from the Benfica squad.
Pfannberger and Riberio breakaway
If Rohregger has been disappointment, the Austrian media have been very disappointed with Christian Pfannberger, he was effected by the wind on stage two and this leads to him being 22nd on GC. Nuno Riberio meanwhile can use this oppurtunity to move himself forward ahead of Serpa in the King of the Mountains competition. His team leader Van den Broeck has a great chance of moving onto the podium in tomorrow's Time Trial. Behind riders from Santander and Tinkoff try to bridge...
Allonca and Chernovskiy move to bridge
Conrasting races for these two outfits with what you would have to describe as similar teams here. Where Petrov rode well on the mountain stages, Abal had bad moments on the Kitzbuhler Horn and lies a underachieving 9th on GC. Similarly with their sprinters Galdos has flattered to decieve, whereas Trusov struck yesterday with a stage win. Neither of these two riders can make it across to the two in front. However these four riders will gobble up all the King of the Mountains points where Riberio takes the four points maximum to move upinto 4th place overall in the KOM. Pfannberger is given the sprint as the points are wrapped up by inconsequential riders Riberio and Allonca in that one.
In the peletob UBS and Falcon chase...
Falcon and UBS chase
Falcon are chasing a stage win for Guarnieri, their on loan sprint star who was so close yesterday. UBS having won stage 2 and 4 are looking for another even numbered stage win on stage six! With 50km to go the gap is 3.46, so it does seem likely the gap will be closed, indeed they reel in the two chasers before the last sprint prime. It opens an oppurtunity for two sprint points which UBS's most likely stage win contender Richeze gobbles up.
Richeze takes two points
The Argentinean may have won stage 4, but he is well down in the points competition because he was nowhere yesterday or stage one, but he looks on good form today. Can he make it up the climb though? The break do not make it as they are reeled in with 15km to go. Looks like the roads are not of good quality as we get a series of crashes including that of GC 13th placed Benfica rider Terciado.
A crash for Benfica's 3rd best GC man
Up front the pace remains high up the climb and proves difficult for the riders to break away, Petrov confirms his KOM victory by taking full points ahead of Ortega, Brandle and Sabido.
Austria's King of climbs Petrov
Speculation this morning was that this would be a chance for some GC candidates to make up time and Perez Sanchez decides to give it a go.
Perez Sanchez launches over this last climb of the race, Abal follows
Also following is Bimbo Nutella's 5th place in GC Camano, and they get a 30 second gap. Alas, the climb was a fairly short one and the move is neutralised by the 5km to go mark.
Move comes to nothing
It has served to scramble the sprint somewhat as Jose Serpa sits in second wheel behind Castrovieja (Santander) with 2.5km to go.
Serpa looks in a useful spot for time bonuses with 2500m to go
But Galdos (Santander) barges the Pirelli GC leader out of the way and Bimbo Nutella's Vengenechten/Sabido train streams up the inside.
Bimbo's Van man moves through
Sabido tries then to come up the inside of his teammate who is not really slowing down to let his team-mate through. Galdos is 'staying on' but does not seem to be able to find any more, but the big threat is coming through the middle as the squat Italian Napolitano is thrashing he bike about.
Nap, Van and Sabi battle for the win
The Italian straightens his sprint and pushes for the line ...
... and takes his second stage win in Austria
Napolitano cashes in a second stage win for Unicredit
