DH: Once again we are in climbing territory today, for the queen stage of the alps featuring the Hors Categorie climb of the Col de Madelaine.
DH: Not a mountain top finish, but certainly the toughest day in the alps with a real shark toothed profile. Kingston run down the climbs for us.
Kg: Certainly, the riders have to get into to it early today as the first climb is up an Hors Categorie climb of the Columbiere. It is a 18km beast, averaging at a pretty relentless 7% and there will be no let up at all as this is followed by the 2nd category Avaris and the 1st category Saisen. But the main action of the day will no doubt be on the 27km absolute monster of the Madelaine.
Sm: You know Kingston, people may have looked at this years route and though no Alpe d’Huez and thought this year was all about the Pyrenees... but today well I often think that these days are perhaps the most revealing.
DH: Uran and Schleck the two alpine stage winners lead the way with last years winner Markus Fothen in third. What do you make of him, Fothen, Smowz?
Sm: He seems to be leaving it very late Daniel, he did the same at the Dauphine and it is a dangerous game today. Stages like this are about alliances if four or five riders are clear at the top look for them to work together down the descent to keep or enforce an advantage. Fothen needs to be watchful as do all the favourites for the big moments.
Kg: Let me run through the highlights for you of the early stages. Five riders broke clear early, great chance it was for them to get some KOM points. Santambrogia (Gazzeta), Le Mevel (Auber), Chavez (Cafe du Columbia), Rojas V (Energie Diesal) and Maillet (Nespresso) made up the five.
Five men broke clear in the foothills of the Columbiere
Kg: The King of the Mountains competition was led at the beginning of the stage by Rigoberto Uran (38 points), the yellow jersey, the polka dot jersey will be worn then by Fothen (36 points) with Contador (31) and Schleck (30) in contention. In the break only Chavez (11 points) had points, that could change of course today. On the climb Vesuvio through the usual domestique Dimitri Medvedev kept control.
Vesuvio keep control of the break
Kg: The break could not get very far away, never more than two minutes and therefore were caught by the KOM attackers near the end. But Auber’s Christophe Le Mevel held out firm for the maximum 20 points.
Le Mevel - > Santambrogio - > Rojas Villegas
Kg: Kasheshkin moved up to 36 KOM points by taking 5th on this climb, Casar, Perez Cuapio and Hackeky also came out the peleton to register. Rubiano Chavez could only get 7th on the climb to move to 18 points. The break was snaffled up by the peleton, following the spint at the bottom won by Rubiano Chavez.
Sprint: Chavez - > Le Mevel - > Gomez Marchante
Kg: It was tempo riding all the way up the Avaris, as the action was for KOM points at the end. Contador came out on top of the battle for points ahead of Gomez Marchante with Kasheshkin moving to the top of the KOM overall by taking third.
Contador - > Gomez Marcante - > Kasheshkin
Kg: Kash then led the standings with 44, then Contador with 41, Uran with 38, Fothen 36 and Gomez Marchante with 33.
Kasheshkin goes over in third to move to KOM lead
Kg: On the Saises climb we had some attackers as Solis (Carmuese) and Hacecky (B and O) broke clear with Asterloza (Bbox) and Rolland (Auber) in pursuit.
Two riders try a move on the Saises
Sm: Solis has tried these sorts of moves before, he has been a long servent for the Carmuese team. Hacecky was looking for mountain points, but they needed more riders if he is going to make ground on the KOM comp.
Kg: Philips though kept the pace hot and had soon nabbed Rolland.
Philips rolls in Rolland
Sm: Philips are pushing the pace hard, Uran may be leading the race but it feels like Dekker is the boss.
DH: This is not going to be Auber’s day for sure, perhaps it is a case of waiting for the final time trial now. Meanwhile it was Hacecky who took the first category Saises climb ahead of Solis.
B and O rider takes maximum
Kg: Behind we saw Contador and Kasheshkin in the hunt for minor placings once again. This time Contador won the round moving ahead in the KOM comp.
Contador nabs third three places ahead of Kasheshkin]
Kg: Contador then moved to 52 points and Kash to 51 with the Hors Categorie Madeliane to come. On the descent Caruso (Lafarge) jumped across to the break, but this utterly doomed it as it was chased back.
Caruso jumps to break, meaning it is chased hard and caught
Kg: At the second sprint, the peleton just rolled through with Vesuvio domestiques taking the prizes.
90 man Peleton rolls over sprint – no sprinters left
DH: The Vesuvio riders on the front there were Clarebont and Madvedev with Jackson Rodriguez (Pearl) third. We back to live pictures now and we are at the bottom of the Col de Madalaine.
Kg: 27 kilometers at 6%, certainly the biggest climb of the race and one of the toughest anywhere.
DH: Starbucks GC hope Kiselowski launches early, 14th on GC about four minutes back.
Croat champ attacks early again
Sm: Kiserlowski seems to enjoy these early attacks, he faded a bit at the end of yesterdays stage – but this might work today.
DH: Plenty of teams are coming to keep the pace up on the peleton, including Pearl, Lipton, Philips and Domina Vacanze.
Sm: It is making it difficult for anyone to attack, it seems the main teams just want to control today.
DH: But Kiserlowski is going very nicely, he has about 1.18 with 10km of climbing left.
Kiserlowski has a good gap
Sm: The favourites are waiting for things to thin down a bit, in fact something is happening now.
DH: Gesink and Popovich are giving it a go, two top ten riders...
Gesink looks to put a poor showing yesterday behind him
DH: Kashashkin too, plenty of others are joining in here, this is a big moment here.
Sm: Henao Montoya is going too...
DH: Uran explodes out of the peleton
Kg: Oscar Solis again, with Lafarge's Caruso.
[Others including the yellow jersey also
Sm: Lots of attacking rides here on the Madelaine, I love it.
DH: Uran has bridged to Kiserlowski, he is really showing off here.
Uran joins the Croat up front
Sm: He must be feeling on top of this world at the moment, he is dropping Kiserlowski and no-one can respond to this.
DH: Meanwhile a large favourites group, including Schleck, Contador, Spilak and Dekker are forming behind. But Uran has a very good 45 second or so gap as we approach the top of this climb.
Uran has a good gap with 3.5km to go till the top
DH: Some of the early attackers are beginning to drop back and Spilak/Dekker are piling in the pressure in the second group.
Sm: These two have been largely inseparable, for much of the tour. Not exactly working together at the moment, though they maybe come the top of the climb.
DH: Pluchkin is there too, he seems to be coming to the boil now.
Dekker, Spilak and Pluchkin tease out a gap from the rest
DH: Uran is still going strong they are not making an impression on the Columbian, he is going to crest the Madelaine with quite a margin.
Sm: He like many Columbians is good but not great going downhill, he could do with a bit more of an advantage.
Uran crests one minute ahead
DH: Now our group of three chasers Pluchkin, Spilak and Dekker that is quite a trio to chase.
Sm: Many people's pick for top three before the race started!
Spilak - > Dekker - >Pluchkin
DH: The remainder of the favourites group here, they are about 45 seconds down on the group of three ahead. It's Schleck, Popovich, Henao, Fothen, Contador and Gesink.
Team leaders on show here
Kg: Contador and Uran will be joint KOM on 58 points tonight!
DH: Kasheshkin was in this group also, with a four man group next who was there Smowz?
Sm: Phinney, Taaramae, Pedraza and Caruso more team leaders, Kiserlowski was a bit behind that at about 2.30 down on Uran. Then at nearly four minutes down is a group with Gomez Marchante, Alarcon and various others.
DH: In the third group, Kasheshkin is attacking on the downhill!
Kash gaps the others due to a good move on the downhill.
DH: The three man second group is gaining slightly on Uran, but the Columbian is working hard to maintain his advantage.
Sm: The time bonus will really count if he can hang on too.
Uran looks for power under 10km to go
DH: Stopwatches out...
DH: Dekker, Pluchkin, Spilak at 44 seconds
DH: Kashechkin at 1.22
Sm: Popo, Conta, Gesink, Fothen, Schleck and Henao at 1.45, they have not worked together that well on the descent.
Kg: Phinney group is at 2.23, his tour ambitions are draining away . Kiserlowski is at 2.53 the Starbucks youngster is gamely battling away. Gomez Marchante's group is at four minutes he is going backwards!
DH: It is holding into the finale, we get another little kick and it is hurting Uran. Here comes Pluchkin, they are pulling the yellow jersey back!
Pluchkin is sprinting up to a fading Uran, whilst Spilak and Dekker battle each other
Sm: Can he hold on for the top bonus, Pluchkin is really flying though.
DH: Pluchkin is just about level with 200m to go.
Nabbed back is the Columbian
DH: Like a bullet there and he nabs the win, big day from Pluchkin he really needed that.
Sm: B and O will be delighted, Pluchkin has been having a pretty average season up to now.
Pluchkin takes it
DH: It is nip and tuck for third, Spilak just battles out Dekker. They are a little behind Uran and Pluchkin, but they will feel they limited their losses to Uran and gained on several others.
Spilak takes third place
DH: Behind the six men have caught Kashechkin who leads them in, in 5th place. Gesink 6th, Fothen 7thm Henao 8th, Schleck 9th, Popovich 10th and Contador 11th.
Kasheshkin leads them home behind
Kg: They concede pretty much a minute to the front four, they will be slightly disappointed but it could have been worse.
Sm: Indeed I thought they would concede more, Taaramae is next he has not quite been up to it in the Alps.
DH: Then Phinney and Caruso, a hard day for the American, the Alps have hurt him further.
Note the times are not quite correct - with Uran taking bonuses it would be a real pain to basically correct all the times manually. It will be done properly via the editor for the next stage into Gap, Pluchkin will start tomorrow in 5th. Top five then will be:
1) Uran, 2) Spilak at 1.27 3) Dekker at 1.32, 4) Schleck at 1.45 and 5) Pluchkin at 2.07, for everyone else add 12 seconds
