Judgement day has arrived all eyes will be on the battle between Jose Serpa and Franco Pellizotti today to see who takes an advantage into tomorrows time trial. Serpa is the better chrono man but the hilly parcours may favour Pellizotti tomorrow so any decisive move here may well win the race.
I say all eyes but many team managers will be looking for a high top 10 place and non TTers such as Samwel, Eltink, Bosisio and Lopez Garcia will need to try a create a buffer between themselves and decent men against the clock like Rohregger, Van den Broeck and Camano. What of 3rd placed Siutsou, 4th placed Moreno, 5th placed Kohl and former leader now 12th placed Grau how will they fare?
The big climb of the Alto da Torre is a long undulating one with some really tough sections - it goes on for 30km @ an average of 5%.
The early break sees six men go clear: Wilman (Telenor), Hofland (Bimbo Nutella), Garbelli (Vespa), Agnoli (Intesa), Betencourt (Quiksilver and Becerra (UBS).
Early triers in todays huge mountain stage
They are followed by Galdos (Santander) and Tzortzakis (Falcon), they seem to be with the break with Galdos even winning the opening sprint but drop back on the first climb (taken by Garbelli). They lead a long chase but do get back eventually!
Galdos and Tzortzakis chase and get back to front six
Galdos then adds the second sprint to the first, the Santander sprinter however will barely make a ripple in the points competition that has been one for the hilly men in the Volta. It is currently joint led by GC leader Pellizotti and Benfica's surprise GC front man Daniel Moreno.
With 60km to go the gap back to the peleton is 6.30, over the magic minute per 10 kilometers but odds are this will be caught on the climbs. It becomes clear in the first softening up climb of the Alto do Carrazedo (10.5km @ 7%) that the teams of the big two mean business. Firstly Youtube lead and then Pirelli up the pace three quarters of the way up.
Pirelli put the pressure on the penultimate climb
The Italian team are all in for Jose Serpa who despite not taking a GC win anywhere yet has been enjoying a fine season with some spectacular stage wins and fine GC podiums. As the peleton is reeling the break in one by one the weaker members of the break are burned off.
There is only four men left of the eight at the top: Becerra, Garbelli, Betencourt and Agnoli with Wilman the last to be dropped.
Four men left at the top
Young Columbian Betencourt takes the mountain prime and it is Oliver Zaugg who leads a 51 man peleton over. With 35km to go the joint Pirelli and Youtube pacing as the 4 men up front pegged to three minutes. But they are stunned to see 5th GC placed and very strong climber Bernard Kohl go off on an attack.
Kohl attacks some 33km before the finish
An amazing move from the Austrian, this has caught everyone by surprise as we enter the bottom of this giant Torre climb. Meanwhile the break are also taken aback as Intesa's Italian Agnoli goes on the attack.
Agnoli moves away from his companions
One of these four, UBS Becerra has good reason to wait up though and it is one of those rare occasions where placing a man in a breakaway for later actually works. Becerra starts to pace Kohl as he reaches him, the Columbian national champ does a great job pacing Kohl up to Agnoli.
UBS duo team up for a bit
Pirelli and Youtubes numbers are now beginning to dwindle but the ultra strong mountains outfit Benfica are now on the front looking after their own interests.
Benfica now powering the peleton
The Portuguese team are receiving a lot of local support and are reeling in most of the former breakaways but Kohl is holding steady with about a two minute lead with 20km to go. The UBS climber now drops Agnoli.
Kohl takes out Agnoli before the 20km to go mark
To be fair to the GC favourites here though it is a long climb it seems better to save your energy with your teammates at least just for a bit. The peleton reduces slowly and when Benfica begin to ease off with Moreno in difficulty Siutsou and Serpa decide it is time to put in a dig.
16 to go: Serpa and Siutsou decide to attack
Pellizotti missed this one, but knows it is a matter of time before someone else will go and 500 meters later it is Delgado who obliges. The Italian GC leader with Serpa up the road responds to the Venezualans move.
Pellizotti marks Delgado
Lopez Garcia, Samwel, Rohregger and Daniel Moreno also bridge across, though it is only too Jose Serpa as Konstantin Siutsou finds the undulations to his liking and keeps a gap to the seven behind.
Siutsou riding well again on the mountain stage
The current KOM leader and 3rd on GC needs to to try and draw back Bernard Kohl though and with 10km to go this is the situation:
Kohl
Siutsou at 1.25
Lopez Garcia, Serpa, Samwel at 2.02
Delgado at 2.19
Moreno, Rohregger and Pellizotto at 2.29
20 man peleton at 2.48
It seems as though the lengthy slopes are not sapping Kohl's strength he just keeps riding as Siutsou begins to look a little ropey. Pellizottu has a second wind and moves past Delgado and as he gets to the Serpa group the Columbian responds.
Serpa and Pellizotti battle up to Siutsou's wheel
The Italian fights to pull up alongside Serpa and Samwel and Lopez Garcia likewise fight for their GC positions behind.
Samwel and Lopez Garcia battle to claw their way back
As it looks like Pellizotti and Serpa are going to make Siutsou's wheel incredibly the Belerussian puts in a newly refreshed dig!
Siutsou finds new reserves
But Franco Pellizotti is still marking this...
Pellizotti sticks with Siutsou
However Jose Serpa is on the defensive is clings onto Kenyan Samwels wheel as he goes past.
Serpa on the defensive
Despite all this action we must not forget that Kohl is still keeping a steady nice rhythm up front now going under the 5km to go banner. This is beginning to look very good for the UBS man regarding the stage - but GC is going to be close he started 5th at 2.09 to Pellizotti.
Kohl holding form as we near the top of this dreadfully long climb
Kohl
Pellizotti at 1.25
Siutsou at 1.35
Serpa at 1.49
Samwel, Marquez at 2.00
Lopez Garcia at 2.20
18 man Peleton at 2.39
The Benfica boys have worked a lot of riders back here including their own Moreno. They have responded by sending Marquez up the road but it seems a little late in the day. Marquez does drop Samwel but finds the next three harder to reel in as they really dig in now.
Samwel begins to struggle a bit here and it is Lopez Garcia who catches him. Both riders are desperate to stay clear of the mini peleton behind which contains Camano, Van den Broeck and Rohregger.
Lopez Garcia catches Samwel
Though the Benfica led peleton have never looked like reducing the gap to the stage winner - it is Bernard Kohl who has his best day of the year winning the big Torre stage.
Kohl wins atop the Alto da Torre
Behind Pellizotti leads over Siutsou and Serpa. The gap to Pellizotti is 1.28 so the Italian defends his yellow jersey, putting in important time on Jose Serpa in the process.
Pellizotti, Siutsou and Serpa
Marquez comes in unnoticed in fifth before Lopez Garcia and Samwel only 20 or so seconds clear of some 14 riders in the peleton.
Lopez Garcia and Samwell barely ahead of the rest
On GC then the top five reshuffle themselves: Pellizotti, Kohl and Serpa will battle it out for podium places tomorrow. Siustou looks on his own in 4th as Moreno leads the large group from 5th through to 15th with only 1.30 separating them.
