The Citadelle de Namur hosts the finish to this hilly classic has attracted a classy field of punchaers. The finish is up a 2.6km average 5.4% ramp, this one is certainly not for the faint hearted. In the run up to the finale the riders have the Cote d’Ermeton (2.2km @7%) with 40km to go, the Tienne Hinraut (%) with 25 to go, the leg breaking Tienne aux Pierres (800m @13%) near the end and numerous little bumps in the last 50km.
This race has the look and feel of one of the Protour’s Ardennes classics. Home favourites Maxime Monfort and Phillipe Gilbert will be cheered on by the crowd on these tough looking bergs. They have some really strong punchaers for company including Vespa’s underachieving Ginanni, Milka’s useful Russian Efimkin, Cillit Bang’s dangerous Moroccon Ben Nasser and Mercedes star man Pozzato.
UBS and Wiggle have also got their usual strong squad of suspects here, but we must not kid ourselves most of the crowd expect a Gilbert victory.
With this in mind perhaps a number of teams send riders up the road for a 14 man breakaway.
Garbelli + Pagato + Passalacqua (Vespa); Veilleux + Roulston (Bbox) Tiernan Locke + Grippo (Wiggle); Weiss + Nydam (Mercedes); Jarc (Milka); Barrio (UBS); Passeron (Bacardi); Eichler (Cillit Bang)
Huge break of 14 riders will test the peleton today
The danger is ramped up even further as with 85 to go Thomas Voeckler (Bbox) and Dario Cataldo (Wiggle) two very decent hilly men bridge up to the 14 riders up front.
Voeckler and Cataldo move across
Also moving across with 75 to go is LEGO's Rabon which gives the break a number of really useful riders the pressure is well and truly on Pendletons here. With 50km to go though the gap is just 1.20, Vorganov has done a great job for Pendletons, Vespa and Cillit Bang have been helping out as well.
Proni on the front helping to keep this large break under control
We enter that key period with the three named climbs (and a couple of unnamed ones too) before the stages Citadelle de Namur climb at the end. First we have the 2km steep climb of the Cote d'Ermeton, the first move in the peleton made by UBS as Roux attacking in Quebec recently goes.
Anthony Roux seems desperate to do something for his promotion chasing team
Roux does bridge to the breakaway, but more riders are trying to go most convincing is Cillit Bangs Hassan Ben Nasser. He goes on a small climb before the 4km Hinraut climb.
Cillit Bang full of confidence following a Tour of Britain GC win
The Tienne Hinraut proves a good chance for Pendletons to grind this back together though a 3.7km ascent averaging 4.9% is perfect for their domestiques as Moinard brings it all back together. The dangerous front group is back in the peleton.
Pendletons bring the peleton back to full size
Of course some weaker riders have been dropped, but this is now Gilbert territory but still the next attack is not his. It is the other big name Belgian Maxime Monfort who goes on the climb before that leg breaking Pierres wall. Ben Nasser, Roux, Caruso and Claeys follow this move to make a group of five up front.
Monfort tries to get down the road before the Pierres
Gilbert doesn't want Monfort to get away here, predictably when he makes his move he is marked Ginanni is playing the closest order.
Here we go Gilbert and Ginanni
Onto the Tienne aux Pierres a short(800m) but very steep (13%) climb, LEGO duo Claeys and Monfort are clinging the Ben Nassers wheel. The Moroccan Giro del Capo winner enjoys these sort of short romps, behind Ginanni and Gilbert are attacking past Caruso, Roux and a name I missed Kolobnev.
On the Pierres we have 3 then 5
Ginanni and Gilbert reach the LEGO duo, but cannot respond as Ben Nasser kicks again. Excellent work by the Cillit Bang rider, he cost them a bit at the beginning of the season and he is paying them back here.
Ben Nasser shakes of the LEGO blocks and then kick away from Gilbert and his shadow
Bam, behind Gilbert and Ginanni suddenly see Efimkin fly past their outside - the Russian has absolutely breezed up the Pierres like it was a flat road!
Efimkin comes sailing by
Gilbert gets on the Russians wheel, so Efimkin stops riding.
Gilbert has Ginanni on his wheel so stops riding.
Ginanni has Monfort/Claeys on his wheel so stops riding and so on
We have a bizarre situation which frees up the only front runner riding hard Ben Nasser to open up 54 seconds with 5km to go. Are they aware the Cillit Bang rider is there?
Ben Nasser has a good gap with 5km to go
Let's not forget he still has the final 2.5km of climbing to go, that is the Moroccan's favoured terrain however! Behind all the other front runners are hauled back by the peleton!=
Gilbert et al sit up
2500m to go and Ben Nasser is in the Citadelle de Namur area and with a lead of nearly 90 seconds he has this sewn up surely.
Ben Nasser concentrates on keeping a high tempo
Gilbert launches out of the peleton himself as soon as they get into the fortifications marking the bottom of the hill. He has a new shadow now in Maxime Monfort!
Two Belgians dash up the hill surely too late to stop Ben Nasser
Behind these two we can see Efimkin, 3rd Belgian Coenan and Kolobnev trying to go for minor places in a steep bit.
Behind the Belgians the rest are scrambling
As I said before way too much time was given away to Ben Nasser between 7.5 to go and 2.5 to go, noone else is in the picture as Ben Nasser celebrates his best win of the season.
Ben Nasser maintains Cillit Bangs late season surge
Phillipe Gilbert grabs second ahead of Maxime Monfort, both team managers will be pleased with the two riders consistency over the year. Even so both missed the chance of victory by being a little defensive.
Gilbert 2nd and Monfort 3rd
Ginanni makes it past Efimkin for 4th, still not really good enough from the Italian. Efimkin just about keeps the Milka float well floating. Coenan makes a very good 6th place from his home race.
Ginanni 4th, Efimkin 5th and Coenan 6th
Behind the sprint for 7th is won by Kolobnev who held a slight advantage coming into the straight ahead of a second LEGO rider in Claeys before we get to the invisible Pozzato in 9th.
