Welcome to France for the PCM.daily Managment Game Criterium World Championships. After a short lead in, 47km of the Champs Elysse, including the Arc d'Triomphe, the Tunnel, and the Obelisk, await the riders.
Team Pokerstars.com has already clinched the 100,000 Euros for series champion, but the Individual Championship is still up for grabs. In addition, 10,000 Euros and the World Champion's shirt will go to today's winner.
Not surprisingly Pokerstars has provided two of the three star favorites, in the German Kluge and the American Holloway. Colombia's American, Summerhill, joins as the last favorite.
The race opens, and quickly, before the riders arrive on the Champs, Shahrulnizan of Red Bull opens the account of the day.
He is followed by Fernandes of Pearl...
...and, now on the famous cobbles of the Champs, by Guldhammer of Telenor, Manakov of Tinkoff, and Pires of Energie.
One more attack comes, from Brus of Pokerstars and Allain of LEGO. Interesting move by Pokerstars to get a man up the road.
surprising move by Pokerstars...
As the attackers move away from the pack, the helicopter gets a moment to survey the course.
Now, back in the action, Pires, Allain, and Manakov have broken out a gap over the other attackers.
Pires is obviously feeling good, as he himself moves off from those two, and takes the lead.
However, by the time the riders turn off the main run to head towards the tunnel, the seven attackers have joined up together.
Meanwhile, behind in the pack, Vesuvio has strangely come to the front.
doesn't really seem like it'd be their job to pull the break back in...
Vesuvio, now with help from Colombia, is powering the pack, and with 22km to go, the gap is down to 34". However, a new round of attacks begins.
A. Nepomnyachsniy of Milka, Reekers of Cilit Bang, and Decouttere of Falcon are the three attackers, and, through the tunnel, Decouttere has pulled ahead.
Now, with 16.5km, Te Brake of Telenor takes a dig, with Decouttere 10" ahead. Zenagui of Cilit Bang, A. Nepomnyachsniy of Milka, and Pereira of Pearl follow the Telenor rider.
another move by the usually very active team
By the time the riders have settled, with 10km to go, Pereira has a 30" gap to the peleton, with Zenagui halfway in between.
With 8km to go the Vesuvio-Colombia led peleton has nearly brought the Pearl rider back, as he only has a 10" gap. Meanwhile, Y. Nempomnyachsniy (the other one) of Milka, Kangert of Pearl, and Aistrup of Falcon, are attacking off the front.
They are allowed to dangle just off the front, and with 7km to go the sprint trains are forming.
Both trains are on the left. Colombia's Rodriguez Parra is leading out Machado, while the Pokerstars led train is of the form:
But after the riders come out the other side of the tunnel for the final straightaway, the race is in chaos!
Rodriguez Parra and Machado are still together, but have dropped back, while the Pokerstars train is in disarray. Meanwhile, Aistrup and Kangert are still just off the front...
As the sprint starts though, the attackers have been brought back, and Colombia is in a dominating position, with Schinker attached to their rear wheels.
The speed and tightness of the pack is made very clear as a pileup happens at the back of the pack with the sprint starting.
But up front Colombia has hit the front hard, and Pokerstars is fading.
With 1km to go Machado has been released...
...and has a gap
No contest. A massive win for Honorio Machado.
In addition to taking home a the World Champion's Jersey and 10,000 Euros, Machado will win the Individual Standings if Kunshin of Tinkoff doesn't make the podium and Kluge of Pokerstars finishes outside the top 10.
Right behind, Schinker crosses in second, but Kunshin comes across in third! However, is that Kluge in sixth? That result would tie him with the Russian...
Machado is celebrating his stage win, can Kunshin celebrate his Individual Standings victory?
