Not too many riders were looking to join the breakaway today with just three riders nipping away before the early sprint prime at 12 kilometres.
Young German rider Thomas Koep
edges out young Austrian rider Matthias Brändle
and the youngster from Luxembourg Tom Thill
at the first sprint.
These three by sprinting get their lead up past two minutes and the pack relax and let these riders build a very decent 7 and a half minutes by the 100km to go point. Unicredit's rider Brandle is a pretty decent rider so could well be a contender for a high GC place if the break succeeds. However he is finding Koep quite the nemesis as they battle for King of the Mountains points.
Again the German stage race hopeful manages to snag to top points on this climb, all climbs incidentally are worth 6 points for leading over apart from the climb at the finish of stage 3 that is worth 16 points for the winner. Brandle takes 4 points for second here ahead of Thill.
Tom Thill on loan from Bacardi Ignis is one of Focused many riders in development, they have been hopeful of seeing riders in breaks. They will be pleased to see Thill get the jump for the second sprint prime of the day, with Koep beating Brandle to second.
The final primer is the second King of the Mountains and whilst somebody has written Franco Pellizotti
on the road, it is Brandle who takes the first place ahead of Koep meaning those two will share the jersey tomorrow.
Back in the bunch the gap is being managed and indeed is now on a downward trend with VolksWagen's engine purring with help from the American farmboys and the Russian Bankers.
California Berry Giant Farms have their big sprinter Haedo here, he didn't go that great last season but this is the sort of five stage race he enjoys racking up the stage wins in. As we close in on the break it is they who really take charge of the chase work reducing the gap to under two minutes with 30 to go.
Reijnan pulls off and it is now the Stars and Stripes of last year's surprise US champion Tolleson taking over.
Into the last three kilometers and Mikhail Ignatiev
joins the back of the sprint train hunting for precious bonification seconds.
The waiting game is over as with 1500m to go Tolleson pulls off and Haedo is going to try and power away from everybody.
Trusov immediately looks to jump around an under pressure Loddo, Dumoulin goes around the otherside of the Italian. The VolksWagen sprinter begins to fade under that pressure, meanwhile a dropping back Tolleson forces Poulhiès to go wide.
Into the last 1000m then and Haedo has burned off Loddo but now has Trusov and Dumoulin for company. As Haedo slows to take a bend Trusov darts up his inside, meanwhile behind Marinangeli moves ahead of Loddo.
Haedo is looking heavy legged now as Trusov eases away, also coming through is Dumoilin but Marinangeli is moving the fastest of all with now Bonnet and Ignatiev challenging for the minor placings.
Sergio Marinangeli
comes up to challenge Nikolai Trusov
with Samuel Dumoulin
set for third.
Trusov can see the line and is throwing his bike around straining to make this sprint count.
He just about holds off the Venchi riders charge.
Dumoilin holds off Bonnet, a useful time trialler, for third and too all GC riders relief Ignatiev is out of bonus seconds in 5th. Haedo is a disappointing 6th place.
T.CS Bank will not be a complaining, after a low key start to the season they are roaring into life here Trusov can celebrate the stage win and taking the leaders jersey.
