Two big Alpine climbs today as the big passes are well and truly open to cyclists this summer. The Pas de Morgins should really shake the riders up before the steep 8.5km climb of the Col du Corbier. The fast descent is followed by a shallow crawl to the finish.
The question on most people's lips will likely be surrounding 21 year old American Taylor Phinney
who' s amazing development looks set for a yardstick. The one question remains as to his ability to live with the absolute best on the big climbs. You fancy he could be a multiple Tour de France champion in the mould of Miguel Indurain and he certainly smoked everyone in yesterdays time trial.
He still does not lead however that honour belongs to stage two's winner Aleksandr Efimkin
who struggled to get a landmark result on the hilly stuff and has maybe made up for it here so far with a nice gambling breakaway win on the lumpy stage. He may just fancy hanging onto the lead if the GC favourites don't fancy it today.
He is joined by Rudi Van Houts Mathieu Perget Jude Libert
and Swiss riders David Loosli
and Thomas Frei
Lead is up to 8 minutes by the sprint with Perget leading it over ahead of Libert and Van Houts. The pack are being lead by Spyker cars and Wikipedia who are no doubt looking to put pressure on Efimkin today.
As we go up the long Pas de Morgins climb the six man break stick together, though Van Houts is not taking any turns.
The standard break and chase ploy though is ruffled when we get an attack 5 kilometers from the top by one of the big name riders dropped the other day.
Rigoberto Úran
erupts into action!
He is joined by David López Garcia
and Alberto Contador
This does look a pretty strong move as well as the trio quickly get over a minute away and no real reaction. All three lost time on stage 3, but Lopez Garcia's team leader Arroyo did keep himself up there and has been talked up of a top five claim.
Swiss climber Looslie reaches the top first over compatriot Frei with Libert third. The break though are caught by the chasing trio Uran, L Garcia and Contador before the foot of the big Corbier climb.
This steep 8.5km climb looks set to be the big battleground of the day and the lead nine have just over three minutes on the bunch behind. Uran started the day the best of these breakaways now at 4.52 to Efimkin.
Behind the climbers are looking lively with Daniel Martin
darting clear with Bernhard Kohl Peter Velits Vitor Rodrigues
and Thomas Lövkvist
Problems for Milka also with one of Efimkin's key helpers in Thomas Rohregger
crashing as we approach the steep sections.
The break are predictably led up the Corbier by Uran and Contador who are setting a calm steady tempo.
It's not long before these ace climbers are putting some of the break into difficulty, Perget and Joly are dropped.
With the five attackers Martin, Lovkvist, Rodrigues, Velits and Kohl getting clear, a few more riders try their chances notably 6th on GC a 2.54 and 2nd in young riders category Timofey Kritskiy
joining Rein Taaramäe
All these attacks are getting away, but as yet no reaction from Dekker or Phinney. But surely something has to give when another rider high on GC goes in David Arroyo
Without any teammates race leader Aleksandr Efimkin
decides this is the move he wants to latch onto.
Meanwhile with Uran, Contador, Lopez Garcia, Van Houts, Loosli, Frei and Libert ahead it is Bernhard Kohl who is climbing best of the breaking away riders behind who are spread out behind the lead six.
The Austrian is making up ground on the leaders Uran and Contador could do with upping the pace really, Lopez Garcia is of course doing nothing.
Back in the pack with Efimkin clear with Arroyo it is time for Phinney to do something he goes on the attack.
Thomas Dekker
and Andrei Amador
are right there on his wheel with Vladimir Karpets
and Walter Pedraza
not far behind.
With 20km to go this is the situation then:
We have a lead group of 8 riders: Loosli, Contador, Uran, Lopez Garcia, Frei, Libert, Van Houts and Kohl.
24 seconds behind them and closing are Velits and Martin, good stuff from the young riders there.
At 1.11 is Rodrigues, Taaramae, Lovkvist and Kritskiy, you have to say Kritskiy is doing an excellent job here.
Joly, Perget and Arroyo are at 2.20 just ahead of the battle between Dekker, Phinney, Amador and Efimkin with Pedraza and Karpets a little behind that.
The news here is that Phinney is looking vunerable with Dekker now cruising clear of the American.
Efimkin is also blowing up a little here and he really is struggling to hold onto the wheel of Pedraza who has come around with Karpets to join Amador and Phinney.
Uran leads us over the King of the Mountains prime looking out for the interests of his teammate Dietmar Mehr-Wenige
who incidently has dropped all GC aspirations today and is way down the climb. It has not been a devestating pace by Uran or his fellow pacer Contador as Velits and Martin have caught them and four of the original breakaway have survived.
But below the pace has been really turned on by Thomas Dekker who is piling the pressure on Phinney who himself his battling his demons. Dekker is pretty close to getting on the wheel of Arroyo who also is making a hopeful GC move forward here.
It looks all over for the race leader Efimkin who after looking strong early on in the climb is really beginning to pedal squares near the top.
On the descent Rodrigues, Taaramae, Lovkvist and Kritskiy get back on and as we get to the 10km mark Dekker and Arroyo also make it across.
We are coming into the last draggy ride home now and having allowed the big riders back Uran lifts the pace once more.
This is bad news for the likes of Phinney, Amador, Karpets and Pedraza who are still trying to chase back across. The problem for Phinney is that he cannot get the others to work with him as they are often attacking each other.
Efimkin has dropped back to the pack now and is hoping that maybe the 35 or so strong group of riders can eat away at the leaders lead.
Meanwhile Uran is joined by Taaramae, Contador and the magnificent young Russian rider Kritskiy.
The young on loan Wiggle rider is making a massive GC push here he started the day just 39 seconds down on Dekker. The Dutchman has managed to hurt Phinney but is he really on a great day?
The Spyker leader is leading the rest of the riders trying to keep the gap to Phinney which has hovered between 45 seconds and a minute.
Phinney is continuously trying short sharp bursts as he can see the group ahead of him, he knows if he can just get on the back of a wheel at the front there he can live to fight another day.
Behind Race leader Efimkin is now relient on teammate Rohregger who has bravely fought back to try and help his team leader. He is about two minutes behind Dekker and a minute or so behind Phinney, the chance of retaining the yellow jersey is still there.
As we go under the 5km to go banner it is Alberto Contador who has something extra left in his legs as he kicks clear of Taaramae who looks the next best.
Behind Arroyo having patiently waited on Dekkers wheel launches his bid for some cheeky seconds.
2.5km to go: They are spread out behind Contador....
Taaramae is at 8 seconds
Kritskiy and Uran are are 23 seconds
Arroyo now joined by Dekker are at 43 seconds
Then the 10 remaining breakaways at 57 seconds
Karpets and Amador are now clear of Phinney at 1.21
Phinney is at 1.33 with Pedraza, the American is just about in the virtual GC lead.
The Milka lead pack is at 2.53.
Dekker can sense that more seconds can be clawed back and produces another kick breaking Arroyo.
Contador meanwhile has used a short ramp to move clearer of Taaramae with Dekker having caught up with Uran and Kiritskiy suddenly time bonuses come into play for the Dutchman.
He is probably hearing screams of encouragement from his team boss but as he approaches the kilometer to go banner Phinney looks wasted with Karpets and Amador now proving impossible for him to pull back.
Contador shows he is a real threat for the Vuelta showing his form to take the fifth stage of the Tour of Romandie.
Taaramae takes second timed at 21 seconds behind Contador with Dekker at 33 seconds snatching the eight bonification seconds for third.
Kritskiy, Uran, Kohl, Velits, Martin, Lovkvist finish on the same time as Dekker as David Arroyo blew up pretty badly to lose 22 seconds on these riders.
He finishes with teammate Lopez Garcia, Rodrigues, Loosli, Frei and Libert.
The other surviving breakawy rider Van Houts drops back to finish with Amador and Karpets who are timed at 1.22.
Phinney finishes with Pedraza at 1.47 to Contador and 1.14 to Thomas Dekker. It means the American has lost his GC position to the Dutchman.
Dekker can celebrate not only this but also siezing the yellow jersey from Efimkin who finishes in a large group of riders at 3.13. This group contains Simon Spilak
and Robert Gesink
who were inactive today.
They at least bothered to climb unlike the early season superstar Aleksandr Pluchkin
who finishes with autobus. What a lazy performance from the Moldovan!
So the new GC standings sees Thomas Dekker take the lead on a dramatic day in Switzerland. Dekker played it cool on the Corbier climb waiting for Phinney to make his move before following then putting on the afterburners himself giving the American an 'education'.
Great stuff from the likes of Uran and Contador who now move into the top 10 on GC and they maybe now hunting the scalp of Efimkin in tomorrows stage.
