One of the Spanish hilly classics. 184km without many flat parts. Lots of up and down expect the riders including the short final ramp.
Serrano & Lobato Grychenko Milan
and Ospina
are named as big favourites.
But surely the other teams also have good bets for today and will try to surprise.
Great weather in Spain and the first attacks don`t last long. Hirt Abbasov
Grželj
and Klostergaard join them soon after.
Pivovarna Laško obviously has another tactic than doing the race for their two leaders and puts the pressure on other teams.
So it`s up to Adecco for primarily Milan. But also Rodriguez Oliver and Tang are top 10 puncheurs and could perform well here.
After bringing everything together a 19 rider group created a gap on one of the hills. Surely not in the interest of the favourites that are all behind.
Also this group had no chance. With 40km into the race the long stretched peloton brings all riders back. They surely can`t hold that pace until the end as many riders already struggle on the easier hills in the first half.
Then it`s Abbasov again attacking solo.
As no one is following a longer solo ride is ahead of him.
Vodafone without any big puncheur here and Metinvest are organizing the pace behind holding the gap always within 1min.
Tough day for Armavia`s Abbasov.
In the mid stage the first splits appear. Most leaders are in front but some riders surely should be more concentrated as they are left behind.
Biggest names probably Tondo and Spaniard Mardones, who is more a climber and won`t feel well on the shorter hills.
20km later the peloton is closed again.
Abbasov can still be seen as he is just 45s ahead. Maybe he should fall back to save energy?
Then new attacks with ~95km to go. These riders are surely a bigger danger than the early attackers. Sobal Ciccarese Klimov Sampaio
Especially first two are pretty good puncheurs but surely you can`t allow all 4 of them a big gap.
A bit later two more attackers. Daeninck Pancake
The peloton calms down and the first 5 riders (Abbasov included) have a gap of more than 4minutes with the two late attackers being right in the middle.
The rider from Azerbaijan is really having a great day today presenting his team jersey a lot. A good result would surely help them not losing contact to the next in the rankings.
But with about 60km to go he loses contact. Behind him the next duo is trying to find contact but obviously it is harder for them than they hoped.
The peloton clearly accelerated with AMEX doing the work now. The group is still 5min ahead with 65km to go.
Just 39 riders in this first group including most favourites.
Some of the biggest on the other side lost contact unexpectedly: Grychenko Lobato Mangel
And AMEX isno`t stopping the pace. They split the group again and now just 9 riders are chasing the leading riders.
Veyt really id doing a great job for his leader Ospina. Ospina, Veyt Milan, Rodriguez Oliver Muñoz Giraldo, Rangel, Szczawinski Serrano, Danculovic
Lobato and Grychenko riding next to each other.
But while Lobato`s team mates are still doing good in the 2nd group, Metinvest is surely forced to do something soon.
Bad luck for Szczawinski. The Polish champion punctures and falls back out of the 9 rider group.
Again Daeninck and Pancake are not far from the first four joining Abbasov now, who seems to refreshed again a bit.
And together they finally reach the first group making it a 7 rider group in front of the longest climb of the day...
...where Abbasov finally can`t follow. This time he won`t come back but still he got some advance on the next riders.
Metinvest takes care for the pace and the 8 riders ahead aren`t too far away, when Bonser attacks followed by Lobato.
With 17km to go Sampaio decides to attack. The chance is high for another breakaway win although the pace is pretty high behind.
Already seeing the leading group some riders attack.
Muñoz Giraldo, Smelcerovic, Serrano, Bonser, Ospina.
They will try to close the gap now.
Meanwhile Daeninck and Pancake fall back. All their work during the stage exhausted them too much and they can`t follow any longer.
The new attackers being caught again and this time Muñoz Giraldo tries to bridge the gap.
Sampaio with best chances now. 5km to go and he got a good gap to the next 3. But also the favourites are not far behind already seeing them.
Tyskie, Pivovarna, AMEX and Adecco proved to be the strongest teams today, so it`s also their leader, who work the most now trying to bring good results to their teams.
Ospina with the next attack. Serrano and Muñoz Giraldo counter this move.
But it`s too late. Sampaio with his biggest career result celebrating a fantastic win.
Once again a mid-stage attack proves to be a good tactic in this divison.
Ciccarese outsprints Sobal for 2nd, while Klimov must be happy with the 4th.
Muñoz Giraldo surely was one of the strongest today gapping the other favourites for 5th.
Serrano and Ospina coming next for 6th and 7th still ahead of the first bigger group.
Daeninck at least rescues a top 10 after the long break with Rodriguez Oliver taking care for the best Adecco rider as 9th ahead of Daeninck`s long time companion Pancake.
Lobato (11th), Vicioso (12th), Grychenko (16th) and Milan (19th) can`t be that happy with their result.
