Germany has become a bit of a specialist when it comes to providing flat classics and here we have another in Continental Tour - Division two.
Saïd Haddou has moved comfortably to the top of the individual standings and he is bookies favourite to add to that points haul here. His team have done a good job of getting him to the front in races and whilst the Frenchman hasn't always won, he is usually in the mix.
The battle as ever will be between the breakaway and the chase, today is a fairly windy day so the break may have better odds of surviving.
The first four man break is given a good chance to build a couple of minutes lead.
In this break is some surprising names, two good sprinters Tigran Korkotyan and Tuguldur Tuulhangai are joined by Brad Huff and Magnus Bäckstedt.
After they get a two minute lead several more riders bridge across: Geert Van der Sanden Marc Codrington Wilson Rincón Ronald Harvey Pavol Kusy Tim Mertens Jaroslaw Zarebski Oleg Kashechkin Mike Friedman
and Luke Roberts
Samsung Mol help Alstorm chase it down though.
Most of the 14 early attackers go again: Tuulangai, Kusy, Backstedt, Mertens, Codrington, Roberts, Kashechkin. Van der Sanden, Freidman, Rincon, Zarebski and Harvey all go again joined by Andreas Dietziker who goes instead of Korkotyan.
This 13 man move is allowed to establish itself, with 90km to go the gap is 6 minutes. Anxious that their teams have missed the move AMEX and Finnair help Alstorm with the chase.
The break's lead starts to reduce and with 50km to go the lead is down to three and a half minutes, it feels as if the lead is under control. That said it is not full pelt as decent rouler Aleksandr Serov attacks.
Gazprom look like they have responded to a rallying cry by their team boss and Serov manages to eek out a 30 - 40 second gap on the field. However AMEX look pretty determined to set something up, clearly frustrated by having no-one in todays break.
The fact that two of the better CDiv2 teams are on the attack tells us that some DS's are not playing it out for a sprint. The wind has slowly got higher all day and with Hayman, Barbe and Serov all strongmen it is clear they expect to make things chaotic.
The three riders join the break with 12km to go, it still has a 45 second lead. Serov does look a bit hammered from his previous effort however.
Behind the pack riders are being dropped in the wind Adecco the worst effected with Tigran Korkotyan and Marco Bandiera dropped along with Samai Samai, Marino Prestia and Dietmar Lambrecht
Under the 10km to go banner and a disorganised pack still have not been able to get this break under control as the break have attacked each other forming two three man groups at the head of affairs.
The pack are at 48 seconds being led now by a panicked Serbian Telecom who are getting no help from anyone else.
The Serbian team are not getting any help from anyone else and after pulling back the first three chasers (Barbe, Freidman, Mertens) respond to a move by Kasper Klostergaard with Aleksandr Arekejev
Barbe goes with this as does Maxim Rudenko
No sign really of the top sprinters like Haddou and Thorsen who seem to have got lost in this windy finale.
At the head of affairs Kashechkin has slipped by and with 2.5km to go just Zarebski and Dietzeker are left to juke it out.
Kashechkin has dropped back to Barbe, Klosterguard, Arekejev and Rudenko who have 30 seconds on the pack being led out by Freidman.
Zarebski has played this well and comfortably has too much for Dietzeiker taking the Neuseenclassics.
Behind Klosterguard's blistering last 4km attack rewards him with 3rd place, Finnair on fire at the moment.
Rudenko outsprints Arekejev for 5th with Kashechkin salvaging a decent 6th over Barbe who returns Het Neiuwsblad to points scoring ways.
Victor Gomes Colinas comes home for 8th ahead of Pawel Szaniawski and Rüdiger Selig
Haddou rolls home in 60th, one of many sprinters who found the frantic twisty and windy finale too difficult to get their engines up to speed.
