The smart money for these hilly classics seems to be on a breakaway and so it is no surprise to see almost every team try and get in one in the early going here.
A huge 15 rider breakaway has formed 50km into the race.
Only a few teams have missed this move AMEX, UPC, Metinvest, Kingspan, Het Nieuwsblad and Petrobrus being those names.
UPC are really busting a gut to keep this group within a minute for team leader Manuel Ortega and do so.
In fact by the 7th circuit out of 10 on this initial tricky section UPC pull everything back together, the parcours are not really demanding enough to drop anyone despite the near constant high pace so it's gruppo compacto for a bit.
Having missed the first move some teams have a fresh full complement of 5 riders and AMEX launch Lucas Euser
Euser goes solo for about 5km, before 4 riders try to get across noticing that UPC are happy to allow more leeway. These riders are:
Stijn Girardi
David Mkrtehyan
Ken Sebastian Vassdål
Wilson Zambrano
Delhaize and Armavia perhaps understandably feeling their best chance is through a break, interestingly though Petrobrus have launched possibly their best punchaer at this race.
The five build a decent 4 minute advantage as we exit the first set of circuits with 45km to go. However Vassdal who was struggling at the back falls as he takes risks on a decent.
So Euser, Mkrtehyan, Zambrano and Giraldi lead us through into the second set of circuits which will decide the winner of this race.
With the break being so small a lot of teams have been helping with the pace including UPC, Het Nieuwsblad, Metinvest, S-Tel and P Lasko. Indeed with 25km to go the gap dips under two minutes before the tactical games start.
Manuel Ortega starts the attacks to attempt to bridge to this 4 man break.
He is marked initially by Robert Retschke, Carlo Kirsch and Johannes Frohlinger
Adecco keep a watchful eye on these moves keeping the pace high enough in the pack to keep these chasers to within 30 seconds.
Tareq Esmaeli attacks the Adecco chase marked by Pablo Urtasun, Yauhen Sobal, Björn Leukemans and Angel Vicioso
UPC are all over everything but Adecco have kept a very good control of these moves and with 15km to go there is only one rider who is clear with the all the attackers caught and all but one of the initial breakaway reeled in.
Giraldi is gambling that the pack may just allow him some wiggle room and is solo with 15km to go.
But Vicioso looks full of energy and attacks again with Ortega, Sobal, Leukemans, Retschke and Frohlinger marking him.
Sobal and Retschke prove the strongest here and pulls Giraldi back with 10km left. The punchaers are now getting animated desperate to pull this thing apart, for once the breakaway has not succeeded.
Having done a lot of chasing Adecco now launch Diego Milan
Vicioso and Frohlinger try to go with Milan but Milan has wisely saved his energy for this one big move and as they fall back the Spanish rider has a 25 second lead under the 5km to go banner.
Having failed to go with MIlan, Vicioso is now in chase mode for teammate Iván Melero who looks poised for a counter.
Samsung Mol manage to make the catch as we enter the last 2.5km but suddenly get swamped by other riders as Ricardo Serrano and Manuel Ortega come either side of Milan.
Gomes Colinas would be favourite if the finish was flat but we actually have a short incline and then fairly sharp decline to the finish. The finish therefore favours a punchaer who has the most left and having sat and watched all the attacks Serrano has the most left and begins to power clear.
Smelcerovic has also done little allowing teammate Sobal to do a lot of the marking and so is fresh to challenge in second here. Milan and Ortega have been animated and cannot seem to live with these two, but are away from the rest.
Het Nieuwsblad have got the bit between their teeth behind, the win may go to a rider ahead but they are fighting for decent placings. Leukemans leads a bunch of riders which include his teammates Kurt Hovelynck and Gilberto Sampaio
Serrano has powered up this incline and now just has to keep it going on the short descent and flat final 500 metres or so.
Smelcerovic is beginning to tire in second and Milan is having a second wind behind him, Ortega is still battling away as Hovelynck bursts out of the pack of riders behind.
Alberto Rodriguez Oliver and Gilberto Sampaio are following behind with the likes of Euser, Bespolov and Sobal also making a late move for a high place.
But the late moves are not going to catch Serrano who kept calm and gambled on a close finale. He made his sprint at the right time with all of his strength and wins the Univest Grand Prix.
His chasers Smelcerovic, Milan and Ortega tire towards the end and Hovelynck finishs very fast to snatch a 2nd place with Het Nieuwsblad. Milan overtakes Smelcerovic to complete our podium.
Het Nieuwsblad are well and truly back to their best here getting 5th through Sampaio ahead of Ortega and Rodriguez Oliver. An impressive second wind by Euser to take 8th ahead of punchaers Bespolov and Sobal. Samsung Mol have to be happy with 11th, 12th and 16th.
A very animated Univest Grand Prix was won by the patient Pivivorna Lasko squad, who after the initial break was caught did a little bit of chase work but kept calm in a frenzied finale to launch Serrano at the right time. Het Niewsblad too kept their powder dry for the final sprint which proved the right tactic here.