Today is the second of the two key mountain stages in this year’s Coppi e Bartali. It is much harder than yesterday’s stage, featuring three major difficulties in a row and with barely any flat road at all for the entire day. The first climb comes just after the sprint point, about half way through the stage. It is fairly long, averaging about 5%. Right near the summit it does reach over 15%, however, and so it is sure to put some riders into difficulty. The second climb is the only one awarding mountain points. It is about 21km of climbing, with a short descent thrown into the bag and a couple of false flats. Because of these the average is only about 4%, but the maximum is more telling – a whopping 16.7%. Finally there is the last climb of the day that peaks 8.5km from the finishing line. It is only 4.5km long, but it averages close to 8% and once again gets over 15% at its toughest point.
Mancebo took the yellow jersey yesterday and will be hoping to defend it today, but yesterday showed that there are lots of potential challengers. The Cativen duo of Agudelo and Laverde Jimenez are both in the running for stag honours after riding aggressively yesterday. What about mountain jersey wearer Laverde Velez? Will he have another attack left in him? Or possibly Kloden will be able to double up with back-to-back stage wins. And what about some outsiders like Gonzalez or Wielinga? 34 men start the day within a minute of the lead and most of them could take a shot at the stage victory here.
It takes 8km of riding before the first rider attacks – it is Rincon. Cativen are clearly trying to set something up here and throwing a man up the road is a good way to start off.
Joining him are: Strgar Lemoine Dietziker
Another wave follows after these three: Porsev Berkhout Morandi Kostjuk Higgerson Cappelle Vicioso
However, Morandi and Vicioso are clearly considered too much of a risk, given that they finished with the lead group yesterday and so the entire group are chased back except Cappelle, who had a gap on the rest of them and bridges up to the front.
A number of other attacks follow, and Belda makes sure to keep the dangerous attacks in check. Higgerson, however, manages to power away as the first major descent is reached. He has been riding really smartly for someone who isn’t a natural-born mountain climber and clearly has some sort of ambition in this race. Speaking of the descent, Kasa falls on the way down, and it doesn’t look like he is coming back into the peloton.
A few more riders bridge up to the lead group, which has a 55” lead. The riders are Silin Burlutsky Arekejev
Burlutsky, though he isn’t a natural climber, did manage to finish with the lead group yesterday and he may be worried about losing valuable time. Arekejev is once again on the attack – he has come here with intent.
The gap starts to go out a bit and a chase group of several more attacks forms behind them: Kananen Zajicek Hutchings Garcia Rincon
Zajicek was involved in the crash but is clearly not injured, so AMEX have decided to play him as a bit of a wildcard danger man in the break. Hutchings may be on the prowl for the mountain points today to try to reclaim his mountain jersey
Jurco is a late addition to this chase group, who are about half way across the 2’40” gap to the breakaway.
Back in the peloton the high pace set by Kingspan to control breaks is taking its toll, which given the fact that there are high wings is hardly surprise. What is surprising, however, is the fact that a 16 man group goes clear, including all the Kingspan riders. There is a rush behind them to control things and Het Nieuswblad gets straight on the front to sort it out. They avoid a huge amount of panic for almost everyone.
With almost 60 kilometres raced, and 117 remaining, the two front groups finally join up to create one 14 man lead group that has a 3’20” lead over the peloton. Of these riders Burlutsky is the best placed, 39” behind the leader and Silin is the second best placed, at 1’30”.
In the peloton there are two more fallers – Euser and Van Dulmen. Euser gets back in but Van Dulmen is looking bad and may well be injured. Time will tell, but things don’t look good for him.
At the only sprint point of the day, Burlutsky goes for it, but starts his sprint way too early and he is overtaken by Silin and Higgerson, who take the first two places in that order. This sprint point marks the start of the real climbing today.
Not long before the sprint points back in the peloton three riders seek to get away: Tang Shapira Zambrano
Of these three Zambrano is only 32” off the lead and so he constitutes a real threat. The gaps through the sprint point are as follows:
4’24”
1’50”
6’14”
Break (14)
--->
Chasers (3)
--->
Peloton (75)
Just after one of the steeper sections of this first major climb, Herve attacks. Normally more of a classics rider, he has had a really good consistent season this year and is looking to show what he can do in the mountains.
The massed ranks of Kingspan bring him back, however, and start to set a really tough pace. Kingspan finally has a real chance to show their depth in mountain talent and they are certainly not wasting the opportunity. Perhaps due to this pressure there is a faller on the way uphill – Bandiera. This is bad news for Adecco, who would have been hoping for a good sprint result tomorrow. They will have to hope that he isn’t injured.
Right near the peak of this first climb the chase group finally catch the break in a section of about 15% gradient. This means there are now 17 riders ahead of the peloton.
But that isn’t the most interesting part by far. Over the top of the climb Kingspan’s pace absolutely tear the race apart and a group of only 33 riders forms. The gap to the break has also come down to only 2’55” – there are still close to 70km of racing to go!
Missing from this key selection are several big names. The most important riders are Laverde Jimenez Lundberg Chacon Gonzalez Petrov Kloden
This is a huge blow to all these teams, but particularly Cativen, who have one of the biggest favourites for the overall missing a key split. With 60km left to race the gap to the second group is already out to 3’25” and the gap to the break is under 2 minutes.
Indeed with only 10km left to the summit of this second climb, the back of the break is well within sight of the peloton, which is lead by Belda. Some of the stragglers are already being caught.
This concerted effort from Belda starts to take an effect and once again the lead group splits! Only 10 riders make the cut, including several who were in the early break. Morandi is the only other climber to make this cut, and all the other favourites are left in the dust!
Thankfully for a lot of riders Cappelle and Jurco work together to close the gap to this group to save the race for a lot of people. Putting these two riders in the break really worked out well for their respective teams.
Meanwhile, back in the second group, it becomes obvious that the gap isn’t going to be closed any time soon and so some of the climbers caught back there launch themselves in a bid to get back. They are Laverde Jimenez Lundberg Chacon Smelcerovic
They don’t work together too well, but each man rides at the pace that he is capable of, keenly aware that their entire race hangs in the balance.
Some riders start to get tailed off this front group. These riders are Dviri Morandi Van Niekerk Zwizanski
As the catch is made Van Niekerk works his way back into the group, though this has surely cost him some valuable energy. The catch has been made and the pace is high, but with only 2km left to the summit a couple of riders who were in the early break try to get away again. They are Zambrano Shapira
And Zambrano gets a small gap which ensures that he goes over the top in first place. This combined with the 12 points he already had ensures that he will take the mountain jersey at the end of the day. The gaps over the top are
17”
52”
1’09”
Zambrano
--->
Shapira
--->
Peloton
More surprising than these gaps, however, is the fact that Laverde Jimenez and Lundberg have caught Zwizanski and are now in a group only 2 minutes behind the peloton.
Half way down the descent to the day’s key climb, just as there is a short section of 6% gradient, there is some unexpected excitement as none other than the leader himself Mancebo launches his attack! Kingspan have been working all day, so who can take up the pace now?
Mancebo joins the two men who broke away up front and has a 30” advantage over the front of the bunch. Answering the call of who will respond three riders bridge across: Mardones Colby Belda
How is Belda still doing this?
They are brought back thanks to the diligent chase of Petrobras, but the chase causes the unexpected dropping of Lopez Fonseca near the end o the descent. Clearly he is not feeling particularly good today, or his efforts yesterday are finally kicking in.
As we get to the final climb there are only 33 riders in the front group, having dropped some of the early breakaway riders. The final climb starts with 13km in this stage remaining. Remember, this climb is 4.5km in length and averages about 8%, including a section of just over 15%. And on the front of the peloton, who else could it be except for the ever-present Belda and Rubiero? Both of them have been relaying together for almost 160km now.
And the first attack comes from an unexpected source – the American stage racer Colby. And on his wheel, of course, is Mancebo, as well as Mardones. These three all attacked on the descent, and clearly are feeling good today.
First off the radio announces a couple more riders falling, which wouldn’t be interesting if they weren’t two of the favourites for tomorrow – Sobrino and Pichot. These are devastating blows for their two teams and once again fingers must be crossed that they aren’t injured.
Back to the front of the race, and a few more riders put in a big dig to try to get a gap. They are Eliad Fajt Laverde Velez Belda
They ride up to Mardones, who was dropped by the other two riders up front. Eliad surely feels the need to defend his young rider’s jersey from the Spaniard. Unfortunately Fajt can’t hold the pace and drops back to the peloton.
Meanwhile, Mancebo and Colby have a big gap.
Laverde Velez realises this is his best chance to gain some time and so he puts in another dig to try to come across this gap. None of the other favourites have the legs to go with him.
Behind him several riders come up to the group lead by Eliad. They are Morandi Sampaio Wielinga
And surprising, Lopez Fonseca
Lopez Fonseca has clearly recovered magnificently and has ridden from the back of the bunch straight to the front to launch this attack.
The gaps over the top of the climb, only 8.5km from the finish, are as follows:
29”
41”
1’10”
Mancebo / Colby
--->
Laverde Velez
--->
7 Chasers
And what’s this, cresting the climb in 23rd and 24th position are Laverde Jimenez and Lundberg!
Laverde Velez digs deep and he manages to bridge up to the two leaders.
But it is short lived as the two of them open up their sprint side-by-side for the stage win.
And Mancebo takes it, getting a gap over Colby in the process! This is a hugely deserved win for Kingspan after an entire day pushing an incredibly tough pace.
Colby and Laverde Velez round out the podium. In the sprint for fourth, Het Nieuwsblad can celebrate as Sampaio leads his group across. Eliad takes fifth place with the strong-finish Lopez Fonseca in sixth. Morandi and Wielinga take seventh and eighth, while the workhorse Belda gets ninth. Rounding out the final three members of this group are Fajt, Mardones and Van Niekerk, who worked with Fajt in the dying kilometres to come across.
And who is this in thirteenth place?
Laverde Jimenez solos in 3’18” behind Mancebo, but only 1’20” behind the favourite’s group. This means that he covered the second half of the course faster than almost any other rider... without anyone to help him.
Looking at the jerseys, it is obvious that Mancebo extends his lead in the yellow jersey competition, where only Colby and Laverde Velez can really challenge him now. Mancebo also takes the points jersey, though Kloden will be wearing it tomorrow. Zambrano’s attack on the second climb of the day earned him the mountain jersey. The young rider’s jersey has turned into a close battle between Eliad and Mardones, with the former leading by only 11” thanks to the TTT. Finally, Kingspan have taken a commanding lead in the team classification as expected.
