Three massive climbs today and it is not long before we get onto the Piton de Villers a 25km beast which averages out at 5%.
Six riders go at the foot of the climb.
German rouler Robert Retschke, Italian climbing hope Gino Delise, the ever game Pekka Jääskeläinen, young Qatari climber Ahmed Albourdainy, the relative unknown Azerbajani Rasha Abbasov and Adecco punchaer Diego Milan.
It's a steadying pace as we head up this climb, a few riders in the pack perhaps realising what an horrible day they have let themselves in for already!
However as ever in the quirky division 2 there are plenty of riders up the road game for a break with a further seven more riders joining the original six man breakaway before the summit.
It's another seven teams sending individuals forward.
David Talbott is sent surely as a marker for the strong climbing American squad. British fans will be pleased to see Rhys Lloyd, a goodish young climber there. Geert Van der Sanden, Timothy Cassidy, Robert Bachraty, Logan Hutchings and Damien Robert complete the 13 man break.
Behind Petrobrus, who have had a lean season are hoping to make their expertise on mountainous terrain pay as they keep the peloton's pace relatively high. Het Nieuwsblad seeking another strong classics result are riding high also.
Of the break Milan, Delise, Albourdainy, Talbott and Lloyd all have some mountain ability (between MTN 64 and 66), so as we head onto our second climb with a five minute gap these riders will be feeling hopeful.
The second climb is steep at an average of 8% and long with a distance of 22km. This will really soften the riders up before the ramp to the finale.
Two good climbers decide to chance their arm at something long range - feeling that the tempo riding from Petrobrus and Het Nieuwsblad is a little slow. Xavier Tondo and Iván Melero launch an audacious Hispanic double move.
The two work together really well on the long climb closing the five to six minute gap well before the top of this climb.
The heat is on now as you can imagine the DS's of some of the squad's getting very antsy. Too often breakaways have succeeded this year in division two. Cativen, Kingspan and AMEX send their key domestiques forward to try an nullify this Melero/Tondo attack.
Melero and Tondo go straight to the front of the break and start to eliminate some of the weaker climbers. Robert, Bachraty, Abbasov, Cassify, Van de Sanden, Jaaskalinian and Hutchings all are dropped fairly quickly.
AMEX reduce the peloton to about 50 riders with Phil Zajicek and Scott Zwizanski on the front.
Their teammate Talbott though cannot hold on with he and Retshcke the next to pop from the leaders on the descent.
Just four riders can stick with Melero and Tondo, they aree Albourdainy. Milan, Delise and Lloyd.
Some good climbers meanwhile have found this climb on the French island of Reunion and perhaps the tropical conditions not to their liking. Still it is a surprise to see Remmert Wielinga, Dennis Van Niekerk and Ludvig Lundberg out the back door.
These riders were certainly dropped on the climb, but two riders fall on the descent Carlo Kirsch and Franklin Chacon
Petrobrus decide to call the whole team back from the Venezualan.
But with the break a real danger there is going to be no slowing down in the pack. With 35km to go the lead six have just over four minutes on the AMEX led pack of just 34 riders and six minutes on the Petrobrus train. Cativen help AMEX out in the chase here, with Melero and Tondo forward this could be touch and go.
20 km to go and the gap is still three minutes, normally that would likely be curtains but we do have a steep climb. Tondo and Melero must be feeling tired from their blistering climb of the previous mountain. Delise and Lloyd who have had good day's out are quickly shed from the lead group on the lower slopes of the final climb. The gradients are fairly gentle to begin with by the last 8.5km averages at 12.5%.
With 15km to go the gap is still 2.45 and with John Freddy Agudelo puncturing the chase looks confused, AMEX look like they are running out of credit!
With one veteran forward Andreas Klöden decides to add another old timer to the attackers.
Up front Milan and Albourdainy are dropped as Tondo and Melero realise they have to keep the pace high to maintain their gap. AMEX and a reorganised Cativen are still chasing as the reel in Kloden though another goes on the attack.
It's another Spanish rider David Belda
But AMEX and Cativen manage to quickly bring this back. With 10km to go our lead duo have 1.45 on the pack that have caught (and dropped some) of the break. Our lead duo for the first time looking under pressure.
In the pack we have just 23 riders left, Cativen despite losing Agedelo are well represented with Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez, Fredy Vargas, Manuel Medina, and Edgar Restrepo
AMEX still have Tareq Esmaeli, Adonis Cardoso Española and Phil Zajicek
Kingspan love this terrain also and they have three: Francisco Mancebo, Nuno Ribeiro and David Belda
As we get on to a 15% gradient several riders blow a gasket as Lloyd, Delise, Zajicek, Medina, Lengyel and Eliad get dropped with Kingspan, AMEX and Cativen easing away.
Just Kloden and Laverde Velez are the only ones to go with this as Nozal and Jose Chacon can find nothing.
Seven kilometres to go and the leading Spanish riders getting rained on are getting reigned in as their lead is down to just 45 seconds.
Seeing a platform, Laverde Velez attacks.
He bridges to the lead duo, but Belda is pacing ACE, Laverde Jimenez, Mancebo and Kolden back.
Esmaeli is dropping back a bit here ahead of the other climbers lead by Mardones. The Ekspla man seems to have missed the big split and is having to do all the work to try and get back.
Belda brings in Laverder Velez, Melero and Tondo but under the five kilometer to go banner he goes again.
Melero surprisingly has something left to try and keep with him. ACE and Belda also respond to this move.
Laverde Velez cannot seem to break the elastic here and now Kingspan try the old one-two with Belda having marked the Laverde Velez moves, Mancebo now hits it....
But Cardoso Española also known as ACE is the rider that is able to get the gap as moves 30 seconds clear into the last 3 kilometres.
Laverde Jimenez is sitting fairly tranquil he doesn't seem to have an acceleration as the Kingspan duo look jumpy. Kloden is struggling behind this lead chase group with Tondo and Melero still hanging tough.
Not for long though, just under 2km from the top Melero has to let go.
Behind he and Kloden, Mardones has been left to do all the chase work with Esmaeli, Lopez Fonseca, Restrepo and Riberio with teammates up the road. Nozal and Chacon are simply unable to get to the front.
1500m to go for the ACE and he is maintain a 40 to 50 second gap.
Kingspan seem to have let this slip and they are caught out behind too as we enter the last kilometre as Tondo launches a fast sprint.
The Spanish rider opens a gap, great riding after being in a breakaway. The Kingspan duo now are battling for the final podium spot with the two Laverde's.
AMEX take the classic win with their ACE card.
Tondo is second, he has had a storming ride.
Strange tactics at times from Kingspan, they did little chase work and then it felt as if Belda and Manchebo were working separately. Still they take 3rd and 4th with Laverde Jimenez 5th.
Laverde Velez narrowly misses a top five and Melero and Kloden held their form okay for top eight positions.
Lopez Fonseca looks frustrated as he easily outsprints Mardones for 9th, possibly held back due to team orders.
