Today brings the last big chance to really shake the race up as we race to the top of Trumbull Peak. There aren’t many challenges along the way but it isn’t really necessary when you consider exactly what this final climb is – an average of 20.4% over 4.2km, with gravel roads almost the entire way up and a maximum of over 25%. This is going to be a tough race for everyone.
Regardless, there are always riders willing to chance it in a break. The first such man is Seledkov. Sitting in 17th overall, this is a big move from him.
Several other riders come up to attack with him and they are: Hirschelin Hiratsuka Greipel Kip Kopp Antunes Becerra
This would be the biggest break we have seen all race and would have several danger men for the stage victory and so it is brought back by Martinez. This doesn’t deter them however, as many of the same riders try to get away again.
This time it is: Kopp Greipel Kip Becerra Hirschelin
They are soon joined by: Seledkov Hiratsuka Reis
At the first sprint in Monteca they are still trying to get organised and settle down. Seledkov leads over ahead of Hiratsuka and then Kip. Given that Kip and Greipel are both here it is surprising to see neither of them taking a shot at the points. Both are a fair way down in the competition, but there is still a chance to grab a few ranking points.
The next attack comes from Castroviejo. Aker clearly want multiple riders up the road and with both Castroviejo and Hirschlein being well placed overall, this could also be a good chance to move up a few positions on GC.
Hollister run him down however, but aren’t keen to chase hard and the gap extends beyond the 2 minute mark, meaning that we now have our break of the day fully formed.
The second sprint point arrives in Modesto and Seledkov roles over in first ahead of Kip and then Becerra. The gap is out to 4’17”. It is interesting to note that Kopp and Reis are both sitting on the back quite a bit.
We move along the flat to the third sprint point in Turlock. The gap has grown out even further to 6’29”. Kip rolls over in first this time ahead of Becerra and then Hirschelin in third.
The gap continues to skyrocket and gets close to 9 and a half minutes before people start to actually get organised. CSC and Focussed start to put in some work on the front of the peloton. Remember that Anton and Sicard are locked in a duel for second place, so both teams have a lot at stake.
At the third sprint point in Merced Kip goes through in front with Seledkov in second and Hiratsuka in third. The gap has started to come down and is now at 8’41”.
Finally we hit the first climb of the day, the not-at-all-inappropriately-named Negro Hill. It climbs for 15km, but with an average of only 3.5% and only 300 metres over 10% at the end of the climb, this shouldn’t be too tough.
The break work fairly well together to keep the pace high, and this has the effect of putting several riders in trouble. Kopp and Greipel are dropped in the last few hundred metres but get back in on the descent, but the man who suffers most is Kip, who is dropped for good. Reis leads the break over ahead of Hiratsuka and then Becerra.
The second climb is in Mariposa Park and is 3.2km long but once again only average 3.7% with a maximum of 6%. As we hit the base, however, the long previous climb combined with a fast descent means that 20 riders go clear in the peloton.
The riders who make the cut are: Kiserlovski, Ochoa Quintero, Martinez, Szmyd, Monsalve Sicard, Morizot, B. Feillu, Elissonde, Kirsch, Skujins Anton, Soler, Armstrong, Talansky Navarro, Karagobek Nicacio, Antunes Kessiakoff
Most of the team leaders are here so it is hard to find teams to work in the second peloton, with Aker doing most of the work. The gap hovers around the 1 minute mark for a little while and not wanting to waste an opportunity, Nicacio launches the first attack we have seen from the GC riders today. There are still 47km remaining.
Up ahead of the peloton Seledkov leads over the top with Reis in second and Kopp in third.
More importantly, however, Kessiakoff and Navarro attack soon after Nicacio, while the Brazilian catches up to Kip over the top. The gap has started to absolutely melt and Nicacio is within 4 minutes of the break.
The riders now descend down to the third climb in this trio, which continues our theme of racially insensitive epithets as we ascend Indian mountain. This time it is a slightly tougher climb as it goes for 6.4km with an average of 4.8% and a maximum of just under 10%.
On the descent Kessiakoff and Navarro are both caught by the pursuing bunch. Behind the bunch there is an interesting development as Sano and Agudelo try to get up to the front group to save their 9th and 10th in GC. Txurruka joins them.
Up front Seledkov is putting in a huge amount of effort. He causes both Kopp and Greipel to crack for good.
Just after the climb begins for the bunch things get even more interest as, with 41km to the line none other than race leader Kiserlovski makes himself known with an attack. Anton joins him, on paper the other top climber in this race, but still lacking a stage win to prove it.
The steepest part of this climb is near the base and this is where several others pull themselves up to this duo. Navarro, Sicard and Kessiakoff all come up and these five riders also catch Nicacio, making an elite group of six at the head of affairs.
There is a palpable sense of relief in some of the team cars as Sano, Agudelo and Txurruka all get up to the chasing bunch. None of the riders up front are a threat to their current positions, so this is where they want to be.
As soon as they join there are attacks from men dangerous to their positions, however, as Ochoa Quintero, Soler and Feillu all put in a dig together..
They are dragged back in, however, but that doesn’t stop the attacks from this group and the next pair to try is Agudelo and Ochoa Quintero. Agudelo is clearly feeling strong given the amount of work that he has done today.
The elite group haven’t been able to settle down to work together and are just constantly attacking each other. Finally, one of them shows his strength as Anton gets a gap on the others.
Reis leads the break over the top with Becerra in second and Seledkov in third. 2’16” later comes Anton, who has maintained a gap over the others.
And over the top of the last climb before the finale, here are the gaps and the groups:
17”
49”
33”
Anton
--->
5 Chasers
--->
Ochoa/Agudelo
--->
Peloton
The peloton contains the following riders now: Szmyd, Feillu, Monsalve, Martinez Soler, Armstrong, Talansky Txurruka Sano
Meanwhile, the break has stopped working altogether. Everyone up there has someone behind who is attacking up to them and as such they are happy to just sit back and help out their team leaders.
Shortly after the descent is finished Anton is caught and so too are Greipel and Kopp, though both are completely blown. Not only that but Ochoa Quintero and Agudelo have put in an incredible effort to get up to these leaders. As such we now have a group of ten containing many of the biggest climbers in this race, who are behind a small break who aren’t working together and a bunch who are unwilling to chase them back.
Sensing an opportunity as only he can, Kiserlovski puts in an attack with 19.5km remaining and 15km of flat still ahead of him.
He is joined by: Nicacio Kessiakoff Navarro Agudelo
They get up to the break and subsume them into the lead group. Anton manages to lead the rest of the chasers up and so now we have 15 men at the head of affairs.
Determined to stamp his authority on this race once and for all, Kiserlovski launches yet another attack.
This time no one can follow him and his gap quickly extends out to 30”. Sicard tries to organise the chase behind with many of the other favourites, but they are more concerned with their own private battles for GC positions.
As if to prove that they don’t really want to work together there are now more attacks from this favourites group. Nicacio jumps out and he is followed by Sicard and Agudelo.
Kiserlovski is of course the first one to hit this climb and it just rises up above him. Remember that it averages over 20% and most of the climb has gravel roads. These last 4.2km will break many men.
18” later the chasing three riders hit the climb, lead by Nicacio. They have a 22” advantage over the shattered remnants of the peloton, who are lead on to the climb by Anton.
The first attack on this climb comes just as we hit the gravel section and Nicacio is determined to use the boundless energy he has found today.
Anton drills the pace and brings some of his group up to the rest of the GC riders. Just as he makes contact, Sicard attacks away, determined to take second overall. Anton immediately jumps on his wheel.
Anton comes around the Frenchman and continues with a hard pace, even catching Nicacio. This causes a selection and the only other riders able to hold the Spaniard’s pace are: Nicacio Sicard Kessiakoff Navarro
The pace clearly slows up just a little as there is a brief lull and Agudelo and Ochoa Quintero both get back into this select group.
The lack of a steady pace is helping Kiserlovski, whose gap is steadily growing. In fact under the 1km to go banner he has a 1’33” lead and he looks almost certain to take the stage.
The constant aggression continues behind and Anton puts in another dig, on his own this time. Finally, something sticks and he manages to get a gap to the others. Can this secure his second place overall?
Kessiakoff, Sicard and Nicacio manage to gap the other three riders as they try to pursue Anton.
Kiserlovski slows up as he approaches the line. He knows that only a huge disaster could stop him winning the overall now, and he has been dominant all race. He crosses the line with yet another stage victory.
Next over the line is Anton. Though he could not take a stage win here, this should be enough to secure him second overall.
In third place is Sicard and then Kessiakoff. That means that the top four on the stage is the same as our top four overall.
Nicacio will be happy with fifth after today and indeed he will be even happier to see that today’s result moves him up to seventh overall. Navarro will also be happy with his sixth on the stage today. Just behind him Agudelo holds on for seventh and Ochoa Quintero takes eighth. Szmyd is almost 2 minutes behind Ochoa Quintero in ninth place and Reis takes tenth.
To make Emu’s day even better Seledkov manages to get eleventh place despite being in the break all day. This will be enough to move him up to 13th on GC. Sano comes through in twelfth, easily enough to defend his top 10. The only change in the jerseys is that Kiserlovski takes back over the lead in the mountain classification from Szmyd. Emu came close to taking second place in the team competition but couldn’t quite manage it today. There is a slim chance that things could change if a break wins it tomorrow, and only time will tell.
