Clearly the standout rider in the field is Bennati as Puma look to continue their late season charge. Once again, a strong team supports him.
Another team to watch are Pokerstars as they look to make the Top 5 in the rankings. Guillen is probably their fastest sprinter, but the likes of Kluge and Maaskant are certainly more powerful.
Battling for a Top 5 in the Asian standings meanwhile are Meiji Fuji - to be led by Japanese champion Yukiya Arashiro - and Oz Cycling Project, who have Baden Cooke. Other Australian sprinters present are Docker and Sutton - the latter hoping he and his team can keep Jayco in 2nd on the rankings.
Top of the rankings though are Bianchi, and Ciolek really should be featuring. Look out also for Feillu and Hushovd. Volkswagen and Hollister are here too, but could struggle.
And with the Management game in China, it is fitting that a Chinese rider leads the early attackers. Chen Shikai.
Following him are: Renshaw Matzbacher Zabel Gudsell Tzortzakis
4 more riders jump across to them.
Park Caminiti Beatse Odebrecht
Puma are firmly in control of the peloton - theyre very keen to deliver Bennati to victory and put them into a promotion position. They need a win to do that, and Bennati is favourite.
3 more join the break - including a 2nd Chinese rider and a 3rd Bianchi rider.
Westling Dennis Li
And then 3 more!
Jelloul Morizot Martinez
Puma aren't having any of it anymore, their whole team bar Bennati takes to the chase.
Bianchi and Focused do at least offer to help, but the break is caught before they can do so. Kluge for some reason thinks a high pace is a great time to attack.
But the hard chase from Puma has also had an impact out the back. 21 riders dropped - including: Brown Flugel Van Hummel Sutton Loddo Manarelli Lloyd Bobridge Cooke
They are 2 minutes down, but luckily for them, they will be able to catch up. The peloton take a breather (although still Puma set the pace) as a break of 6 goes clear. And this time it is small enough to stick.
Martinez Morizot Kluge Jelloul Lund Zabel
They lead by 4 minutes with 80km to go, and still hold it at 3 and a half minutes with 40km to go.
Puma are still working away, but Lloyd is now helping them. Arashiro seems to be lined up in the relay train aswell - so who are Meiji working for if not their best puncheur, or their best sprinter?
Maaskant and Mandri try to attack, but Puma sweep it up. So the Estonian champion tries again on one of our short steep climbs.
He can't stay clear though, as Delage stretches things out over the bridge. 32km to go, and now the break's lead is down to 2 minutes.
It keeps on falling as they take on the last couple of hills. Kluge is doing his best to drive the break on.
Puma led over the top of the final hill behind as the TV cameras focused on the break. But we hurry back to the peloton because the race is in pieces!
The German squad really have been racing hard today - it's all been going so right for them recently, they must feel invincible. But are they? They've caused a split, but only 3 of them have made it.
Meersman Le Gac Beyer Bennati Feillu Ciolek Perry Hushovd Rooijackers Westling Docker Renshaw Guillen
Another Puma is just holding on to the next group - key lead out man Gasparotto. Amongst a big Pokerstars and Meiji presence.
Lloyd Arashiro Bauer Bobridge Cooke Pineau Van Impe Vink Maaskant Geslin Terpstra Hiratsuka Dumoulin Nechita Lequatre Casar Mandri Gasparotto
Two more Puma riders trail after them: Kvist and Delage. Both are big losses to Bennati's leadout if they can't get back - and if they do get back, they will be bringing Red Bull sprinter Giaux with them.
Other than Jelloul in the break, Giaux is the best Jayco RB rider on the road. The team that are normally making all the right moves have really had a bad day today.
Its as good as over for anyone not mentioned now, and race on for those left in it.
With 4 riders in the chasing 18, and 0 in the front 13 the onus is on Meiji to chase, and they do just start - working hard to close the gap.
They close that gap, but still Puma are forced to do the work on the front. Its not long before the break are caught - with 14km to go.
A rest for Puma then? Not likely! Pokerstars have strength in numbers, and riders who have had to do no work so far - plus plenty of motivation to seal their Top 5 ranking spot! No sooner are the break caught, than an attack comes from Van Impe!
He creates a 20 second gap and seems to be holding it. It helps that only 2 riders are doing the chasing: Lloyd and Rooijackers, as we head into the final 10km.
What's happened to Puma? Theyve blown! Le Gac, Meersman and Gasparotto are all clinging on to the back of the group now. And against all expectations, Bennati is now effectively isolated - they desperately wanted to win here, but theyve tried too hard and must now rely on other teams help!
Van Impe is really fighting, but Lloyd has the gap down to 12 seconds with 7.5km to go.
Lots of riders must be right on their limit now - its been a long season - but Rooijackers is able to make the capture with 6.4km remaining.
And bang, Pokerstars immediately launch again. Brilliant tactics by them as Terpstra attacks.
Bauer, Mandri and Feillu are following.
But Feillu was just trying to follow wheels - he wants to sprint, not to attack - and lets them go. Perhaps put off by the fact that other sprinters Guillen, Ciolek, Bennati and Docker were all tracking him!
Terpstra's move was merely a launchpad though, and its worked. A couple of others followed him, and now Geslin will follow them.
And once Bauer and Mandri can attack now more, Geslin surges past them!
And who is going to chase? Puma have nothing, Rooijackers committed himself to the Van Impe chase, and Meiji aren't going to work anymore either, nor Cyclevox! The front of the peloton is Terpstra, followed by sprinters. This doesnt bode well.
First Puma battered the peloton for most of the race, then they split it, and then Pokerstars have pierced it with late attacks. All meaning that Geslin, Bauer and Mandri have timed their move perfectly.
Geslin launches the sprint, can he complete the Pokerstars' job? He must hold off the other 2, but does have a gap.
It's all over for the sprinters. They are soft pedalling at 35 km/h while Geslin rides away at 47 km/h.
Up front, and Bauer has closed the gap to Geslin. Can he send Meiji to their first overall race victory of the season?
Meanwhile Jelloul has launched a sprint from the back of the peloton, and caught everyone out. Guillen scrambles to follow, just ahead of Renshaw, Arashiro and Cooke.
Bauer looks to keep his speed so makes his move past Geslin. But Mandri is looking ominous on his wheel.
Ciolek finally now launches his sprint, with Bennati on his wheel. Not great news for the German considering there is still 2.2km to go, but if he doesnt go, then its only going to get worse!
Geslin will have to settle for 3rd as Bauer leads into the final kilometre. The Baltic Cyclevox squad just secured their first stage race victory with a Lithuanian in Burkina Faso - can an Estonian now take their first classics victory here in China?
The line is near though - does Jack Bauer have the power to hold him off? But here goes Mandri.
He waited and waited, and it was worth it. Rene Mandri wins the Tour of Taihu for Cyclevox!
Bauer must settle for 2nd - so close!
It's a race for 4th behind, and Jelloul is still going strong. What an effort having been in the break all day. But Bennati is now in clear air and chasing.
It is 4th for Bennati. Fastest sprinter, but his team really misjudged their efforts today.
Jelloul holds on for 5th, ahead of Ciolek, Hushovd and Docker.
And it turns out Puma weren't all out of energy! We assumed Gasparotto was clinging on to the back of the group, but maybe he was just lazing around? He is able to sprint to 9th.
Dumoulin rounds out the Top 10 - one of 6 Pokerstars riders in the positions 10-17! Feillu is the best Focused in 12th, while that is Bobridge as the leading Oz rider in 13th.
