Welcome to Beijing as the ProTour returns to China after a 1 year hiatus, and more importantly, as we begin the 2013 season - and it is the first time that the ProTour season has started with a one day race rather than a stage race: the Tour of Qatar has been our season opener for the past few seasons.
As a result, some of cycling's big guns are here to start the season in style, and we have the presence of multiple Grand Tour winners.
Past ManGame editions of this race have only featured the Badaling circuit, but today we start in Beijing with some flat road riding out towards the Great Wall of China for 7 laps of the circuit. We do have an uphill finish, but for less than a kilometre, and the descent leading into that could play a crucial role in either aiding or preventing groups going clear.
Frank Schleck (Vesuvio-Accumalux) is the defending champion and former King of the ProTour Hills, while Jan Bakelandts (Pearl Adidas) leads the fight to take that crown, alongside Edvald Boasson Hagen (Aker-MOT), The Norwegian champion has yet to receive his jersey yet so rides under Aker colours, with the Norwegian team being one of three who race in the ProTour for the first ever time today. Venchi - Sugoi, led by Cesare di Maggio, and our wildcards Pivovarna Lasko are the others.
Damiano Cunego (Lotto - Cervelo) will be hoping to start where he left off today having won the last race of 2012, the Giro di Lombardia. Its his first race for a new team, as it is for fellow victory candidates Alejandro Valverde (Koenigsegg), Vincenzo Nibali (UBS - BMC) - who could enjoy the downhill factor today, and Luis Leon Sanchez (1t4i) who came close to winning the first edition of this race.
And let's not forget 4 more contenders: former World Champion Tejay van Garderen (Wikipedia), Milan SanRemo champion Diego Ulissi (Festina), Amstel Gold champion Phillipe Gilbert (Pendletons) and the chief of Wiggle's strong hills unit Simone Ponzi.
On with the racing!
Brian Vandborg (B&O) is the first to attack. Having been tipped to relegate, his team knows they need to be aggressive!
Kruopis (Bacardi), Favili (Venchi), Novak (Milka) and Rosch (Pendleton's) join him for the first breakaway attempt of the ProTour season.
The peloton are keeping a fast tempo however, and the break can't make it last.
On these wide Beijing roads, plenty of attacks are forthcoming. But the grip of the peloton is tough to break.
Hansen (Pivovarna Lasko), Vandborg, Stybar (Milka), Maaskant (Pokerstars), Riblon (UBS), Rowsell (Simply Red Bull), Favili, and Fouquet (Koenigsegg) are amongst those to make a move, without much luck yet.
Here it is Kruopis giving it another go.
There are 4 teams who are currently setting pace for the peloton: Wiggle, Wikipedia, Vesuvio and Pearl. And they don't want to allow a breakaway it seems.
Hansen, Novak, Kocjan (Bacardi) and Campero (Festina-Canal+) are the next to make a move, followed by Vogt (Puma-SAP), Einsle (Vesuvio-Accumalux) and Reda (Venchi). Is the presence of the Vesuvio rider a sign that the time for the breakaway is nigh?
It is, but it doesnt mean Einsle is to be involved in the move that makes it. Instead the breakaway of 4 that goes away includes two of the newly promoted teams.
Mario Vogt (Puma-Sap)
Didac Ortega (Santander)
Erick Rowsell (Simply Red Bull)
Aidis Kruopis (Bacardi)
It took the whole of Beijing for a break to stick, and now we ride towards the Badaling circuit.
It's a good 5 minute lead for the breakaway as we begin the circuit. Infront of us we can see the decisive final 2 kilometres of the stage (the nature of the route forced the flamme rouge to be placed somewhat early). Positioning could be crucial later with the downhill on the long right hander before the uphill stretch to the line.
It is uphill meets downhill on some parts of the circuit, as the breakaway get to cruise past the climbing peloton. Here is also a chance to see the colour make up of the peloton this year - it's not short of white, that is for sure!
Theres no real interest amongst the peloton for some attacking riding, so the first few laps are fairly monotonous.
Moises Duenas (Lotto-Cervelo) received the dubious honour of first ProTour crash of the year, while the first race affecting crash comes towards the end of the descent on Lap 4, involving Kruopis from the breakaway.
The Lithuanian now has to expend some extra energy over the start of the climb on Lap 5 to return to his companions, which he is able to do. They lead by 4 minutes with 60km remaining.
But at the end of this lap, and approaching 40km to go, that gap has dropped to 2 and a half minutes. Wiggle, Vesuvio-Accumalux and Lotto-Cervelo are sharing the chasing.
It is interesting to see Wiggle so involved. Ponzi is a good rider, yes, but victory or even a podium will be a hard ask - so perhaps Wiggle could allow other teams to take the responsibility. But they are a team with a plan and really taking control into Lap 6.
And here is why. They drop back to allow Ponzi to attack!
It is an unexpected early move, and nobody opts to follow him, but he quickly builds a lead of a minute.
With the breakaway only a further 30 seconds up the road now, it is not long before Ponzi joins them.
And after first Lotto, and then Vesuvio's Gastauer do the chasing up the climb, we see the bizarre situation of some team leaders relaying on the descent! Bakelandts, Cunego and Schleck right on the front to keep a tap on the 50 second advantage of the now 5 leaders. Is Ponzi worrying them?
Schleck doesnt actually hit the front, but the other two do, before their teammates regain the front. We have a downhill attack from Jurgen van den Broeck - which is good for Puma-Sap as Vogt spectacularly ends his involvement at the front of the race with an embarrassing fall.
But highlighting the challenges on this course of maintaining any sort of gap on the descent, Ponzi, Van den Broeck and the breakaway are brought back. 24km to go and it is all to play for.
So we have one lap to decide the race, and the sooner the leaders attack on this climb, the better chance they will have to build up a suitable lead for the descent.
Clearly having a great day - and feeling as fresh as ever despite his earlier move - Simone Ponzi launches a new move as we cross the finish line.
This time he has company: Damiano Cunego (Lotto-Cervelo), Frank Schleck (Vesuvio-Accumalux), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Aker-MOT), Tejay van Garderen (Wikipedia), Cesare di Maggio (Venchi-Sugoi) and Diego Ulissi (Festina-Canal+).
Van den Broeck, Nibali (UBS) and Craven (Venchi-Sugoi) trail at 33 seconds, and already there is 55 seconds back to the peloton.
A White and Blue jersey combination seems to be the common factor for those teams who have missed the move: Pendleton's, Pearl Adidas, Project 1t4i, and Koenigsegg - from which Jan Bakelandts is the most notable leader who has not followed the attacks.
And don't his rivals just know it! Frank Schleck now with a new attack, looking to stretch the gap.
Bakelandts' ear drums must be burning with his team manager screaming at him over team radio to attack - and so he does just that.
Gilbert (Pendleton's) and Ben Nasser (Pivovarna Lasko) follow him, but the chasing of Koenigsegg and 1t4i means that they, plus Nibali, Craven and Van den Broeck, are pulled back.
It's not all bad news for them though, as our front 7 riders now have just a 26 seconds advantage - are we closing in on a big uphill sprint to start the season?
In amongst a few moments hesitation in the peloton, Van den Broeck and Sanchez (1t4i) try to bridge the gap.
But they can't get clear, and the 7 frontrunners clear the summit and head into and then out of the long tunnel for the last time - with a 30 seconds lead.
It is Hagen and Cunego who are sharing the lead of the group now we are going downhill and the lead stretches up to 36 seconds.
Exiting the second of the tunnels on the route, downhill specialist Nibali decides to try to take advantage of his skills to put himself into race winning contention.
Caruso (Wiggle) chases after his slipstream, with Gilbert and Van den Broeck also following the moves.
Theres 5 kilometres to go and in this thrilling battle of attackers vs peloton, the gap has been halved to 18 seconds. Cunego and Hagen may be the ones on the front, but the rest of the group are having to work just as hard to keep up.
It must feel so close for Van den Broeck as he leads the peloton, meanwhile Slovenian wildcards Pivovarna Lasko have suddenly moved forwards to help the pursuit.
It's down to 15 seconds, but falling faster is the amount of metres left to go! At 1.3km to go, Cunego decides to open the sprint and now surely the attackers have won, and victory will come from these seven.
Leading out from the front is a challenge, but then, if theres any rider you don't want to give a headstart to it is Cunego. Ponzi and Hagen both hold a strong sprint though and look to make their move - the Wiggle rider aiming for the inside line.
Van den Broeck finds himself swamped by Pivovarna Lasko and Pearl Adidas riders with good points still available for positions 8 downwards.
Onto the climb to the line at the front though as Cunego still leads the way. Ulissi and Di Maggio seem to be struggling as Schleck attempts to move around Hagen.
The power of Cunego is just too much to handle though and he makes everybody else look like second rate riders! Ponzi has moved into 2nd place, while Ulissi is now accelerating back towards a Top 5 position.
Damiano Cunego wins the Badaling International!
He is the highest paid rider in the peloton, and justifying it already.
The rest of the group struggled to make much impact on the uphill from the position they took the final turn in, but Hagen just edges Ponzi on the line for 3rd - Frank Schleck missing the podium by only a wheel length.
Van Garderen, Ulissi and Di Maggio are next - and then comes Jan Bakelandts with a very strong finish. Too little too late though, and early hesitation has clearly cost him - a disappointing season opener for him.
Luis Leon Sanchez takes 9th, with Robin van der Hugenhaben rather than Valverde rounding out the Top 10.
Pivovarna Lasko impress with Kump 11th, Ben Nasser 13th plus Devolder and Der making the Top 20. The team card is also played well be Wiggle with Caruso 12th and Rabottini 16th. 18th for Klemme is a decent result for B&O.
Van den Broeck paid for a couple too many energy wasting moves then some selfless chasing, ending up 25th, but at least managing to beat fellow Belgian Gilbert - 26th. Valverde was an anonymous 21st while some lead finishers for other teams were Albasini (32nd), Roux (40th), and Bobridge (46th).
