One of the biggest races on the calendar each year, the Vuelta al Tachira always attracts a strong startlist of second-tier climbers, particularly South American ones. This year is no exception, but before we get to the stomping ground of these champions we must first ride over the flats for four stages without so much as a bump in sight. Today’s stage is a 118.5km criterium around San Fernando and the weather appears to be extremely gusty. With the wind changing so often we could see some weird occurrences today.
Despite the overall parcours, there are several strong sprinters who have decided to try their luck here. Oscar Avelino has been tipped as the favourite for the stage but he will face stiff competition, particularly from Aleksandr Serebriakov. Ismael Kip and Wouter Weylandt are also being tipped as potential winners here today.
Starting us off today is Hillary Kiprotich (Kenya Airways). He is keen to show his worth to his team manager today. He is a promising young puncheur and could start to really bring n some results next year, assuming he can justify his contract.
He is quickly joined by a trio of other riders:
Stefano Locatelli (Bouygues)
Patrick Schelling (Cisco)
Janier Alexis Acevedo (Repsol)
Acevedo is an interesting inclusion in this group. He is by far the most experienced rider here, but he is best known as a puncheur and thus has picked an odd day to throw himself into the break. Perhaps realising this, the peloton are happy to let them go and form our break of the day.
The riders near the half way point of the race, happy to just plug along. That means it is time for the first sprint of the day, including the bonus seconds on offer. First across the line is Locatelli, with Schelling looking comfortable in second and Kiprotich taking third over a rather half-hearted Acevedo.
The gap is out to 4’52” through this point with 71km to go so it is time to start organising the chase. There are plenty of teams happy to work today, including ING and Hollister for their sprinters as well as Bintang and HTC for their GC riders.
The second sprint point approaches and perhaps after receiving a real blast from his directeur sportif through his earpiece, Acevedo decides to sprint and just beats Locatelli to take the 6 bonus seconds. Schelling is third this time and Kiprotich is a distant fourth place, but sticks with the group.
The peloton is closing in, however, and with only 22km to go under the sprint point, the gap is already down to 1’49”. There is a lot of competition for control in the next few kilometres and with 14km to go, 2 teams look like they have brought their A-game. Prio-Porto and ING are swarming around the front, fighting it out.
With about 10km to go the gap is down to 30” and there is a real fight up front. Schelling launches a last-ditch effort, dropping Kiprotich.
Just a couple of kilometres later and it is only Locatelli who is off the front, having gone straight around Schelling’s attack. Of course after a whole day of pedalling against the charging peloton he is caught by Pedro Nicacio and with 6km to go it is sure to be a bunch sprint.
With 5km to go, Prio-Porto really have this under control. Nicacio (Prio) has the helm, with the following line behind him:
Mendes (Prio)
Caldeira (Prio)
Avelino (Prio)
Weylandt (Bouygues)
De Fauw (Bintang)
Vesely (Cisco)
ING are trying to bring their train up and it looks like this:
King (ING)
Thire (ING)
Kip (ING)
Serebriakov (Hollister)
Damrow (WWE)
Cano (BNCR)
With 3km remaining both teams are down to just their key lead-out man. Clearly the wind has been hurting. ING have pulled much closer and are just on the shoulder of Weylandt.
But in the wind Caldeira is struggling and with 2.4km to the line Avelino is forced to go early!
Kip is forced to come around Thire in response as Avelino tears away. Avelino is dragging the other three riders who were on his wheel with him and Weylandt thus looks to be getting the perfect lead-out.
De Fauw launches himself past with huge speed! Kip is looking great as he burns past the tiring Avelino. Weylandt goes past the struggling Spaniard but has he left it too late?
But Weylandt is looking strong and goes right past Vesely, who has fallen off De Fauw’s wheel. Kip is still looking good and so is De Fauw. With 500m to the line they are almost neck-and-neck – this will be close!
And De Fauw holds on by half a bike length to take the first stage of the Vuelta al Tachira!
Kip holds on for 2nd after a very long sprint. Weylandt is 3rd ahead of the surprisingly well placed Vesely. Serebriakov will be disappointed with 5th, unlike Ghafari whose 6th is above all expectations. 7th goes to fellow CT rider Cano with Popov, Avelino and Pineau rounding out the top 10.
The only ones to lose time today were three of the original members of the break, as well as several domestiques who worked hard in the blowing wind. De Fauw of course pulls on the first leader’s jersey, as well as the points jersey. Locatelli sneaks in to third thanks to his bonus seconds and he will get the youth jersey because of it.
Oscar Avelino has been tipped as the favourite for the stage but he will face stiff competition, particularly from 
Aleksandr Serebriakov. 
Ismael Kip and 
Wouter Weylandt are also being tipped as potential winners here today.
