It`s the last race in this series. And 7 riders are still able to win the overall ranking. Abdallah and Day are of course the big favourites, but also Ansons, Ben Youcef, Konte, Uwimana and Ben Matoog are still having a small chance.
Everything is prepared for a big fight today.
4 riders in the early breakaway. Teklit (Jaguar) Alizadeh Berhane Khederi
Team Rwanda seems to be not happy without a rider in there. Byukusenge tries to follow.
Of course MTN and Africa Mix 1 are doing the pace for their top sprinters and big favourites for the overall.
Byukusenge finally joins them with 25km to go. The gap is down to 1'30, so his attempt might have no success.
More attacks in the peloton.
Again Saramotins can`t wait for the sprint. Ben Matoog, who knows this is the only chance to win the overall. Cisse Becis Gavenda
3 laps to go and they have a 20s gap to the peloton and still 40s to the former breakaway. Saramotins is back in the peloton again realizing that working for Ben Matoog wouldn`t help Ansons plus his chances in a sprint are better.
Abdallah`s and Day`s teams are forming their trains already with Van Heerden hanging behind without an own train today. Also Ben Youcef is in a good position, so that the 4 best sprinters are all in the first rows.
With 1 lap to go the breakaway atempts are finally caught and the sprint will decide the overall. Will it be a fight of only 2 or can someone else still break their lead or grab at least a stage win?
Abdallah`s train is working better with Akkouche behind him. Also a bit weird to see that Van Heerden decided to take Jelloul`s wheel who is riding next to the MTN train. Ben Youcef lost contact a bit and is behind Haddi and Day.
Last 2km and now MTN with a small advantage by having two men ahead of Day. Ben Youcef proved to be one of the better sprinters here and found a perfect position right behind him with Velits and Jelloul on his wheel. Now Van Heerden is missing...Hard fighting for the wheels.
Redecker is doing an awesome job for Abdallah and all sprinters are taking over to his train now with Day a bit behind.
Ben Youcef and Abdallah next to each other. Akkouche and Velits with the perfect wheel whily Day needs to go the longer sprint. Van Heerden and Ghafari still a bit behind.
What a close sprint and not Velits with the surprising acceleration. Ben Youcef seems to have gone too early but Day and Akkouche are coming fast now.
Abdallah shows his strength and opens a gap. Akkouche surprisingly the fastest now with Day next to him.
Abdallah also takes the last criterium ahead of the surprising Akkouche and Day.
Van Heerden with an incredible finish sprints to the 4th but with a better position he might have won this today. Velits as 5th ahead of Ben Youcef and Ghafari. Uwimana as 8th was the only rider to score on all 4 criteriums.