The fourth stage is rated as flat but still has a tricky ending followed by a lengthy hilly section in the first two thirds of the stage.
The sprinters have been taking it easy in the main throughout this race, today though they'll be expected to do something.
Six riders fancy a break today as we approach today's first sprint. Williams, Passeron, Beyer, Villella, Zaballa and Vosekalns all are no threat on GC really with Villella best placed at 8 minutes down.
They roll through the sprint and begin the hilly section.
Just one 3rd cat climb today and with none of the break anywhere on the KoM competition it is going to be Pibernik who'll take the competition. Still the break battle for the points.
Passeron takes it ahead of Beyer and Zabella. Behind Portela leads the pack through the KoM prime some five minutes back.
90km to go and the lead is steady at six minutes. A determined looking Bpost team are heading the pack looking to set things up for Fiellu.
60km to go and largely Bpost alone with a bit of token help from ING and Prio Porto has got the gap under four minutes.
The break roll through the sprint, with their dreams of a stage win pretty lean.
25km to go
The gap is under two minutes as Bpost and ING have this under control. Here is a close up look at the ending:
It doesn't look overly tough but it could disrupt the rhythm of a sprint train in particular for the likes of Kip (ING) who doesn't like the hills.
The break lasts over the top of this late little climb but not much further as Bpost and ING steam past.
4km out and Bpost form a picture perfect train with Zingle, Vandousselaere followed by Fiellu. Ciocan takes the front seat with Santos and Vitoria quickly climbing aboard the Bpost train.
Kip is miles back and is struggling to make it forward.
2.5km to go
Three Alstoms join the back of the Bpost train with Houle, Soupe and Anderson. Kirylenka, Velits, Cucinotta, Cardoso and Costa follow this.
It is a long way from front to back on this train and Bpost are right in the box seat here.
1.2km to go.
Mandri (left), Soupe and Cardoso have made a jump. Fiellu is waiting behind Vandousselaere for the right moment.
Fiellu comes round his lead out but is finding himself in a drag race with Ciocan. Soupe is dragging Anderson forwards with Cardoso interested. The fading Vandousselaere is blocking Santos and Houle somewhat. Everyone else is out of it.
500m left.
Fiellu outlasts Ciocan, but watch out for Cardoso and Anderson on the far side. Vitoria is moving fast as Boily comes into the frame from nowhere.
175m left.
Fiellu set to bring it home but Vitoria is coming late.
Wait it's a false line.
No matter Fiellu just holds off the late Vitoria and Houle charge.
Bpost set that up well with ING having too much faith in Kip to survive even the mildest hills near the finish.
Stage results
The late little lip of a hill seemed to hurt a couple of the fast men, Santos a dismal 13th in his home country and Kip a complete no show in 41st. It was tight for Fiellu but he squeezed out a win, Alstom again feature heavily in the sprint.
GC
The GC men had a welcome day off today, before the big chrono battle tomorrow. (When I say tomorrow I mean tonight of course ) A few riders were in the hunt for time bonuses at the end but the faster sprinters snatched them up.
Points
Boily came very close to unseating Mehr-Wenige before the TT, not sure though if the Alstom rider is good enough to score points against the clock. Kirylenka is a danger but would need to actually win the TT to take the points jersey which is highly doubtful.
KoM
The 3rd cat climb proved redundant today with all the riders in points positions safe. Pibernik wins then taking the most points on the toughest climbing day.
Youth
Boily and Mehr-Wenige are not the best against the clock, whereas Oliveira is not too bad. Houle took some seconds on Hoelgaard lower down by taking a bonus seconds place in the sprint.
Name
Team
General Time
Dietmar Mehr-Wenige
Adira-Isq Project
18h22'39 (1)
David Boily
Alstom-RBC
+ 26 (2)
Nelson Oliveira
Prio - Porto
+ 1'19 (3)
Lawrence Warbasse
Sram-Riboxx Cycling Team
+ 1'21 (4)
Pierre Paolo Penasa
Kappa-ENI
+ 1'23 (5)
Daniel Hoelgaard
Team Privatbank
+ 3'35 (6)
Hugo Houle
Alstom-RBC
+ 3'39 (7)
Gökhan Hasta
Adira-Isq Project
+ 5'39 (8)
Oleksandr Prevar
Metinvest-Emirates
+ 7'40 (9)
Davide Villella
Kappa-ENI
+ 7'58 (10)
Teams
If Alstom have an Achilles heel it is there time trialling, so they'll be put under pressure in the teams classification in the final stage.
) A few riders were in the hunt for time bonuses at the end but the faster sprinters snatched them up.
