203km in and around Harelbeke. The weather did totally change since yesterday. No single rain drop today but therefore a lot of wind. How will these conditions influence the race? Will it be good for the top cobblers or better for the less good?
Surely it should be the right weather for strong teams if they can use their advantage and start creating echelons.
Criel Breen Villella Taubel Van Aelbroeck Allonca
are the six riders in the first attempt. In especially the CT teams are very active with bringing 4 riders into the attack. The only top favourite sending one of their rider is Maes. This is a smart move as he surely is the favourite with the weakest team. This will allow the team to rest in the peloton.
4 teams are doing the work in the peloton. UPC, HTC, Bpost and Amex. There were some attacks and also Amex did try to join the breakaway with Stoltz but it wasn`t meant to be.
So they are obviously happy as the gap goes over 2'30.
The group reaches the first cobbled section. The gap is already at 5min but with 150km to go everything is under control.
Let`s have a closer look on the group. Allonca and Taubel surely are the best cobblers here and are more than solid riders on the pavement.
Van Aelbroeck might be good to push on the flat roads but he surely doesn`t like the cobbles at all. Neither does Villela.
Bad moment for Taubel. He punctures directly on the first section. Hopefully not a bad omen for him.
But the group is waiting for him and so he can join a bit later again.
UPC is no longer working in the peloton when Bpost improves the pace. Neither is Amex. They have two helpers in front but the 2 Bpost riders Declerq and Dufrasnes and Van der Ginst for HTC are going faster and take care of the gap. 115km left and 7min. This was the maximum as it`s slowly going in the other direction.
Vandenbergh took over and leads the peloton over the first real Helling De Muur. This is one of the most difficult sections and lots of riders struggle in the back.
Abour 30 riders lost contact at this climb. None of the favourites or better teammates were caught behind. Still some teams try to organize some pace making in there. In general the teams without real cobblers as these riders are the only riders to help the isolated leader in the first group.
We have reached the hardest part of this race. No longer break in between the Hellingen. It`s always going up and down now and most of the climbs are cobbled.
The gap is down to 4min with 70km to go.
That`s a rare move. Mark Cavendish won`t wait for a possible sprint. To small is the chance that the big favourites will wait for a sprint of a big group.
64km left and he will try to bridge the 3'40 gap first.
Wow. He is a decent cobbler but it couldn`t have been expected that he only needs 9 kilometers until he joins the group. 2'30 are left of the gap but this new situation might speed things up here.
42km left and De Maar is leading the 60 rider group on the next climb. We have also seen Matti Breschel doing some work. So the team is fully supporting Bernhard Eisel today.
The Paterberg often decides the classics. Bpost sends their co-leader Albert to the front. This will accelerate the group by a lot.
Behind him Breschel takes some turns again.
The peloton was halfed here. Only 32 riders left but who is missing out?
Most notable names are: Machado Vaitkus Oelerich, Teunissen, Kavsek Vangenechten Laengen Napolitano
With 35km to go the gap is just over 1min. This won`t be enough for them.
But still nobody is giving up and all of them work together.
And we also see the first favourite attack. It took until 33km to the finish. It`s the Austrian Bernhard Eisel. His team was working quite a lot for him and even co-leader Breschel supported him.
Still this move couldn`t have been expected as he is a good sprinter which was his biggest advantage over the other favourites. So experts expected him to wait for the others to do the first move.
The attack was not strong enough. All riders are caught including also Mark Cavendish. Still it might not have been senseless for the Brit. The group is down to 26 including the breakaway and the hardest part is done. So if he can stay until the end he could have a fair chance. Vansepybrouck, Albert, Broers, Vansummeren Baugnies, De Maar, De Haes, Vanbilsen, Vandenbergh Eisel, Breschel, Taillefour Maes, Coyot, Taubel Veelers, Knees Boom, Vantomme, Van Aelbroeck Sys, Villella Sentjens Criel Breen Allonca
This also means that some solid cobblers are dropped. Biggest disappointment probably Jacobs with his teammate Lhotellerie.
It`s just 1min to the next group of 16 riders including the Bouygues duo, Machado or Traksel. But HTC is still going fast and will try to avoid a comeback. We are already on the last longer climb and still we haven`t seen Baugnies or Vanspeybrouck attacking.
The wind might be an important factor as they of course know that going solo for that long will be very hard.
This obviously is an advantage for the remaining sprinters like Cavendish, Vantomme, Eisel, Breschel or Veelers.
More and more riders start to lose contact. The former breakway riders are the first and unfortunately for airbaltic-Endura also Mark Cavendish. This means 21 riders in front but none of their riders.
We had the last climb, now we also have the last cobbled section. Will somebody attack now?
Vanspeybrouck at least went to the front doing the pace. Is he preparing anything?
Finally. Again Eisel with the first move. But this time Vanspeybrouck and Baugnies are behind him.
Surprisingly Knees also tries to follow but is definitely not strong enough. Weird that it wasn`t Veelers for UPC.
13km left and the trio has an advantage of 52s already. Behind it`s mainly Maes and Veelers doing the work. First one is really a power machine against the wind as lots of riders struggle to follow.
10km left for them. Maes is still doing the main work behind and the gap melts. Just a very few seconds but melting.
Maes in beast mode. Just by going his high pace he halfs the group of chasers.
De Haes
Maes
Vanspeybrouck
Gr.Jacobs
<1'27>
Vanbilsen
<17>
Veelers
<50>
Baugnies
Coyot
Teillefour
Eisel
Knees
Albert
Broers
Vansummeren
Vandenbergh
Breschel
Sys
De Maar
Vantomme
Boom
Sentjens
8km and Maes took a break for a very short time. This led to the refusion of the two groups making it 17 riders again being now 1'04 behind the trio.
Was that the decision?
Not with Maes I guess, who once again took over from the other riders.
Just by looking onto this group Boom and Veelers actually are the only riders, who would have helped Maes, but while Veelers seems a bit exhausted Boom isn`t doing anything but hanging at the end. Tactic or does he wait for Vantomme?
4,5km left and the trio ahead is starting with tactical games. None of them wants to do too much and obviously they don`t feel well with Eisel in the group, who is surely the best sprinter.
If only Maes would have gone into the attack with the trio. He surely is one of the strongest today as he again splits the group.
We see Veelers, De Haes, Albert and Taillefour together with him but he dropped the Rothaus trio Boom/Vantomme, Breschel, Vansummeren and Sys.
Vanspeybrouck in the bad position to start the sprint with Eisel just behind him. Baugnies isn`t looking that good and has a small gap and look out, the other group is already coming. Will they hold on or do they lose on the final kilometers.
Veelers is past Maes, who is no sprinter. From Behind Vantomme found his legs again and is coming fast. Also Boom and Sys are not far behind and we still have 2,5km to go.
Also Albert is passing Maes. Poor him after all the work he did. Vantomme starts to lose his speed but his team mate and defending champion is the fastest by far at the moment.
Baugnies is out of the fight for the win. It`s Vanspeybrouck against Eisel. Or will anybody else can come from behind?
1km left and they still have a gap to the later groups. And also Baugnies is able to close the gap a bit. Can he come back?
What a sprint by Boom. He is passing all the riders, Maes, Veelers and now Albert coming to the 4th position at the moment. Losing contact with 4,5km to go might have cost him any chance to sprint up to the leading trio.
300 meters to go and still Vanspeybrouck is leading. Is Eisel too tired to pass him? Or is he still waiting?
One thing is for sure. One of them will win today.
Boom, Albert, Veelers, Maes, De Maar, Vantomme, Sys, Taillefour is the order with 1km to go. Who will take what position?
So close. Only 100m left and finally Eisel is moving to the left trying to pass him. But it might be too late.
No. It was just in time. The Austrian celebrates one of his biggest career results. It`s not undeserved as he was the initiator of the attack and also attacked earlier alreardy. Strong ride and great result for AmexPC.
Vanspeybrouck finishes on a good 2nd. He might have had a chance if he attacked earlier.
Just like Bpost, HTC is failing their win goal. Still the 3rd is his best result so far this season. He shouldn`t be too sad.
Boom wasn`t able to defend his title. But the 4th is still a very good result for the World Champion. He finishes with a nice gap to the next.
Albert takes the 5th ahead of Veelers. Vantomme with 2nd air sprints on the 7th making it a good team result. Strongest rider Maes today as 8th ahead of De Maar and surprise Sys as 10th. Taillefour as 11th is the last in this group.
A bit behind Breschel leads the next group over the line as 12th. Also in this group lots of HTC and Bpost helpers as also Coyot, Knees and Sentjens.
Disappointing race for Bouygues as Lhottelerie comes in as 22nd and still one ahead of Jacobs.
Cavendish as 24th and Napolitanoas 28th couldn`t score that many points today. Machado as 45th couldn`t even score a single point.
