So we're in Huy for la Fleche. Key point of the race is definatly the Mur de Huy. 1 km at 9,3%. Waiting is generally the best option but long attacks can be succesfull aswell. Shown by Chavanel only last year. Hagen, Bakelandts, Schleck and Trofimov top an impressive startlist.
We're still in Charleroi after the start and we immediatly see an attack. It's Deignan for the ever active Pendleton squad. Foucquet, Jeannseon and Reda immediatly jump in his wheel. They cannot create a decent gap and are brought back by the bunch quite quickly.
Multiple new attacks come but a high pace in the peloton bring all of them back. Especially Pearl Adidas is working hard already. They clearly haven't lost their faith in Bakelandts. Vesuvio and Aker also send one man to relay.
All top favourites clearly feel well. UBS, Koenigsegg and even Festina pace at the front of the pack. 50 kilometres done and another breakaway attempt is brought back. This could become a really hard race this way.
Terpstra attacked alone and the peloton finally eases up. Pokerstars best chance today is Rujano so the top teams have no problem letting him go. He creates a 50 second gap.
Bouet goes behind the leader and Hernandez Gutierrez latches on. Milka and Santander again are two teams without any chances today so the peloton does not react.
Boonratanathanakorn is the next to attack with Vermeltfoort and Kruopis in this wheel. This move is deemed to dangerous so the pace rises again. These three riders are brought back but Kruopis doesn't give up and tries again. He gets some freedom and can set off in pursuit of the three leaders as Terpstra was joined by Bouet and Hernandez Gutierrrez.
Ghyllebert also was able to get free of the peloton. He joines the break as one third of the race has been run. It seems like these 5 will be our break of the day as their advantage has risen to 2 minutes.
Our break of 5 goes over the Mur for the first time. Their names one more time: Bouet Hernandez Gutierrez Terpstra Ghyllebert Kruopis
The last two can be considered the best punchers but they are not good enough to pose any threat to the favourites.
100 km to go and the race is halfway. The lead of the break has grown to 5 minutes as some new teams are seen at the front of the peloton. 1t4i, Wikipedia, Wiggle and Festina are now working which means that the domestiques from Pearl, Aker and Vesuvio can take a small break to recover from the earlier efforts.
This is today's final. 6 tough hills including two ascents of the Mur de Huy. With the full peloton only 4 minutes behind the breakaway we can expect to see an exciting end to this classic.
The break is still together on the Côte de Bohisseau which is immediatly followed by the ascent of the Côte de Bousalle.
The peloton is now also climbing. The super domestiques from the big favourites are working now. Gastauer, Paterski, Vastaranta and Anza really stretch the peloton and Gonzalez Salas is the first rider to get dropped.
The Côted'Ahin is 2.5 km at an average gradient of 6% but the first kilometre is really steep with percentages around 17%. If any of the escapees still has some energy left, this might be the chance to drop his companions.
No attacks from the peloton on the steep slopes of the Ahin either. The top domestiques keep pacing with Van der Hugenhaben now also taking turns.
It results in a group of 20 getting dropped. Nolf is the biggest name here but wouldn't have played a role on this route.
The break passes the finish line for the last time. They are still all 5 together and hold a gap of just under 2 minutes on the peloton. A nice advantage but definatly not enough to have any chane.
The peloton also crest the penultimate ascent of the Mur and it were Albasini and Paterski doing the pace on the steepest ramps. Schleck is very attentive sitting at the front with Bakelandts and Trofimov in his wheel. The pack is still 135 riders big though. It seems like the hard early pace didn't have much effect.
20 km to go and Trofimov is the first favourite to attack. Going first was a succesfull move for Boasson Hagen in the Gold Race so it makes some sense what he is doing. Schumacher attacks a bit further aswell and they join eachother and start taking turns.
The pace behind rises though as it's now Paterski leading the peloton with all the big favourites in his wheel. This is two much for the two and their move ends not much further.
Ulissi generated the next attack with Gesink, Roche and Claeys in his wheel. Their move doesn't get much freedom neither and they start the final climb before Huy with a small advantage over the chasing peloton where Van der Hugenhaben is chasing hard now.
That hill is called Côte d'Ereffe. 2.2 km at 5.9% and surprisingly the early break are still in front. It doesn't look like they can hold on for much longer though as the rest is not far behind and more riders seem to attack.
It's Claeys who passes the break as first. Trofimov, Schleck, Schumacher, Van Garderen and Gilbert jump behind trying to follow. All strong names. Is Bakelandts once again missing the right move?
The attack can't create a gap though and so we see a new attack. It's Gesink and Roche going for it again with Ponzi juming in their wheel. They are not succesfull though so a peloton of 128 riders starts the descent towards the Mur.
But Sanchez Gil thinks different and goes in the attack. He is not one of the big favourites but can be considered an outsider. Surprisingly, the pace in the peloton drops though. Could this be the right move?
Luis Leon Sanchez Gil turns up the Mur with an advantage of 16 seconds over the peloton where Van der Hugenhaben made sure his lead didn't grew too much. 16 seconds are nothing over the 1.3 km at 9.3% with a max gradient of 26% at one point.
Most favourites have moved to the front as they know that positioning is key here. Di Maggio and Pozzato who were not seen during the whole race are on the right with Gilbert leading on the right and Van Garderen is in Van der Hugenhabens wheel. Bakelandts is behind the Aker duo Spilak Hagen with Pluchkin also not bad positioned.
Trofimov and Gesink will have more problems reaching the front as they are around 12th position. But it can be worse as Schleck shows. He is positioned around 25th and getting a top result here looks near to impossible.
Sanchez clearly spent too much energy in his attack and is done with 900 m to go. Van Garderen is looking especially wel being the first two pass him. Boasson Hagen and Bakelandts are looking for a place to pass as they look faster as the riders in front of them.
400 metres left and Van Garderen still leading. Boasson Hagen and Claeys have pulled themselves almost next to him with Ponzi and Bakelandts not much further behind. The Mur starts to flat out a bit though.
Trofimov and Gesink can't use their superior talent to move up. Gesink gets blocked behind a fading Sanchez while Trofimov is experienceing the same behind Schumacher who also can't move up as Anza is in front of him. Schleck is even more behind only around 30th position.
200 metres closer to the finish and Boasson Hagen has passed Van Garderen. Claeys is in third but the biggest danger probably comes from Bakelandts and Ponzi just behind. The finish is coming close though.
And so Boasson Hagen wins again. He did it on an other way than in Valkenburg waiting for the sprint this time. Van Garderen looked very strong early on the Mur but can't be disappointed with 2nd. Same for Claeys who can be very proud of his performance in his home country.
Bakelandts and Ponzi complete the top 5. More could have been expected from the Belgian as he was positioned in today's winner at the foot of the Mur. Gilbert just edges Di Maggio on the line for 6th.
Van der Hugenhaben, Roche and Pozzato complete the top 10 in that order. I think every rider in the top 10 can be very happy with his result except of maybe Bakelandts whou could have hoped for more.
That mainly has to do with the big favourites failing. Bad positioning at the foot of the Mur make that Trofimov, Gesink and Schleck finish 17th, 18th and 19th respectively. The first two even behind their domestiques. Pliuchkin in 21th also shows that there is still a difference between these short hills and longer climbs during GT's.
Result
1
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Aker - MOT
4h55'36
2
Tejay Van Garderen
Wikipedia
s.t.
3
Dimitri Claeys
Lotto - Cervelo
s.t.
4
Jan Bakelants
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
5
Simone Ponzi
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
6
Philippe Gilbert
Pendleton's
s.t.
7
Cesare Di Maggio
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
8
Robin van der Hugenhaben
Koenigsegg
s.t.
9
Nicolas Roche
ING Cycling - Project
s.t.
10
Filippo Pozzato
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
11
Santo Anza
Koenigsegg
s.t.
12
Diego Ulissi
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
13
Simon Spilak
Aker - MOT
s.t.
14
Luis Leon Sanchez Gil
Project 1t4i
s.t.
15
Stefan Schumacher
UBS - BMC
s.t.
16
Damiano Caruso
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
17
Yuri Trofimov
Koenigsegg
s.t.
18
Robert Gesink
Project 1t4i
s.t.
19
Frank Schleck
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
20
Aleksandr Pluchkin
Team B&O
s.t.
21
Ben Gastauer
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
22
Andrei Grivko
Team B&O
s.t.
23
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Cervelo
s.t.
24
Domenik Klemme
Team B&O
+ 42
25
Maciej Paterski
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
26
Jack Bauer
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
27
Matteo Rabottini
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
28
Anthony Roux
Team Bacardi
s.t.
29
Jelle Vanendert
Project 1t4i
s.t.
30
Jay McCarthy
Wikipedia
s.t.
31
Rasmus Guldhammer
Team B&O
s.t.
32
Marcel Wyss
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
33
Jukka Vastaranta
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
34
Marcello Pavarin
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
35
Tom Diggle
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
36
Lars Petter Nordhaug
Aker - MOT
+ 1'04
37
Bauke Mollema
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
38
Michał Kwiatkowski
Team B&O
s.t.
39
Sebastien Einsle
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
40
Alessandro Ballan
Koenigsegg
s.t.
41
Michael Albasini
UBS - BMC
s.t.
42
William Walker
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
43
Carlos Castaño
ING Cycling - Project
s.t.
44
Frantisek Rabon
Milka - AVG
s.t.
45
Niki Terpstra
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
46
Danny Summerhill
Wikipedia
s.t.
47
Aidis Kruopis
Team Bacardi
s.t.
48
Peter Sagan
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
49
Maxime Bouet
Milka - AVG
s.t.
50
Branislav Samoilev
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
51
Matthias Frank
UBS - BMC
s.t.
52
Travis Meyer
Wikipedia
s.t.
53
Amaël Moinard
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
54
Laurent Pichon
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
55
Nick Kinney
Wikipedia
s.t.
56
Aitor Hernández Gutierrez
Santander
s.t.
57
Dan Craven
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
58
Chiaffredo Grippo
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
59
Massimo Iannetti
ING Cycling - Project
s.t.
60
Julien Simon
Project 1t4i
s.t.
61
Pieter Ghyllebert
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
