The PCT/CT elite might be in Dunkerque. But the startlist here is not weak as well.
Clear topfavourite is Maes. But in especially Breschel, Veelers and Steegmans can become dangerous if the group is too big in the end.
In case of a bunch sprint also top sprinters like Farrar, Ventoso or Vantomme might show their qualities.
1/22 laps done and all attempts were brought back again. You see the tough uphill cobbled section here. It will be interesting to follow it over 22 laps if it will lead to a strong selection or not.
6 riders in todays breakaway. They attacked on the 2nd lap and already have a 2min gap when making the 2nd finish passage. Adams Cano Lietaer Kupfernagel Schachmann Kusters
This is a very interesting group with Kupfernagel being a top sprinter and all teams with a favourite behind.
So Breschel, Vansummeren, Vantomme, De Maar, Steegmans and Jacobs will have calmer days and the pressure is mainly on Allianz and UPC.
These are also the obvious teams for the early pace making. Tinkoff isn`t working yet but as they also don`t have a rider in the breakaway they are already showing themselves in the first rows.
Jumping into the 10th lap and nearly half time we have a good view onto the final kilometer and see the uphill section towards the finish.
They have a 6min gap with 135km to go. Everything under control.
13th lap and one of the pre race favourites attacks. It`s Ventoso. He is not the best cobbler here but actually he was expected to wait for a final sprint of a smaller group than doing a long range attack.
Half a lap later another mid stage attack. Bobbie Traksel is a similar rider to Ventoso and the co leader of Team UPC.
This obviously puts the pressure even more onto Team Allianz.
Very interesting tactics of some of those teams. But probably due to the fact that Maes is by far the best cobbler and all the other teams need to try something different.
With 14 1/2 laps Ventoso joins the breakaway. It was a good effort by him and he is 2min ahead of Traksel and another 2min of the peloton now.
15th lap and also Traksel reached the group making it 8 riders and still 4'30 for them.
Good luck for Allianz as they got some unexpected help by the Bouygues Telecom squad.
Even though they have a rider in the breakaway with Adams, they decided to work for Pieter Jacobs.
Probably due to the fact that they want to win here, which might be difficult with Ventoso and Traksel being the obvious favourites in front.
17/22 laps and the gap is down to 4min. And the pressure is back on Team Allianz as also Pieter Jacobs attacks now.
All against Maes it seems.
But with 50km to go and a 4min gap Allianz is showing pure strength. 5 riders ahead of Maes in their pace train.
So far in the classic season he often was one of the strongest but missed the jump into the deciding attacks.
Today he is also waiting but it seems much better with so many team mates with him.
18th lap and Maes himself highers the pace on the cobbled section. Behind him already some other favourites with Veelers and Vansummeren, who don`t want to miss any splits here. This immediately melted the gap on 2min. Strong effort by the Belgium.
Jacobs just found contact to the breakaway when the former breakaway riders attack.
And strangely the three best riders in there (Jacobs, Traksel, Ventoso) don`t follow and seem to wait for the peloton, which is actually just 50s behind them.
Why then attack before?
3 1/2 laps to go and they are back in the group as also Adams, who waited for Jacobs it seems.
So only 5 riders are left in the group with a 1min gap.
The peloton is down to 2/3 of the actual size but still sprinters like Farrar and Vantomme are in there.
With 2 laps to go the group is also caught making it a 50 rider peloton. When will the favourites attack?
So far it was an anonymous race for Tinkoff. Now they send Kozontchuk into a 20km attack.
He is followed by more riders. Breschel Steegmans Broers Jacobs
Allianz and UPC are still the teams doing the most work behind.
But here he comes. Just after his team did a last effort to bring the group back, Maes attacks himself with 14km to go.
Several other favourites try to follow.
He is still having a small gap with 1 lap to go with Breschel being right behind. But the peloton didn`t give up yet.
So it wasn`t the successful attack yet.
New try. But it`s not Maes.
It`s his team mate Coyot.
He is immediately followed by Jacobs and Veelers.
More riders don`t want to miss this attack and join. Maes Breschel Steegmans Broers Kozontchuk
Coyot, Veelers, Steegmans and Breschel have a 12s gap over Maes, Jacobs and Broers with the peloton following another 9s later and the sprint starts with 1,1km to go.
So the three best cobbled sprinters are in an excellent position with Allianz being a bit in a problem with Coyot being in front and Maes only in the 2nd group.
Still Coyot is showing what a good rider he is and has a small gap on the asphalt. But the cobbles will come soon.
Here they are for the final part.
Coyot is still leading but Breschel is coming fast on the right. Also Steegmans is doing well with Veelers being a bit behind.
No one is coming from behind it seems, so the podium will be decided by those.
It couldn`t be much closer now with Breschel taking the lead. Coyot seems beaten but still in 2nd position.
Great win by Breschel. They continue to impress in the cobbled classics and it might be some compensation for their bad luck in todays Dunkerque stage.
The fight for the 2nd was even closer. In the end Coyot really holds on to 2nd ahead of Steegmans, who keeps finishing on the podiums without a win yet.
4th for Veelers.
18s later the next trio finishes. Kozontchuk collecting more points for Tinkoff in the fight for the PCT crown taking the last top5 ahead of Maes and Broers.
Another 8s later De Maar leads the peloton over the line. Behind him the first sprinter with Farrar. The American was just like Vantomme very bad placed with 1km to go but somehow made a crazy sprint to collect more points for Amex while Vantomme decided for the other road side and got more blocked there but still finished 13th.
Vansummeren as 10th takes the last top 10 ahead of Kopp and Ventoso, who might have gone with the wrong tactic today just like Traksel (23.).
Jacobs as 18th with yet another disappointing performance.
Spanish veteran Flecha couldn`t fulfill the team`s expectations as 25th but with Florencio his team at least finished as 14th.
