Stage 9 takes us to the climb of Les Tapiades, which is 4.7km long with an average of 5.5% and a max of 9.1%. The puncheurs will really have to perform here as there aren’t too many more days for them in this race and from here we mostly have mountainous GC stages.
The first attack comes from Carlos Oyarzun. The breakaway worked for the team yesterday and almost worked the day before – with that sort of track record this is a move with a decent chance!
Of course lots of other riders are interested in early moves given that sort of track record. None of the first handful of attacks work, but the attackers are: Moises Duenas Ryan Eastman Paolo Scarponi Matthias Frank Jaroslav Kulhavy Travis Meyer Wilco Kelderman Michael Kwiatkowski Evgeni Sokolov Christophe Kern Mikel Landa Jonathon Castroviejo Jakub Kratchovila Fabio Duarte Jelle Wallays Salvatore Mancuso Arnold Jeannesson Johannes Heider Nathan Haas
We go 63km of this 151km course and we still haven’t got a break. Santander have been brutal in who they allow to get away. The speed is clearly having some sort of effect as a couple of riders fall – Peter Sagan and Fabio Felline. But now we get a break that sticks: Wilco Kelderman Dan Craven Robin van der Hugenhaben (21st overall) Rasmus Guldhammer (17th overall)
Though there are only four riders here we have a really interesting group – two riders who could do a top 20 overall and also some of the riders who were considered outside favourites. Certainly Robin van der Hugenhaben would have been getting short odds with a lot of bookkeepers.
Under the sprint point the gap is out to 2’40” and Guldhammer takes the 6 bonus seconds without sprinting. This could be a great day for him if the break stays away, as he really needs to claw time back after his disastrous TT.
The gap goes up to maximum of 4 minutes, meaning that this isn’t going to be like yesterday with the huge gaps for the break. The three teams working behind should surprise no one – Vesuvio, Koenigsegg and Bacardi. Even though Koenigsegg have a man in the breakaway, it seems that he is only there as a potential launch pad for Valverde. The other two teams also have great puncheurs in the form of Schleck and Ricco.
Guldhammer takes the next bonus seconds as well. However, not much else happens out on course until we hit 15km to go. It is here on the complete flat that Ricco and Schleck launch an attack!
As the break hit a tiny bump up front, there is some surprise as Guldhammer is dropped by the other three. Is he struggling or does he just want to avoid losing time if the group is caught?
Schleck now blows past Ricco, and he has a 30” gap over the bunch behind. We haven’t even hit the final climb!
We hit another one of those tough, small climbs. van der Hugenhaben attacks away and drops the others who are in the break. With 11.5km to go he has a lead of 2’24” over the peloton. Is it enough with the tough terrain still to come?
A combination of Pearl and Santander riders have now brought Ricco and Schleck back not long before the climb.
Meanwhile Guldhammer catches up to the other two dropped breakaway riders and they form a chase group behind van der Hugenhaben. As our leader hits the climb here are the gaps:
28”
1’58”
2’26”
van der Hugenhaben
--->
Chase (3)
--->
Peloton
Schleck seems to have a bottomless pit of energy because as we hit the climb he launches a new attack!
Ricco and Valverde, two of the riders heavily tipped today, attack as well but are 20” behind the Vesuvio leader. Now looking to get some time back is 9th overall L. L. Sanchez!
Dan Martin is the next one to attack up to the 4 man chase group. Schleck has 18 seconds on the chasers and another 24 seconds on the peloton.
van der Hugenhaben goes under the kite and he has 44” on the former breakaway riders. This is looking great for him.
And he does it! Robin van der Hugenhaben takes out a great Grand Tour stage win and will probably find himself moving up the general classification.
Kelderman leads out the sprint behind him for second. Guldhammer looks better than he was earlier.
And they cross the line in the order the sprint opened up – Kelderman, Guldhammer then Craven. Once again Puma do well out of a break. These riders are 48” down.
Schleck has a small gap under the kite, which is quickly closed by Valverde and Sanchez. Ricco and Martin start to drop behind a bit and could lose a little bit of time here.
Schleck just holds on for fifth place 1’26” back on our winner. Valverde will be pleased with the points that he gets for sixth in his effort to take that jersey. Sanchez holds the back wheel of these two four seventh.
1’42” back on the winner today, and thus 16” back from Schleck is the group of Martin and Ricco.
Finally, Contador leads in the bunch for tenth place today. But what is the gap? 2’03” back on our stage winner means that Valverde and Schleck have taken 37” on the bunch and Ricco has taken 21”.
The only riders who lost time on this climb who were well placed on GC are in a group 3’26” down. They are: Martin Hacecky Daniel Navarro Ian Bibby Sergio Pardilla
I apologise about the screens for the results – I exported the results but when I checked the folder there was nothing at all...
