Welcome to the rainy Grand duchy for the local hilly classic. Topping the list of favourites are Hagen, Schleck and Bakelandts.
It's raining in Luxembourg and almost immediately we have the first two victims. Zahner and Aasvold go down but can continue their race.
The first 2 hours of the race are very hard. It seems like to many teams want to be in the break today as we see multiple attacks with over 10 riders. The top teams think this is too dangerous and always pull them back.
With 180 km left, two riders finally get a clear gap. They are Santander sprinter Reynes and Canecky. They quickly pull out a 3 minute gap.
Things get very intresting when there is a strong counterattack with 130 km to go. Vanendert, Frank, Albasini, Klemme, Moinard, Bobridge, Rabottini and Vastaranta all go for it. A strong group of punchers, the pack has to be carefull.
The 8 chasers work well together and quickly join our leading duo.
Another crash on the wet roads. And again it's an Aker rider. Haas this time. Luckily for Hagen, Haas can continue aswell and rejoins the peloton quickly.
Aker, Lotto and Vesuvio are leading the peloton. They stame calm but take some risks by giving the leaders a 6-minute advantag.
And we have another victim from the bad weather. Vanendert has crashed out of the leading group. A shame for him as he was, on paper, the best puncher at the front.
He showes some fighter spirit and works hard to rejoin the break with 70 km untill the finish line. The break is then 4'30 in front as Vesuvio and Aker have taken up the pace behind.
And another rider from the break with bad luck. It's
Moinard. But he didn't crash, he had a flat tire. He shows the same spirit as Vanendert and also rejoins the break.
We're about to start the last 60 km which will prove to be decisive and have the hardest hills of the route.
Anza is leading the peloton on the fourth-to-last hill of the day. Other top domestiques like Claeys, Monfort and Gastauer have started working aswell.
Hagen has lost his best hilly domestique as Haas crashed for a second time.
Schleck and Cunego are already attentive at the front.
Craven is the first to attack during the descent. He gets a 20 second advantage over the peloton but is still almost 2' behind the leaders with less than 30 km to the line.
We're on the toughest hill of the day and Frank starts to believe in a surprise. He attacks his companions but doesn't get far and only results that Canecky and Reynes are dropped.
Pozzato is the first big name to attack with 20 km to go. Ginanni and Schleck quickly counter.
But Cunego pulls them back. He creates a 23-men strong favourites group this way. Biggest names missing here is Van Garderen who is 3 groups back due to some bad positioning. Craven is also caught.
Vanendert clearly feels strong after his chase and attacks. He pulls out a gap on 6 chasers as Moinard has been dropped. The favourites are still 1'30 behind with 15 km to go.
At the top of the penultimate hill and Frank has to let go as Vanendert is caught again by Bobridge.
Trofimov makes a strong attack out of the favourites group with Bakelandts, Ponzi, Schumacher and Di Maggio in his wheel.
Only Trofimov got away and quickly joins 5 riders. Rabottini isn't here as he just attacks and is leading 15" in front.
Drama behind as Bakelandts crashes out of the favourites group!
Starting the final hill, Trofimov has joined the leader with Bobridge in his wheel.
Klemme, Vastaranta, Vanendert and Albasini got caught be the chasers who are 25" behind.
Cunego is chasing there and quickly pulls back Rabottini. Bobridge is still following Trofimov and they still have a nice gap with 1.8 km to the line.
Cunego attacked away there and joins the leaders right as the sprint is about to start.
Bobridge seems to have no energy left as he is quickly passed by the chasers. He slightly blocks Schleck that way.
Cunego has sprinted straight passed Trofimov but the danger might come from behind.
Hagen seems to be the strongest there but has troubles to even pass Trofimov. Schleck is going fast aswell now after freeing himself from behind Bobridge.
Ponzi is coming strong aswell and the 4 are now almost on a line next to eachother.
But that is only for second place. Cunego takes a dominant win showing he is still a legend and is ready for defending his Tour title. Well timed attack right before the sprint, nobody could even threaten him.
Ponzi wins the sprint for second with Trofimov taking third. Schleck and Hagen round out the top 10. Very strong finish from the Italian here.
Ginanni takes 6th in front of Gilbert, a celebrating Claeys, Pozzovio and Gesink. Bobridge finished 14th in the end, he clearly had nothing left for the sprint.
Result
1
Damiano Cunego
Lotto - Cervelo
5h52'38
2
Simone Ponzi
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
+ 12
3
Yuri Trofimov
Koenigsegg
s.t.
4
Frank Schleck
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
5
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Aker - MOT
s.t.
6
Francesco Ginanni
Vespa-Aprilia Racing
+ 29
7
Philippe Gilbert
Pendleton's
s.t.
8
Dimitri Claeys
Lotto - Cervelo
+ 37
9
Domenico Pozzovivo
Vespa-Aprilia Racing
s.t.
10
Robert Gesink
Project 1t4i
s.t.
11
Diego Ulissi
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
12
Filippo Pozzato
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
