Today the race kicks off with very little wind. There are two time checks out there – the first comes after 16km, the second after 36km and the finish is after 55.8km. The first section should suit those teams who can climb a bit better, as there are some tough little drags, while the middle bit is all about the power and the finale combines the two with one climb and the long and flat run-in.
First out today we have Tinkoff Bank. They are probably aiming at about a middling result today, but all their riders are fairly decent all-rounders so this first section should certainly be to their liking. Their time here is 26’09” though we will have to wait to see how this fairs.
And through the second check their time is 54’07”. We will see how they finish up.
Metinvest – Emirates are the next team up. They come in as one of the top three strongest teams here, so they will certainly be hoping for a great ride. Their first time is a great 26’01”, 8” faster than Tinkoff.
And they extend their lead through the second check with a time of 53’53”. That could well be the sort of strong ride that they are looking for.
Next up we have Boeing-Vivacom. As was said in the preview for this race, if they can avoid last place they will be truly happy. On the plus side, their bikes look absolutely amazing. Their time through the first check is 26’44”, putting them 43” off the pace already.
And their second check seems them drop further behind with a time of 55’14”.
Our fourth team out on course is Jaguar – Eritel. The African team bring a team focussing on a couple of stars with some support riders and then some young guys to flesh it out. So this could be an interesting ride. Their time through the first check is strong, however, with a time of 26’12”. Will they hold this through the second part, which relies more on TTing ability?
Their time here is 54’17”, meaning that Tinkoff have slipped just further away from them, but they are still where they want to be.
Now VolksWagen are up. Their manager has recently admitted that they really have no purpose being here, so the pressure is clearly off... Their time through the first check is 26’37”, just 7” better than Boeing!
They extend this gap slightly with a time of 54’55” at the second check, now putting them 19” ahead of last place.
Next up we have the favourites for the day - Oz Cycling. This is a team lead by Michael Roger but with lots of other strong names in there. They come up to the first check and their time is... 26’01’... that’s 9” slower than Metinvest and also 1” slower than Tinkoff! What is going on here?!
But the second section of the course is more to their liking and they come through the second check with a new best of 53’44”. Clearly the hills damaged their chances. Perhaps the hill in the final section could ruin Oz’s chances of taking this? This is clearly far from over!
The other CT team Adira is up now. They aren’t the strongest team here but will try to stick with the teams from the higher division. Indeed their time through the first check is a solid 26’13”, just 1” slower than Jaguar managed.
Adira can’t quite close this gap, however, and they come through the second check in 54’24”, now 7” down on the African team.
Next up we have Prio-Porto. This is another team with only a couple of big names and some dead weight. They will hope to emulate the decent ride of Jaguar. But Prio-Porto can’t quite manage it and their first time is 26’22”. They are now only ahead of VolksWagen and Boeing at this check.
Through the second check they can’t improve this and their time here is 54’41”, meaning that they have at least increased the gap to VolksWagen and don’t seem to be in danger of dropping below them.
Our second last team out on course is Team WWE. They really haven’t got any big stars here, but have enough consistency across the squad that they might be able to share the load more equally. Their first time is a solid 26’15”, just 2” slower than the surprisingly strong Adira.
Their second check is 54’23”, meaning that they have in fact gone 1” faster than Adira and move into 5th with one team still to come.
Alstom – RBC are here and will probably like the first part of this course – the hills will suit their lead puncheur Jeremy Roy, who is surprisingly here. Well, that gamble seems to pay some dividends as they go through the first check in 26’01”, which is equal to the best time set earlier by Metinvest!
The Canadian team push on and at the second check their time is 54’09”. They have dropped from second place down to fourth, with Oz and Tinkoff both overtaking them. Still, with a hill in the final segment they might yet find their footing.
So with all ten teams through the first two time checks here are the standings:
Check 1
1.
Metinvest
26'01"
2.
Alstom – RBC
+0"
3.
Tinkoff
+8"
4.
Oz
+9"
5.
Jaguar
+11"
6.
Adira
+12"
7.
Team WWE
+14"
8.
Prio-Porto
+21"
9.
VolksWagen
+36"
10.
Boeing
+43"
Check 2
1.
Oz
53'44"
2.
Metinvest
+9"
3.
Tinkoff
+23"
4.
Alstom – RBC
+25"
5.
Jaguar
+33"
6.
Team WWE
+39"
7.
Adira
+40"
8.
Prio-Porto
+57"
9.
VolksWagen
+1'11"
10.
Boeing
+1'30"
Tinkoff are the first to arrive. The only rider struggling here is Vorobev, but he holds on fairly well. At the end their time is 1h22’09”.
Metinvest were the fastest at the first check and second fastest at the second check, only 9” back. Can they pull out a great time here to upset the favourites? Their time is 1h21’52”, but we will have to wait to see if that is enough.
Next up we have Boeing, who were last through the two time checks. Unsurprisingly Bakari has come off the back, unable to take the speed. Their time is 1h23’25”.
Jaguar was in fifth at both of the previous checks. Most of the work now is being done by their big guns. And they come to the end in a time of 1h21’59”, just 7” slower than Metinvest! That means that they have done a terrific final third and could well pose a challenge for a great spot now.
Next up is VolksWagen. They have been the second slowest at the two previous checks, but can they reduce that deficit. Bru starts to fall off the pace, but he was easily the weakest in the team and won’t be missed. They go through the finish line in 1h22’58”, which is hardly setting the world alight but we will see how it goes.
From second last to the leading team - Oz Cycling are next. Wen Hao Li drops off the pace a bit but the team power on anyway. Can they keep their lead from the second check? They certainly can! They set a new best of 1h21’32”, which should be enough to win this unless someone pulls out a magnificent final section.
Adira are punching a bit above their weight so far and it is clearly taking its toll – they are down to their final 5 riders. Paulinho and Hicks are the two who have dropped back, with the American actually being a bit of a surprise. And the time at the finish line is 1h22’29”, 5th at the moment.
Prio-Porto’s reliance on a couple of riders is clearly taking its toll on the others – the pace is too high and the team looks really disorganised. They were 8th at both of the earlier checks, can they do better here? Perhaps not as their time is 1h22’41”, keeping them behind Adira.
Now it is time for Team WWE. They were 1” ahead of Adira at the previous check but 2” behind them at the first check. So can they keep this slim gap or not? They all keep together and their time is... 1h22’27”, 2” faster than the Continental team!
And finally Alstom – RBC bring up the rear. They were second at the first check and fourth at the second check. So will they continue to slip or will they recover? They keep together really well and clearly strength in numbers pays off as their time of 1h21’57” slots them into third just 2” faster than Jaguar.
But of course the result was pretty much known before the day started and Oz Cycling can enjoy their win, even if it perhaps wasn’t quite as dominant as expected by many.
