Welcome to the Queen Stage of this year's FBD Éire Tour. 147 kilometres, 5 categorized climbs and a lot of bumps to go with them. Team Gazelle has been absolutely superior so far and their domestique Marco Minnard has taken his racing to whole new level having been the yellow jersey wearer for the entire race taking a stage win in the process. Riders such as Chaoufi, Vorganov and Eibegger will be looking to crack him today. Can they do it? Let's find out, eh!
Right from the outset Chaoufi is sitting focusedly behind Minnard, for sure he's got a plan today.
Danny Pate is our early attacker. The one and only, in for a testing ride in the rough Irish hills.
He takes the first KoM prime ahead of Millar and Tewelde and here he is at the second climb, an uncategorized one. 112 kilometres left.
Here is a guy we should be on the lookout for today, sitting in 2nd place on GC, Eduard Vorganov has been riding consistently in this race and he will definitely be looking for the win today. And what about the guy right behind him, Soto Pereira? One of the minor surprises of this race as he is sitting in 3rd place overall, what has he got in store today?
But what about that Marco Minnard? Nobody was mentioning him as a man for the GC before this race and he has been the strongest rider here so far.
Back to the front now as Pate is at the foot of the third climb, a 2nd Category one. Gap is at 3'12 but always hovering at around that mark.
A bit further up the climb and it is a steep one. 83 kilometres to go from this point on.
Goddaert, one of the pivotal figures in Gazelle's win in the opening TTT, leading the bunch up the climb.
Pate rounds the top 2'34 ahead of the peloton with Shaekhov taking 3rd place and thus extending his lead in the KoM competition.
Right as the descent starts we have an attack from the pack as Tewelde gets low on his bike! Tsikhanau follows!
They come together and after the two Points primes they lead the pack by more than two minutes.
It's Lalouette and Kriek doing turns at the front now as Gazelle do not want the two late attackers to stay out.
We are getting closer to the finale now. 48 kilometres to go and the Tewelde-Tsikhanau Duo is 1'38 ahead of the pack and 1'12 behind our leader.
Lalouette, one of the strong Team Gazelle domestiques chasing the breakaway riders. Are they riding solely for Minnard or is Westra going for a stage win today?
Up front the three attackers have come together. They are 2'11 in front of the pack.
Puncture for Maisto! That could end his hopes of the KoM jersey where he was in third place before this stage.
It's finale time, three hard climbs in about 25 kilometres with a small punchy one just before. Ilias gives it a go here with 28 kilometres to go!
This immediately endangers Kiserlovski's 6th place as the Croatian now takes the front to chase down the Magna rider.
Ilias catches the group quickly where only Tsikhanau can hang on. With 1,200 metres to the top of this third but last climb they have 42 seconds on the bunch which is down to 57 riders.
That number is suddenly cut more or less in half as a big chunk of 29 riders are caught behind a split. Soto Pereira is poorly placed and trapped in the 2nd bunch!
With 1,000 metres to the top he trails the Minnard Group by 53 seconds.
Over the top the two in front have extended the gap a bit as it is now out to 47 seconds. Soto Pereira has managed to drive himself and a few others back to the main pack.
Just as we hit the foot of the penultimate climb the front of the race is all back together, also this is apparently the place Chaoufi has picked out to attack! It's early but if he wants to be on the podium this is what he has to do!
Kiserlovski also goes clear but cannot quite match the pace of Chaoufi as he immediately gets a big gap!
Eventhough the gap to Chaoufi quickly rounds the 1-minute mark, Minnard looks cool and lets his team do the pacing.
Chaoufi alone over the top, also Ilias has attacked away now!
As the pack come across they're 1'24 behind Chaoufi, 30" behind Ilias and 54" behind Kiserlovski!
Chaoufi plummeting down this final descend as he is finally showing what a strong rider he is!
Behind him it has come together a bit, but only five riders from the favourites group have caught Ilias and Kiserlovski and Minnard is not one of them!
The 12 riders behind come across though in the valley before the final ascent which will decide this race. Soto Pereira now attacks with Eibegger!
But it doesn't work as we now have a big group of favourites chasing Chaoufi. In total 19 riders.
Minnard, Daspuntsag, Shaekhov, Westra, Kriek Vorganov, Kononenko, Fonte, Cardoso Criel, Mora Honkisz, Bazhkou Eibegger, Ilias Failli, Kiserlovski Soto Pereira, Reis
With 6,600 metres to go we have hit the final climb, Turlough! It's difficult to ride alone through the valley like Chaoufi has done and his gap is now down to 57 seconds!
5,100 metres and only 32 seconds now!
Failli is the first to attack as the gradient kicks up and Chaoufi is already brought back! Westra and Vorganov also accelerate!
It doesn't stick and the next move comes from Westra! He wants to win today!
The pace is high and the slope is steep and that move is also controlled as Chaoufi now gets a gap with 3,700 metres to go!
Again he is brought back though. Vorganov and Honkisz also try before it looks like Soto Pereira has the kick to get a gap!
Chaoufi goes again as Soto Pereira couldn't keep the pace up. What a finale we're having!
But with 1,300 metres to go it's all back together, Kononenko kicks off the sprint here!
Vorganov hits the front with some speed as we go under the Flame Rouge!
Here comes Marco Minnard!
It looks to be between these two! But here comes Eibegger, he is going very fast here the Austrian!
MARCO MINNARD!
He takes it! His second stage win of the race as he defends his leader's jersey in the best possible fashion! What a victory! Eibegger 2nd, Vorganov 3rd, Criel 4th, Daspuntsag 5th. Huge for Eibegger as that puts him up to 3rd in the GC! Soto Pereira bumped down to 4th place. Still a good result for him though.
The domestique becomes the captain!
Marco Minnard on the podium. He has to make four runs today as he is also recieving the green and the white jersey. After today it is Gazelle leading all the classements as their strong riding on Turlough put them back into 1st place in the teams classification.
Tomorrow is the last stage of the 2013 FBD Éire Tour and we might have one for the sprinters, so make sure to tune in!
