After yesterdays sprint opener the 2nd stage already looks much harder with a tough climb in the end. It might have been even more exciting with the finish being on the top. But the riders need to go down a short descent instead before they cross the line. This might give some climbers a good advantage if they can create a gap before going down the mountain again.
Right from the start it went uphill and we saw many attacks by pretty decent climbers to get into the breakaway.
On top we haven`t seen a successful attempt but lots of splitted riders ahead of the peloton. Saldarriaga Khalmuratov Chaabane Delgado Khripta
is the order on top. But also behind those 5 we have some single riders. And as you see, some of those are pretty good climbers.
The first four in the end made it into the group but so far it`s just a bit more than 1min and so some might still try to jump to them.
Mainly Hollister for race leader Davis or more likely for their GC captain Kiserlovski and Vueling for Thomas Dekker are trying to calm down the peloton.
So the gap widens to more than 2min and the breakaway looks set.
Bad news for Vasquez. The Repsol captain crashed and is a bit behind.
Though as the pace isn`t that fast he can come back after a few kilometers. But surprisingly he had to do it solo as no teammate waited for him.
Close sprint here. The officials count it Delgado, Chaabane and Khalmuratov. As all of them are just 20s down the bonus seconds could give them better chances GC wise.
Not as close at the 2nd sprint. And again it`s Delgado taking the 6 points. Khalmuratov and Chaabane to follow this time.
Hollister knows that Davis won`t defend the jersey most likely and Kiserlovski is not the top favourite. So they stopped their chase and let the stronger teams work at the front.
So it`s Vueling and Vespa (Pozzovivo) now.
Yet not much to see from Alarcon`s or Taaramae`s teams but a very few short turns.
We soon reach the start of the first climb and the gap is down to 4min. And we have the first attacks of some outside favourites. Eltink Shimizu Monsalve
So some co-leaders and surprisingly also Monsalve, teammate of Davis and Kiserlovski. This of course gives the team some freedom in the final.
Some more riders see that this trio was able to create a gap and also try it on the first climb: Briceno Ruijgh Jiao Gil Hesjedal
Huge split now after this acceleration and 30-40 riders are left behind.
Two teams were hit very hard as PFG - Armavia lost all their climbers behind as also Team Repsol where both leaders Vasquez and Agudelo weren`t concentrated. It might also be that Vasquez is injured after the crash but as so many of their riders are behind it was more likely less concentration.
At least one PFG - Armavia rider is still competing on a better level. Chaabane takes the KoM ahead of Saldarriaga, Khalmuratov and Delgado.
Shimizu takes the last spot out of the group behind.
Finally some pictures of the latest attackers but only 4 made it. Ruijgh couldn`t follow and is back in the peloton.
So we have 3 groups in front now and the peloton and more or less there is 1min in between any of those 4 groups.
As also Bouygues came to the front now the peloton obviously highered the pace. Plus Cataldo is doing an awesome job as helper for Pozzovivo. What a luxus as he could also go for a top10 on his own probably.
So the group around Hesjedal/Gil is caught and also the trio around Eltink is not that far ahead.
In the far background you can see a group containing the unlucky Repsol and PFG riders. So coming back looks impossible.
Half time of the climb and Cataldo more or less is doing the pace reducing the group with every kilometer. Right now 54 riders are left in the peloton, which is ~1'30 behind the leaders.
First attack on this climb. And it`s Tinkoff with Kunshin.
And this was the sign for many riders. No other than Alarcon immediately attacks as well followed by Ji, Lövkvist and Popovych.
A bit later but also in this action more riders attack: Taaramae Gomez Marchante Castano Kiserlovski Kolesnikov Anton
Vespa and Vueling were working for most of the time and look like the strongest teams. So it`s understandable, that they did not attack with Dekker or Pozzovivo. Instead Cataldo is chasing with Dekker and Pozzovivo right behind the Italian. Also Dekker has a good helper at his side in Hivert.
Also not successful the attacks of Anton, Kiserlovski and Kolesnikov, who are also in that group. So it Efimkin, Peraud, Devolder, Ruijgh, Ratiy, Solis or Ochoa Quintero.
But with 6km to the top Cataldo closed the gap. And also all the earlier attackers were caught by these attacks.
So we have a 44 rider group now.
Kiserlovski and Taaramae immediately attack again...
...and this splits the peloton in two big parts with some leaders or strong climbers being dropped: Solis Ruijgh Morabito Peraud
So not the biggest teams but instead the leaders of the weaker teams who lost contact. This might give them some freedom in the next stages.
And more riders lost contact now as the front group is divided into a 15 rider group in front and 10 dropped riders including disappointing Ratiy. Also Tinkoff with a huge problem as Kolesnikov and Kunshin both couldn`t follow with the best.
So who are the 15 riders in front? Let`s have a short look on the names: Dekker Lövkvist Taaramae Levarlet Kiserlovski Pozzovivo Cataldo Ji Alarcon Gomez Marchante Castano Popovych Efkimkin Anton Devolder
No ambitions at the KoM for all of those riders. More important is to distance the later groups and as the Ratiy group is already more than 1min behind it seems to be working.
Dekker in the first position when the riders start the sprint. Still 15 riders who can win today and for many the more important part are the bonus seconds.
Efimkin, Lövkvist, Castano and Anton are the next 4 riders while there is a small gap to the second half.
Dekker still in front with Lövkvist closely behind. Will it be a battle of those two or is someone else coming from behind?
What a performance. Dekker actually opened a small gap to Lövkvist when the Swede tried to go around.
So a dominant win by Dekker, who also takes the lead as wished by his manager.
Great 2nd as well for Lövkvist. Much needed points for Swedbank.
Efimkin in the end struggled a bit towards the end so it`s Taaramae just passing him for 3rd. So the two biggest top favourites both get some bonus seconds.
But more important for all those managers here. All 15 riders are within the same time and might already have decided the amount of players for the top10 in the end as the next group is not there yet.
Somehow without a finish picture we have 3 riders who finished 1'31 behind. It`s Ratiy, Kolesnikov and Sano. So even though they lost a lot today they still have a chance as they bravely tried to reduce the gap on the descent.
Kunshin leads in the next group already 3'09 behind. So it was obviously a good decision by the trio to leave that group.
Also in there Eltink, Hivert and Peraud, who also jumped to this group from a later group.
Already 4'36 back:
Ruijgh, Morabito, Solis. So the top15-20 is almost out of reach but then again some good time to be allowed into the attacks.
Also time for attacks for the Rapsol and PFG riders. Having lost contact early they gave up at some time to finish with more than 17min. What a huge disappointment for Repsol in especially.
The KoM will have to wait for the next stages as 4 riders are equal there with Khalmuratov taking the jersey tomorrow.
