It's a mild and calm Autumn day in Northern France for this one, it was enlivened by some fairly frantic activity in the early going. A large break of 10 got away and despite a ferocious chase it stuck and you got the distinct impression that HTC in particular cannot have been happy with the make up.
The ten riders:
Van Keirsbulck (Bpost)
Cano (Banco CR)
Bucciero (Boeing)
Allonca (Prio Porto)
Richardson (AirBaltic)
Mangel (Alstom)
Taubel (Allianz)
Bush (Amex)
Sbaragli (Rothaus)
Bablidze (Bouygues)
HTC, UPC and VW have missed out.
HTC are not however helped in the chase by either of these two Allianz mysteriously help despite having a decent cobbler in the break.
The break did at one stage have over seven minutes but as so often can happen the power of the chasing peloton has eroded it down to a manageable two minutes with 30km to go. We start with the cobbled stuff now!
With HTC having done the lions share of the work the non sprinter cobbler leader of HTC Baugnies goes on the attack.
Allianz also have a plan to make this selective and are not ready to allow Baugnies to jump to the break and Maes and Coyot lead the chase certainly now sending some weaker riders out the back door.
Baugnies is stuck in between the break and the pack and eventually we get fusion of about 50 or so riders.
HTC and Allianz lead us fairly pacely through the penultimate cobbled sector. These two teams are in control, but they have the cobblers who really need to make things selective being as they cannot sprint for toffee.
However they cannot or will not lift the pace in the last cobbled sector leaving us with a mammoth 50 group going into the town of Arenburg.
Initially as the sprint opens up both Allianz and HTC have their key cards at the front.
With 2.5km to go De Haes and Coyot are sort of leading it out with Maes and Baugnies well placed. However Vanspreybrouck (Bpost) has surged forward with VW rider Gaudin also in the frame.
We switch to head on and it is already clear than VanSpreybrouck has a faster sprint than the HTC and Allianz leaders. However the fast sprinting Veelers is approaching.
Indeed in this long drawn out sprint he who comes late comes best with Veelers now overtaking Vanspreybrouck and we still have 1.5km to play.
Under the kite Veelers is full throttle, now AMEX move their pieces into the picture with Eisel storming upto VanSpreybroucks wheel. Baugnies is still hanging around with Maes now out of puff.
It is a double whammy from AMEX as Breschel comes through and past Vanspreybrouck as well, but before the Count 'goes postal' he can calm down as Albert is now coming to aid the lactic VanSpreybrouck to the line.
Indeed the AMEX duo have timed their move perfectly as now even Veelers cannot sprint at maximum. It is going to be a double whammy from the American squad.
Eisel takes the honours and he looks over with a smile as he sees teammate Breschel take the silver over Veelers. Great day for AMEX, surely a huge easing of any lingering relegation concerns. For UPC, it might not be enough.
Albert and VanSpreybrouck finish in the top five, acceptable for Bpost considering the randome sprint. Steegmans came through for 6th overtaking the long sprinter Baugnies, Gaudin held on for 8th with Lhutellerie 9th for Bouugues and Maes is 10th.
AMEX got two more in the top 15 through Taillefour and Kurth on what is a really good day for them.
Possibly the worst day for Rothaus, nothing at all from Boom or Vantommoe who are way back in 23rd and 26th respectively.
