We have got an exciting race for you today. The puncheurs of Division 2 are ready for another battle royal. The course is 213.2 kilometres and an accumulated 3,000 altimetres. It consists of 8.5 laps with the riders having to negotiate the biggest climb a total of nine times. It's not tremendously steep, but it will take its toll come the final couple of laps here.
Our BOTD is O'Brien, Paulinho, Retschke, Saramotins and Nesset. After 20 kilometres they are about two and a half minute ahead of the pack.
Which is of course lead by Team Gazelle, here with South African super-domestique Christian Kriek at the front. After the first two of nine ascents, the deficit is up to 3'15.
We skip forward. The breakaway is going up the climb for the fifth time now. 104.5 kilometres still to go and the gap is 5'56.
Gazelle is still leading but also Privatbank is at the front. They are of course at home here in Yekaterinburg and will be looking to Vorganov for a place on the podium. Still the hasn't really commenced yet, as we crest for fifth time today.
The gap starts to come down though, as the breakaway rides over the top for the sixth time. The gap is now at 4'48. Paulinho here leading the break over.
We skip the seventh ascent and move forward to the finale. Team Gazelle is putting the power down.... and that they have to. No more than 30 kilometres and two climbs to the finish line remaining and the deficit is at 2'34. This is going to be no walk-over.
As we are nearing the top of the climb it's Norwegian Nesset who is leading the break. The pack has come about half a minute closer as you can see them just down the road. They're just under 2 minutes back with just another full ascent remaining.
Before we go in to Yekaterinburg at the foot of the climb, Retschke tries to break away. He needs a gap if he wants to stay out ahead as he is the weakest on the climbs in the break.
It's not going to work for the German though as he is probably too tired from all the climbing. Team Gazelle and the pack could be in trouble though. They are scorching through the city, but with just under 10 kilometres left the break is still 1'37 up the road, as we are just about to hit the climb for the final time.
When we leave the city there's a left-hander and then the hill starts. Vorganov has had enough and he puts the power down to get away. The pack is moving very fast though so it's going to take a big effort from the home-favourite. In the middle-ground you can see the five escapees still together.
Vorganov is doing some serious wattage but so is the pack. Here's the race situation at 4.5 kilometres left:
Vorganov is going really strong here though as he extends his gap over the peloton the next two kilometres and catches the break. Lead is now 36 seconds!
Inside the next 900 metres, Retschke and Saramotins are dropped from the front group, while Blazquez is at the front of the pack. But with 1.6 kilometres to go the gap has only come down 1 second since we checked the last time!
1,000 metres left and Vorganov puts in another dig!
The other favourites are right there now! Mehr-Wenige with Weening in his wheel is hunting them down!
But it's too late! Eduard Vorganov takes a brilliant win here in Russia! What a powerful move by the home-favourite.
In the battle for second Paidi O'Brien amazingly holds on for an incredible second place, Weening takes third while there's no more room on the podium for Mehr-Wenige. Surely he must be dissapointed.
Saramotins was initially dropped by Vorganov in the finale but makes it back to take 5th after spending the whole day in the break, another breakaway rider Paulinho takes 6th place while Purito dissapoints in 7th. Fonte, Blazquez and Ilias round out the Top 10.
