It will be a long day for the riders with 8! Oude Kwaremont/Paterberg climbs. So lots of high slopes, lots of cobbles but today not a lot of rain or wind. So at least a few factors that make the race not as hard as it could have been.
Huge breakaway and even though there are no cobbled specialists in there, the size is obviously a big danger for the teams behind. Brown Woods Rivera Guozhang Westling Verona Korkotyan Silva Berger Veilleux Kohler
Most interesting probably Berger as this puts a lot of pressure on Carlsberg and Lierse. Risa though can wait in the peloton and react to the other teams.
But actually they don`t react only. As expected pre race, it`s Lierse, Carlsberg and also Risa to control the peloton with some chasing by Evonik and Fletcher as well, who are not in the breakaway neither.
So why did Risa send a rider into the group then?
We jump to the first Kwaremont and Woods is leading the group over the cobbles. 6'45 is their gap and this is more or less the most as it`s slowly going backwards again with 117km to go.
Same place a bit later. Two riders did attack and while Sutherland is not the best cobbler, Saramotins clearly is a big danger. Good move by Evonik, who still have Dupont behind.
It just took the duo until the 3rd lap to catch the breakaway. So we have 13 riders now having a 5min gap! 93km to go though.
Carlsberg should really check their equipment. Top favourite Ostergaard with a puncture at the wrong time. A few kilometers earlier Rosseler already suffered the same.
But luckily both make it back.
Other riders though have lost contact after punctures. Schär is dropped after waiting for the team car. But he has some support in Tronet and Pulhies with him and together they make it back some kilometers later.
2nd last climb and Saramotins is still doing more or less the whole work on the paves. The group is reduced to 5 riders only with Sutherland, Silva, Veilleux and Brown being the only followers. None of them though is a similar strong cobbler though.
53 riders are left in the peloton and slowly they need to do something. 47km and still a 5'30 gap. This will be very close.
Brown is the next to be dropped after the last Kwaremont. Only the Paterberg to come now before 28 flat kilometers.
And this is the moment where Saramotins attacks the group. Sutherland tries to follow but he actually can`t.
Also behind we see some movement. Several riders attack to close the gap faster than their team mates are able to: De Haes Dupont Young Schär Joseph
None of them can open a gap though as Carlsberg is riding a very high pace.
Some other favourites though are dropped: Lebris Laengen Tronet Harrison
20km left and still 3min!
8km for Saramotins and he is still solo ahead of Sutherland. All other breakaway riders were caught during the last 10km and so the peloton under the 10km banner has 30 riders now. But Saramotins would need to exhaust to lose this race I guess.
Last attempt for some of the riders to higher the pace yet again: Takenouchi Joseph De Haes Ostergaard Roulston Dupont Young
Farrar
Sutherland is caught. Takenouchi immediately attacks again to pass him. 3km and still a gap to Saramotins.
So the win goes to Evonik today as Saramotins is able to celebrate his solo ride early. Great result for him.
Behind the sprint has started for the small group, that successfully stayed ahead of the peloton.
Joseph in the first position ahead of Takenouchi, Ostergaard, Dupont and De Haes.
Still a few sprinters in there but only Dupont looks fresh enough as Farrar and Young just are at the very end behind Roulston.
Dupont takes the lead. Can he make a 1-2 for Evonik?
Yes. What a race for the team. With a big gap he takes the 2nd, while we see a very close fight for the 3rd.
In the end Joseph just takes it ahead of a very strong Takenouchi today. Roulston as 5th ahead of Ostergaard.
De Haes as 7th ahead of the tired sprinters Farrar and Young. Sutherland as 10th with a good personal result as well.
In a bigger group then some outside favourites that didn`t make it into the deciding group like Rathe, Schär, Hamilton, Gavenda...
