Classified as flat, however, there are no guarantees this will end up in a bunch sprint. We have some notable hills in the middle of the stage and a cobbled hill with 39 kilometres to go, not to forget a finishing hilly circuit. Having said all that, the terrain may not be difficult enough to cause any major differences.

Stage Favourites:

Farrar	Vingerling	Minard
Dahlberg		Peeters

The break!

Foliforov ( @ 8'50) & Crane ( @ 14'45) make the break today. Both men are well down in GC so the stage race teams won't bother with them, it is a good day for the duo to make the break with mountain points a plenty on offer.


Peeters sprints for the minor points.

The Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo Cycling Team rider would sprint for some extra points at the intermediate points, but as he hasn't been amongst the fastest sprinters in the finishes the points jersey seems out of reach for him.


Grand goes after the KOM jersey.

As the early breakaway mop up the main KOM points, behind there is plenty of action. Grand, what a tour he is having, would try to regain the KOM jersey today. However, Rathe and Firsanov would beat him into fifth place at all of the KOM sprints, with their eyes also on Olsson's jersey.


Looking good for the first breakaway win!

Team Carlsberg - Danske Bank and Team Live Nation would briefly set a pace which was sufficient to control the break, however, they soon stopped and the gap to the break grew out. With 50 KM to go the gap to the two man break is over 6'30, a break win looks on the cards today.


Provisonally Grand moves back into the KOM jersey.

We are having one of the better battles for the KOM jersey a week long stage race is likely to see in the MAN Game all season long. Grand mops up a few more KOM points, on the penultimate climb of the day, with 50 KM to go and moves back into the jersey provisionally.

Provisional KOM standings with 50 KM to go:

Grand	56
Olsson	52
Rathe	50
Crane	50

The final climb of the stage comes up in 10 kilometres time, and Crane, however, will move into the KOM lead as he is out-front and a shoe-in to claim enough points.


Foliforov struggles to match Crane on the cobbled hill.

Crane moves into the mountain jersey with another 16 points, after summiting the final hill, which contained the only section of cobbles, with 39 KM to go.


Race leader on the attack!

Passalacqua would attack over the cobbled hill with 39 KM to go. However, with such a long way to the line he was soon caught and the peloton eased up and continued on at an easy pace some 7'30 behind the breakaway.


Well you don't see that everyday! The breakaway lap the peloton.

With 15 KM to go, Crane and Foliforov have lapped the peloton and have a gap of over 7'30, things get confusing quickly!

As the peloton have taken it easy today all the sprinters are safely towards the front of the peloton, they will sprint for 3rd place and below today.



Crane attacks Foliforov with 1 KM to go. Will the Kazakh come back on terms with the American?


Stage win Wounded Warrior!

What a day, who would have seen this coming.
Wounded Warrior Racing brought the 'worst' squad to this race and were expected to be the whipping boys. Now, thanks to Crane, they have a stage win and possess the mountains jersey.

Foliforov, gets another good placing for the Armenian team, finishing 2nd @ '26.


The sprint for the minor places.

Team Ameriabank-Novatek are the only team to lead the peloton into the final with any conviction.


Fonseca wins the one no one wants to win.

Fonseca wins the bunch sprint for 3rd, comfortably, by more than 2 1/2 bike lengths. Team Vontobel will be kicking themselves it wasn't for the stage win.

The good news keeps on coming for Team TomTom, Vingerling's fourth place finish sees him move into the points jersey out-right.