Stage Favourites:

Van Staeyen	Holloway	Van Avermaet
Vaitkus		Ciolek

Afewerki and Smirnov were the first to attack on the stage ......



They would be joined by four riders to form a 6 man break of the day:

With no real sprinting hopes Boeing-Bulgaria Bicycling and Gazelle look to be the ones who have missed out most by not making the break.


135 KM to go: Break @ 6'25

The break would never gain more of an advantage as they had at this point. Oz Cycling Project, Team Puma - SAP and Venchi - Ferranti increase the tempo on the front of the peloton.


100 KM to go: Carsi struggling at the back.

Allianz-BMW Cycling Team inject more pace, briefly, into the peloton with 100 KM to go as the race is experiencing some real harsh wind and rain. If these conditions keep up the peloton may disintegrate.



Not a good day for Boeing-Bulgaria Bicycling, their riders Hristov and Ewan would be the first two riders to lose contact with the peloton thanks to punctures. Their leader, Chicchi, would soon be dropped for good as .....



26 riders are dropped with 42 KM to go. The biggest names: Chicchi, Ahlstrand, Docker and Kankovsky. Though the latter couldn't really have coped in the final as the conditions are making this one a race which suits, more and more, the rouleurs.


25 more dropped with 20 KM to go.

Some big name sprinters, outside contenders for the win, are dropped with 20 KM to go. The biggest names dropped: Vanoverschelde, Lavoine, Mezgec, Kreder and Bennett.


The break down to around 1:20 with 17 KM to go.

Team Puma - SAP are pushing on the pace big time, however, Project: Africa are also right up there. Maksimov can be seen in the first 10 riders, weary the peloton might break up even more.


11 KM: Break @ 1'00.

Weiss attacks out of the peloton as it decimates again, now it can hardly be called the peloton as it is down to around 35 riders only with the sprinter teams running out of domestiques.


Now or never for the break.

Further up the road Bennett puts in a big attack to distance himself from the rest of the break and - he is looking good!


Oz Cycling Project riders everywhere!

Bennett's teammate Del Nero attacks out of the 35 man group of favourites shortly afterwards.



Del Nero would be followed by Vaitkus and Maes with under 10 KM to go now. Will there be any reaction from behind?


The peloton stop riding.

Heineken-Cal Giant put domestiques on the front of the 35 man group to set an easy pace as the gap to all the attackers ahead balloons outward. Few of the sprinter teams have any domestiques capable of shutting down the attacks.



This one won't be settled by a mass bunch sprint then.


It is looking really good for Bennett with 5 KM to go.

Maes leads the chasers. The first chasing group admit catching Bennett won't happen from this position, they play cat and mouse coming into the finish.


Win for Oz Cycling Project.

Bennett wins the Berlin ProRace after a solo attack from the break of the day, not how this race was expected to finish but Oz Cycling Project will be thrilled with this result.



Vaitkus sprints home for 2nd '48 down on the stage winner. The late attack paid off, today, for Vaitkus as he scoops up some well needed HC. points for his team.



BelarusBank Pro Cycling have to be happy with today's result,
Guliev rounds off the podium ahead of the rest of the attackers of the day.

The peloton would sprint it out for 11th today.


The remains of the peloton with 250 meters to go.

Vanderbiest leads the depleted group of sprinters towards the finish line.

Team Puma - SAP's day continues to get worse as at this stage Minard finds himself ahead of, a tired looking, Ciolek on the road.



Cavendish wins the bunch sprint for the minor places ahead of Greipel and Goss, all three had teammates up the road.

So the win comes from the break of the day at the Berlin ProRace, if a break can win here they can win anywhere.