Two Cat.1 and with the Izoard a HC mountain on todays stage. This is a lot of climbing and as if this isn`t enough the last bit is going uphill against a wall more or less. This will be a great chance for the GC riders to create gaps but an awful day for all the sprinters and helpers, who will fight against disqualification.
Also the KoM ranking could see a big change today. Right now Vanendert is sitting in a comfortable lead with 98 points being 18 points ahead of Medvedev and 21 to Hivert.
8 riders in todays breakaway and some surely will go for the Polka dot jersey.
Hivert
3./77pts
Teklehaimanot
6./63pts
Boom
7./57pts
Samoilev
13./47pts
Levarlet
21./22pts
Ignatenko
25./16pts
Kirsch
28./12pts
Frank
58./2pts
So the KoM lead is in a big danger.
B&O only has to control the race at the moment. No danger by any of those riders as Teklehaimanot as best placed is sitting in 31st but more than 1h behind already. So the gap is already up to 10min at the first climb.
But still a lot of riders can`t follow. Those will form a gruppetto now and hope to somehow make it. 126 very long kilometers for those.
Within them: Fiedler Van Heerden Bennati Croket Bonnet
and also other top sprinters like Guarnieri are at the very end of the peloton.
Surprisingly only one rider was attacking the points here and even though he was almost caught again, Boom takes the maximum with Hivert not taking any points! So Boom having 73 points now and Teklehaimanot 75.
Cat.1
Boom
16
Teklehaimanot
12
Samoilev
10
Levarlet
8
Kirsch
6
Frank
4
Ignatenko
2
The roads seem to have some problems here as several riders have crashed recently. The most important though is Fothen, 12th in the GC. Bad luck for Prio but at least he can continue the race.
Other crash victims were Cornu Serrano Gallopin
With the help of all his team mates and also the not very fast pace by B&O, those are able to make it back though. This is good news for Fothen, who wants to defend his GC position.
Sprint
Frank
6
Kirsch
4
Boom
2
Once again only Boom is going for the points for some reason. Hivert is clearly suffering here as he again does not take any points and even has opened a small gap to the rest.
This makes a total of 89 for Boom now and 87 for Teklehaimanot. Vanendert with 98 is coming much closer.
Cat.1
Boom
16
Teklehaimanot
12
Kirsch
10
Frank
8
Samoilev
6
Ignatenko
4
Levarlet
2
Not much has happened so far in the peloton and so we jump already to the last and hardest mountain with the Col d'Izoard. 6min are left for the breakaway but B&O has accelerated a bit reducing the peloton to 82 riders only.
And immediately the first GC attack. With 13km left to climb.
It`s one of the best PCT climbers this season: Marquez, 16th/21'55
The first who follow aren`t the best placed as we have Henao Montoya Monsalve König Tenorio Intxausti Siutsou
The next attack by Pluchkin though is far more interesting. The GC leader himself forces his direct opponents to react.
First is Phinney. Then also Spilak.
But just a bit behind also Amador Sicard Taaramäe Madrazo Schleck Dekker Úran Keizer
are in the first positions now while some attackers are caught again with Tenorio, König and Siutsou.
Half way up we have a group of 7 as first chasing group:
Pluchkin
Spilak
Phinney
Marquez
Henao Montoya
Intxausti
Monsalve
Then 37s later the "peloton" of 24 riders only containing the other GC riders.
Not all though unfortunately as Fothen looks injured having 90s already.
Also in front Boom and Hivert have lost contact. This is obviously good news for Vanendert.
The Pluchkin group is caught by the next including the rest of the top10.
This makes other riders suffer. Dekker, Kritskiy and Keizer are at the very end and others have even lost contact at all like Kohl or König.
Frank going solo now. He attacked the group and is having quite a gap already.
The GC riders are ~3'30 behind at the moment with 6km of climbing left.
More attacks. This mountain really is crucial for a lot of riders. Spilak Pluchkin Phinney
What a race last one is having. Pure overperformance and always there when it`s needed.
Just behind them Intxausti Henao Montoya Marquez
ahead of
all the others. Also Kohl and König have made it back into this group.
The next attack was even stronger. It`s Schleck who flies past the trio of last attackers, who also keep a small gap.
Behind in the bigger group Santander is taking over with Tenorio working for Madrazo. First rider dropped was König but he is still fighting for a top20 here.
Also Anacona, Kolesnikov, Pinot, Valls and Lopez Garcia are dropped just a moment later..
Schleck is passing Boom, who is not getting any points on the top and this way not being able to pass Vanendert.
Then Spilak, Pluchkin and Phinney still ahead of the bigger group of 15 riders.
Fothen 5'30 behind already. This will be a horrible day to remember for him.
Madrazo looking better now as he joins the Pluchkin group 24s ahead of the next. But still 31s behind Schleck.
And now the tactics start. Several teams have had a helper in the breakaway and this is favouring Schleck obviously as Kirsch is giving his last bit to help him.
Frank comes over the top as first taking the 20 points. But for him, it`s all about the stage.
Behind him Samoilev as only rider left ahead of the Kirsch/Schleck duo. So also Teklehaimanot won`t score anymore and Vanendert might be lucky.
And we have another GC rider being dropped. It`s Monsalve this time being a bit behind but he eventually comes back in the descent.
1'30 behind Frank the first GC riders come over the top. And it`s not Schleck alone. He is together with Madrazo, Pluchkin, Spilak and Phinney and also Kirsch is still there.
48s ahead of the next 15!
Cat.HC
Frank
20
Samoilev
14
Schleck
12
Kirsch
10
Madrazo
8
Phinney
6
Spilak
5
Pluchkin
4
Amador
3
Ignatenko
2
Úran
1
Next crash and again a GC rider. It`s the 10th Kritskiy.
Behind him some more dropped riders over the top, who try to make it back: Keizer Marquez
With 10km to go Amador is attacking in the descent trying to join the leader group.
Actually he does so 1,5km later. Strong ride by him.
The next group is 44s behind with Keizer/Marquez/Monsalve another 20s later.
Kritsky next another 50s.
Yet another good team work here as Taaramae gets the support by Teklehaimanot now. Those 9 riders here still trying to close the gap to the first riders.
3,5km left and this is interesting.
Spilak initiated a short acceleration and he is followed by Phinney and Madrazo only.
Schleck, Amador and race leader Pluchkin got surprised by that.
But in front still Frank. With a 1min gap he is starting the final hill. Samoilev next with another 50s ahead.
Right in time the top GC riders are back together. Now the hill is another chance to create any gaps.
Schleck goes the first followed by all others. Amador and Kirsch though look the most exhausted.
Behind the last attempt by the next group to reduce the time loss.
Winning the day though is Matthias Frank. The UBS rider was the smartest with his attack and wins one of the hardest stages.
Samoilev is caught as Schleck goes past him. He seems to gain some more time today as there clearly is a gap.
Amador indeed paying tribute now to his solo chase. He can`t follow the very best and now has to hope to stay ahead of the next.
What a gap! Schleck comes in 2nd 18s ahead of the next.
Phinney as 3rd even takes some more bonus seconds as he comes in ahead of Spilak.
Madrazo and Pluchkin with another 7s loss, so Phinney in 2nd now 53s behind and Schleck closing the gap a bit more being 3rd now 1'27 passing Spilak.
Amador as 8th behind Samoilev losing ~30s but still ahead of the next.
Taaramae the strongest behind. He comes in 66s behind Schleck and ahead of Dekker with a small gap.
24s behind Taaramae the first real group of Henao Montoya, Kohl, Kirsch, Sicard, Uran and Tenorio.
Teklehaimanot as next ahead of Keizer and Marquez with Monsalve following 9s later already more than 4min behind Frank.
Kritskiy losing a lot of time today. More than 2min on his biggest opponents.
König another ~2min later while Foten comes in almost 14min behind Frank dropping to 17th in the GC while Kritskiy only is passed by Uran.
And also important. All riders made it in the time limit!
