14 laps of this 17+km circuit make it a long day in the late summer in Copenhagen for the riders. The pack allow a large group of 9 riders to go clear early to set the pattern of the day.
Naud (RBC)
Kazatayev (Kazzinc)
Abakaumov (Privatbank)
Gyurov (B3B)
Campenaerts (Oz Cycling)
Van Hummel (BelerusBank)
Stuyven (Lierse)
Sandakefum (La Vie Claire)
Lay (Project:Africa)
It is a mix of sprinters and half decent cobbler/roulers, the pack sensibly do not allow this group too much leeway and with 5 laps (approx 90km) to go the gap is only 3 minutes.
The teams chasing/controlling are Quickstep, Hornbach and Allianz. These three teams are pretty much your 'northern classics' powerhouse teams and each have a big leader who needs a selective race – so the grunts are doing their job powering through the medium winds today.
The next two laps fly by and the gritted teeth of the riders in the breakaway has led to them maintaining this healthy three minutes gap now with 50km to go. There is going to have to be an acceleration from the pack to bring these guys back – but problems here for one of the teams the Allianz train is behind the pack!
Maes got a front puncture and dropped off the peloton and is now being paced back – this is very unfortunate timing as the race is really on.
It takes a good lap for the Allianz/Maes train to get back on the end of the pack – which have been now reeling in those 9 men down to two minutes.
We go under the banner for two laps to go and here we go we have some powerful attacks.
Nuyens (Gazelle), Franzoi (Hornbach) and Baugnies (Quickstep) have hit the afterburners.
What a massive move by three tremendous strongmen and now the pack look around for the Allianz jerseys who are gradually making their way up through the pack.
Time for more riders to go then led by Machado (Alstom).
That is Langeveld (Heineken) amd Steegmans (A second Gazelle rider) tracking the Frenchman.
Eventually Allianz go to the front some of their riders are rolling their eyes at all others in the pack this has not been their day at all so far.
So here is the situation with 25km to go:
9 man early morning break lead.
6 rider chase group at 1.20
Pack at 2.20
The six rider chase group is not working together that well in particular there is concern at the two Gazelle riders. Nuyens decides to try and go solo but three riders are all over his ass.
Baugnies, Franzoi and Langeveld are the wheel suckers here – with Steegmans and Machado sitting up.
20km to go:
9 man early morning break lead
four chasers at 35 seconds
two sitting up at 1.30
Allianz led pack at 1.50
We hit the bell (17.5km left) and the four chasers bridge to the early morning break – all results still seem possible here. Baugnies knows there can be no messing about and he kicks immediately taking advantage perhaps of others taking their eye off the ball for a moment.
Nuyens does eventually react along with Franzoi and Langeveld after allowing Baugnies a 15 second or so gap. This looks down to blocking and hesitation on the part of these three.
For the rest of the breakaway it is a case of their race is probably run – but wait one rider goes into the reserves dreaming of shock glory.
Yeah it is Gyurov (Boeing) great battle from him as we see the pack bearing down on the rest of the former breakaway.
In fact the pack are really motoring and here are the gaps.
15km to go:
Baugnies leads
Franzoi, Nuyens, Lengeveld at 20 seconds
Gyurov at 40 seconds
Pack at 1 minute.
Gyurov shows some real amazing power here as he joins the group of stars ahead, but alas as he does Franzoi kicks off.
You are not mistaken in the background another Eastern European former breakaway rider has resisted the pack it is Kazatayev (Kazzinc)
Alas it is not quite looking like a new dawn for these former Eastern bloc riders, in fact the peloton is looking hungry eating up lots of these cheeky attackers.
The head on shot from the front tells the story as Baugnies tries to power on ahead of Franzoi and the rest.
QS team car is going absolutely bananas here about the Moto – drafting drafting he shouts – is that Bettini's bike for RAI?
Allianz are still angry behind and they engulf all others bar Baugnies, Franzoi and here the resisting Langeveld.
Resistance is futile as now Gazelle help the Allianz collective.
That dastardly Moto is gone and as Franzoi crosses the bridge to the finishing 5 klicks you can see in his eyes the power is going from the big Italians fat legs.
Baugnies has maintained that 20 to 30 second gap on his Italian rival well – his tactics look spot on here. Into the last 3km his lead over Franzoi is 30 seconds and the pack 50 seconds.
Still last awkward 500m cobble section left but Baugnies despite this lengthy race still maintains good technique.
From the pack Steegmans (Gazelle) has launched and uber long sprint to first reel in the ailing Franzoi who is battling all kinds of lactic. But actually Gert's legs too begin to collapse on the cobbles – his life long nemesis hurting.
Here come the vultures then and Hornbach are stacking up on the left with Eichler, Trentin and Veelers. Steegmens is with Venegenechten and Gaudin (Heineken). Nepomnyachsniy is the Kazzinc guy with Steurs mopping up for Quickstep as well as Del Nero spying some surprise points for Oz Cycling. Oh yes Welsh housewives favourite Thomas (Boeing) is there also!
Off the cobbles and now deep into final kilometre Baugnies rounds the final bend he looks like he has too much for the tired pack to tenticle him in.
Steegmans has kicked again behind but you can still there is still a bunch of interested parties.
Franzoi is caught then and as his teammate calls out to say bad luck he fall down – silly Trentin fortunately somehow does not cause a mass crash.
Baugnies though holds on through the line – absolutely spent he cannot even raise his arms. Steegmans has done strange two folded sprint to nab second.
Rocketing through from nowhere to take third is Cavendish who remarkably nips Del Nero and Veelers for the podium.
Was this a sprinters or cobblers race? Possibly a bit of both but the strongmen just about had their day. Great ride from Baugnies who managed to slip the net of his other attackers in that last lap.
