Windy conditions (30-50kmh) will definitely make for an even tougher day in the saddle. The favorites remain the same though: Boonen, Bewley, Swift and Bennati - or Pozzato and Burghardt may be considered as the most promising riders..
9 riders went clear early and are allowed to go for the break of the day:
Kung Kamyshev Howson Rijntjes Kvasina Hofland Teunissen El Fares Rabie
Pokerstars and Good Energy take control of the race quite early into the race: about 155km to go and those teams - accompanied by Becherovka - kept the gap under 7 minutes and go for a steady pace now.
The wind still blows strong and so we see an already stretched field..
90km remaining and pretty the same picture at the front of the bunch: Becherovka now leading the field, still with Pokerstars and Energy providing good support.
4'03" disadvantage on the early break...
40km and the gap is down to less than 2 minutes..
It's the most challenging sector now and the leading group goes into pieces:
Hofland, Rabie, Kvasina, Kung, El Fares and Howson remain in the lead..
..and now - with less than 20km to go - it's just El Fares, Rabie and Hofland!
We're now entering the easier final 15km and the peloton (down to 94 riders aftert his tricky climbs) is still chasing and just 55" in arrears..
And the peloton keeps getting smaller as we see a major split just a few moments later!
26 riders make for an elite group of sprinters and roleurs, as some notable names are dropped now:
Bennati Guerao Van Heerden Roelandts Kluge and Mohs Reimer
So neither Van Heerden (2nd last year) nor Bennati (7th) won't repeat their showings from last season, as this big bunch being dropped won't fight back!
The group of favorites keeps pushing it and swallows the last escapees about 10km before finish. Time to have a look at who's in the mix for the stage today. 23 riders, with Sagan setting the pace:
Bewley, Sagan, Howard Boonen Swift, Hofland Guarnieri, Rowe Pozzato, Sieberg Stauff, Vandousselaere Burghardt, Vermeltfoort Coppel Van Garderen, Summerhill, McCarthy, Rabie Kennaugh Kneisky, El Fares Roux
As said before: an elite selection of complete sprinters, classic specialists, a few strong puncheurs and three early escapees, who are likely to suffer on those final kms though!
3.7km to go and of course no sign of trains or something.. Becherovka with still two riders at Bewley's side with a small advantage maybe, while it's Vermeltfoort, Roux and Kneisky pulling the strings hard at the very front now..
No one trying a late attack and instead, the group kept shadowing each other til the final km. Here's where a very late bunch sprint is kicked off now:
Guarnieri, Swift, Bewley head-to-head!
Stauff, Rowe and Kneisky a few bike lengths behind..
No ideal position for Boonen or other favorites like Pozzato at this point!
Both move forward a few moments later though: Pozzato and Boonen go past a now struggling Kneisky. Also Van Garderen now going strong, but those riders are definitely out of reach for the victory!
Guarnieri opened up a small advantage on Bewley and Swift! Stauff still in the mix and so is Rowe!
With the line approaching, Guarnieri holds off Bewley and goes strong towards a huge victory!
Swift now fighting against Stauff, which may be the battle for the final podium spot. Rowe on the way to complete a great result for his team..
Boonen/Pozzato too far behind..
He does it: Guarnieri sprints to an extraordinary and prestigious victory today! He kept it cool til the flamme rouge and played his strengths to perfection then.
Local team Becherovka and it's fans may be sad about Bewley missing out on this win, but his 2nd place is still some nice achievement..
Stauff moved past Swift to complete the podium! This as the maybe most suprising rider inside the Top-5 today. A huge finish.
Rowe hangs on for 5th to indeed make it an even more special result for Good Energy here.
Boonen has to settle for 6th: he clearly hadn't the best position when the late sprint kicked off, so it's partly his own fault in a way. No huge fail of course.
Pozzato, Van Garderen, Kennaugh and Kneisky round up the Top-10 ahead of Roux and McCarthy.
A slightly disappointing finish for riders like Burghardt (15th), Coppel (18th) or Summerhill (19th), who couldn't really be a factor in the sprint. Of course they ain't too special in those kind of finishes.
Guarnieri celebrating his win, following on Tom Boonen as the next on the race's honour list! A quite interesting race despite the lack of attacks. The route plus heavy crosswinds at least made for some nice selection and just the very best hanging on.
