There is no hiding today. If you don't like hill you're gonna hate this one. Even the best hilly rides here will be pushed to the max by this 228 km route.
Favourites:
The first attack is placed by a couple of the profiles from the cobbled race: Becis and Larsen.
In the end 11 riders form the early break: Gauthier, Larsen, Jouffroy, Becis, Arana, Flakemore, Martinelli, Paredes, Batchelor, Laukkala and Eislers.
With 200 km to go they have 4'30 to the peloton.
As they hit the first serious hills with roughly 150 km to go the gap is at 8'38.
100 km and 6'23
75 km and 4'35
50 km and 3'00
Privatbank and Vesuvio lead the chase resulting in more and more riders losing contact with the peloton at the back.
40 km and 2'11
With 32 km to go it's finally time for some real action as Eislers attacks out of the break and Privatbank pulls and 18-rider group off the front of the peloton thanks to a massive effort from Warchol.
Laukkala pulls Eislers back but the crack behind seems much more definitive. It's worth noticing that the favourites are baing pulled by Bouglas, who is considered one of the favourites for the flat race as well.
Becis is the first to crack in the break.
With 21 km to go things are starting to get pulled back together to a 120 rider peloton.
Warchol continues his massive work and as they cross the summit of the last of the very big hills with 17 km to go only 7 riders are with him: Bouglas, Nitu, Shalunov, Borisavljevic, Matt, Teuns and Raileanu.
Still a couple of smaller climbs to go though.
As on the other descents some riders manage to reduce the damage and 25 riders go into the final 10 km together. That group has about a minute to another 24-rider group.
8,5 km to go. Another hill and another attack. This time from Matt. Nitu and Glasspool tries to follow. Only Nitu manages to bridge the gap already created.
Heading into the final hill towards the finish line with 2,5 km to go the front duo has 21 seconds to 17 chasers.
Nitu keeps the pressure high towards the final km
It looks like a duel between Borisavljevic and Shalunov for the final podium spot.
Nitu rewards his teammates for their hard work all day. Matt 2nd, Shalunov 3rd and Borisavljevic 4th. Debesay has the most left in the tank of the rest.
Gauthier, 
Larsen, 
Becis, 
Arana, 
Flakemore, 
Martinelli, 
Paredes, 
Batchelor, 
Laukkala and 
Warchol.
Bouglas, who is considered one of the favourites for the flat race as well.
Matt.
Nitu and 
Debesay has the most left in the tank of the rest.
