Todays route might only be 132 km but with an accumulated hight gain of nearly 3700 m and no flat stretch it is by no means an easy day.
With the transfer season already having kicked off many riders will be highly motivated to show themselves on the hardest race of the series.
Today is one of those days that can make or break a career…
Favourites:
Aadel and Yamamoto disappointed a bit in the flat stage sprint and decided totry an attack early on.
Apparently they forgot to look at the race profile and as soon as the road rose morer than 3 per cent they started having trouble maintaining the small gap.
Rothaus makes sure that no one gets away easily today.
In the end three riders manage to pull away and reaches the top of Mont Louis with 2'22 to the peloton.
The three are Lechuga, Thaouta and the current leader of the overall rankings Rajapakhshage, who is rumoured to be very close to signing a contract with a PT-team.
The descent wrecks some carnage as aseveral riders have trouble following the hard pace. Rudahunga and Chang are the victims and struggle to get back.
As the road flattens a bit before Col de Puymorens Carthy decides to attack and is allowed to go away without much hazzle. Not a top favourite but a good climber nonetheless.
He joins the front trio with 6,5 km left of the climb.
They have 4'37 at the summit, with a tiny descent and another mountain immediately coming up. Rudahunga and Chang have made contact with the peloton on the climb.
They reach the summit of Clot del Cap del Maia with a 3'33 gap and just over 50 km to the finish line. Hendricks is the first rider to drop from the peloton.
Again the descent proves tricky for many riders. Main riders lost behind the crack are Simon and Paprstka so in short Rothaus.
At the foot of the next climb the breaks gap is down to 2'11
And now we have things starting to happen in the peloton as Albourdainy gets a small gap 2,5 km from the top of the penultimate climb forcing Privatbanks Warchol to dig a little deeper.
The peloton is really starting to crack into pieces as they cross Serra de Casamanya with 1'19 to Albourdainy and a further 56 seconds to the front quartet.
Suddenly things explode in the peloton. Carthy goes solo and Rajapakshage tries to follow a bit further back. A beautiful way to defend his rankings lead from the Sri Lankan.
These are the gaps as the peloton starts the final 16 km climb up Port Vell:
Carthy is on fire today and with 7,5 km to go he has 2'39 to his former breakaway companions and a further 1'06 to the peloton.
That message was the clue for Nitu to attack. He won the hilly race and is among the favourites today as well so now is the time to stay awake for anyone with ambitions.
Obviously everyone knows and with 5 km to go they are as many as 13 riders chasing Albourdainy 45 seconds ahead and Carthy holding on to a gap of 3'16 to the biggest names.
There is no signs of stopping in the group and they attack on turn to drop the former breakers and maje sure no one gets a free ride.
Carthy fights on knowing that these gaps makes it realistic for him to take this one:
Borisavljevic, Teuns and Navarro sprint for 2nd place. Gorbunov takes 5th place ahead of Debretsion and Nitu.
Rajapakshage digs deep hoping that his move have saved him the rankings win.
Aadel and 
Yamamoto disappointed a bit in the flat stage sprint and decided totry an attack early on.
Lechuga, 
Thaouta and the current leader of the overall rankings 
Rajapakhshage, who is rumoured to be very close to signing a contract with a PT-team.
Rudahunga and 
Chang are the victims and struggle to get back.
Carthy decides to attack and is allowed to go away without much hazzle. Not a top favourite but a good climber nonetheless.
Hendricks is the first rider to drop from the peloton.
Simon and 
Paprstka so in short Rothaus.
Albourdainy gets a small gap 2,5 km from the top of the penultimate climb forcing Privatbanks 
Warchol to dig a little deeper.
Nitu to attack. He won the hilly race and is among the favourites today as well so now is the time to stay awake for anyone with ambitions.
Borisavljevic, 
Teuns and 
Navarro sprint for 2nd place.
Gorbunov takes 5th place ahead of 
Debretsion and Nitu.
