Not ideal conditions for the 192 Europeans on the start line today with clouds covering the sky and a chance of rain.
Four riders instantly attacked away from the peleton, they were Stachowiak, Vasekains, Paulinho and Kohl
The peleton, led by Norway, seemed content with letting the break have an eight minute gap for the duration of the stage
With 55km left the bunch whipped up the pace which strung out the peleton. The gap to the break had also decreased to two minutes.
The breakaway suffered a loss with 38km left when Kohl crashed. Kohl was unable to re-join the break so he fell back into the peleton. The break only had a minute and a half on the bunch though.
Paulinho decided to abandon his breakaway companions with 32km left and he rode the others off of his wheel. The others were caught within two kilometers but Paulinho still had a minute on the peleton.
Paulinho managed to last thirteen more kilometers until he was finally caught with eighteen kilometers left. Now it was time for the big guns to launch their attacks!
Bakelants, Boasson Hagen, and Trofimov attacked straight after Paulinho was caught. They instantly opened a twenty eight second gap.
With thirteen kilometers left The Italian duo Ponzi and Ricco and Spilak decided that this was going to be the move that took them all the way so the attacked and joined the trio who were leading the race.
Roche managed to bridge up to the group as well with ten kilometers left. The peleton were two minutes behind.
Bakelants bolted from the seven man group and instantly opened a thirty second gap. Trofimov attacked a few hundred meters meters later but he couldn’t catch the flying Belgian
With two kilometers left Bakelants had 17 seconds on Trofimov who had nine seconds on the chasing group of five.
Going under the red kite Bakelants had extended his lead by two seconds on Trofimov who was still barely ahead of the chasing group. looks like the Belgian has got this in the bag.
Of course Bakelants wins the European Championships!
Trofimov barely edged out the chasing group who had launched an unorganized bunch sprint
Stachowiak, 
Vasekains, 
Paulinho and Kohl 
Bakelants, 
Boasson Hagen, and 
Trofimov attacked straight after 
The Italian duo Ponzi and Ricco and 
Spilak decided that this was going to be the move that took them all the way so the attacked and joined the trio who were leading the race.
Roche managed to bridge up to the group as well with ten kilometers left. The peleton were two minutes behind.
