2nd stage is similar to yesterdays. Again a flat rated stage but with a tough uphill finish. Around 3-5% on last 1,5km will make it once more hard for the pure sprinters.
The list of favourites looks quite similar to yesterday. That said, some teams surely hope to see their leader with an improved performance.
Well done Children of Chernobyl. Iman Suparman again the first rider to attack. Though he once again was not able to hang on very long. At the first sprint again a close fight between breakaway and peloton. 3 riders still make it but are caught afterwards again.
Sprint
Jurco
6
Skjerping
4
Velits
2
New riders in front at the KoM.
Cat.3
Fahnert
6
Shaw
4
Daspuntsag
2
Only two of them though were able to stay in front. Fahnert and Daspuntsag with a 2min gap while only Kenya Airways is working behind. Too impressive was Impey`s performance yesterday.
Second KoM and Shaw did attack out of the peloton in the KoM fight. Also Lejman apparently attacked but was too late.
Cat.4
Daspuntsag
5
Fahnert
3
Shaw
1
Sprint
Daspuntsag
6
Fahnert
4
Mezgec
2
With 40km to go also Buff is joining the work behind. With Ventoso and Betancourt they have two nice options. That said the gap of about 2min did not really go down for the next 10km.
25km and still 1'45 left. So also Swedbank working now as also one Vontobel rider for Di Maggio.
15km and and now Daspuntsag solo in front. ~1min ahead of the peloton and 20s to his former companion Fahnert.
With 12km to go though Fahnert caught and 3km later also Daspuntsag.
3,5km to go and a surprising attack. Pozzato accelerating before the sprint and this way surprising some of the others. McEvoy and Smukulis try to follow but clearly are not as strong.
Impey keeps calm staying in 3rd position of the peloton behind two team mates.
The three attackers still a bit in front with 2,2km to go. The uphill section is yet to come.
Pozzato
-
Smukulis
McEvoy
Marcato
Impey
Hermans
Lang
Mezgec
Meyer
Prevar
Ventoso
Reimer
Vakoc
Haussler
Di Maggio
Matysiak
Vinther
As soon as the climb starts it`s Pozzato getting some more meters between him and the rest. Behind him a very strong Hermans today. Marcato can`t go faster and Impey goes around him following the Belgium now with Mezgec still behind him.
Reimer, Meyer and all the others next.
On the left it`s Ventoso now coming fast while also Meyer is already passing Mezgec and has reached Impey.
Impey looks beaten. Too hard the finish today and teh stronger puncheurs are faster. Pozzato still in the lead. What a performance by him. Ventoso, Meyer and Reimer on the right though are coming closer. Still 400m left.
100m too much for Pozzato. Ventoso the strongest in the end. He started from a bit behind but was really fast in the end.
Also Reimer passed the Italian in the end to take 2nd. Pozzato as 3rd still with a huge performance after such a long sprint. Wonder what happened if he did go for the normal sprint today.
Meyer comes next ahead of Prevar and McEvoy. Impey as 8th today.
So GC wise this means Pozzato takes over the leader shirt but witin the same time as Reimer and Impey.
Ventoso in 4th now with this win.
