The queen stage and what battle lies ahead. Rujano now just one minute behind Sella and after yesterday's massive win can he capitalize and finally crack the Italian? The GC places are wide open as well, from 5th to 15th place there is just less than minute and a half gap. All to play for today.
We get our break fairly quickly, the brave today are:
Montenegro Herrada Zingle Figueiredo Redondo Parra Bustamente
Seems Redondo and Parra have created a friendly bond, yesterday being the last break members to be caught and today yet again on the attack..
None of the riders present have any KoM points, but still strange not to see Barredo or Villegas to fight for quite a lot of KoM points, with this scenario, the final climb offering 10 points Rujano or Sella can take over the jersey if one of them ends up winning the stage.
Another sunny and for now peaceful day with Siam leading the bunch with Wu and Chhetri.
First climb of the day done, 58km to go and gap at 4'24".
Next second category climb and we see some action in the break group with Redondo upping the pace and dropping the rest of his companions. Zingle and Figueiredo are next trying to follow the Spaniard. 40km left and Redondo holds 3 minutes advantage.
On the 20km long descent to the penultimate queen climb Rodas attacks! He certainly loves racing here. He's roughly 1'30 behind the break with the peleton 1'10" behind now.
It all comes to this. Tachira will be decided on this monster. 20km long and three parts to it. The two small climbs should prove useful launch for some attackers possibly, while the last 8km, and especially the last 3km it should be each rider for himself fighting with the gradients.
As soon as the peleton reaches the first mini climb predictably so we see attack straightaway. It's Topchanyuk, 9 minutes down trying to salvage something for Children of Chernobyl Foundation p/b Nemiroff. He's followed by Briceno.
Rodas struggled all by himself and the two attackers can see him ahead, 50 seconds being the gap between them.
One kilometre later and still on the mini ascent it's Nazaret with the move! He's been very disappointing so far, currently on 8th in GC but it's matter of handful seconds to 5th. Quintana is following him, he cracked yesterday following the favourites, hopefully no similar scenario today or he'll pay badly again.
Sella however reacts straight away, while Rujano and him looked equal in moutains, it was his ability to react straightaway to any dangerous move or initiate one that really proved to be crucial in this tour so far.
We are on the quick descent before 2nd mini climb and Topchanyuk and Briceno already reached Rodas. Meanwhile Briceno takes a moment to relax, Topchanyuk goes on the attack straightaway and has a nice gap already. He has 1 minute to make up to the breakaway with 13km left.
In the distance it's Sella, Nazaret & Quintana slightly ahead of the peleton.
Behind it's Gorka Izagirre who tried to bridge to the leaders with a strange move but he's struggling a bit now.
In the peleton Bank of Ireland take the lead protecting Marquez's GC place. Gomez Marchante, Serrano and Rajala on the front pulling.
Raisin and Jaramillo also join up with Rujano alongside Marquez hoping to bring the trio back.
Sella, Nazaret and Quintana join up with Rodas and Briceno. They have 30 seconds over the peleton and are 54 seconds behind Topchanyuk who is close to joining up with the breakway. 12km left.
Break about to pass the 10km sign and is 300 metre from the top of the 2nd mini climb. Herrada is the first member to get dropped with Montenegro now on attack looking strongest.
Zingle, Figueiredo, Redondo and Parra Bustamente trying to chase him down. Topchanyuk still slightly behind but should join up with them on the quick descent before the final climb. They are roughly 1 minute ahead of Sella's group.
Next up is Nazaret Sella and Quintana, Rodas and Briceno already dropped and caught by the peleton, their lead diminished after high tempo by Mobil and Bank of Ireland but still holds at 30 seconds, with Marquez and Rujano chasing at the front of the pack now.
The high tempo on the very last part of the very steep mini climb really caught out few favoruites. Biggest of all is Pantano Gómez who finds himself in dreadful postion surrounded by his teammates but way back to the leaders, and with only seconds seperating his 5th place from rest of contenders he needs quickly to bring himself back. Others who find themselves at back now are Popovych, La Lavandier and Beltran as well.
As the peleton climbed over the final steep parts gaps appeared already at the start of descent before final climb.
Sella, Nazaret and Quintana just ahead of the next big group which includes:
Next seperate group is led by Euskaltel boys who just missed out making the group by smallest of margins but now find their leader Txurruka behind. He has Arredondo, Infantino and and Izagirre to help and try to catch up with them.
Euskaltel are 25 seconds behind Rujano/Marquez groyp with the main peleton around 20 seconds behind the Eukslatel group.
Montenegro leads with 5km left. He has 20 seconds over Zingle, Redondo, Parra, Figueiredo and Topchanyuk.
Sella, Nazaret and Quintana are 45 seconds behind and can see the breakway now with Rujano/Marquez/Oliver group 30 seconds behind them.
Sella is really powering on and with every metre he moves ever so closer to the break now. He looks determined and is yet without a stage win, something he looks to change today. Nazaret closely on his wheel will have something to say about that!
Rujano crosses the 5km mark now 31' seconds behind, his dream of winning the race is slowly coming to the end.
Sella catches the break and it's straigt into attack with Nazaret following closely. It's now just Montenegro up ahead. Quintana can't follow those accelerations but he's in good position, still ahead of other favourites.
They catch him almost instantly, great effort, Chiquita did themselves proud this race. As Sella is pacing on Nazaret tries a surprise attack now! Spaniard is really strong today!
1.5km and the rest of the Rujano group catches on the break with Rujano slightly in front of them now.
The Euskaltel group joined up with peleton but they are now 1'40" behind Rujano's group. Pantano Gómez and other present here will be loosing a few GC places at the end of this day.
Back to the front Nazaret tries his hardest, but really Sella switches on his big gear and just powers on, really by far the strongest rider in this Tour and now 1km away from a stage win before the last stage.
Rujano finally starts brining his way back into this closing the gap down to Nazaret but Sella is in his last 300 metres now.
Behind Rujano it's Marquez with a late dig as the 13rider group goes past the exhausted break riders and is looking to finish closely together.
Behind them the peleton crosses flamme rouge now almost 4 minutes behind Sella, and 2 minutes behind the second favoruites group.
Today there was no beating Sella. Strongest rider in the race wins the queen stage. Chapeau. With this effort he also guarantees himself a win in KoM standings if he finishes last stage tomorrow.
Nazaret finally showing his true strength ending 32 seconds behind Sella with a superb 2nd place, this also meant he jumped at the end of day to 5th in GC, lots of ifs though if he performed like that since beginning he would have been in contention for podium.
Rujano destroyed at the end with his head low, he did his fans proud, he missed the key move but still came 3rd 55 seconds down. He can't fault his effort, Sella was just the strongest, but still he comes away with nice stage win and 2nd is not bad at all. He also takes over the points jersey standings, 2 points ahead of Sella and 4 ahead of Avelino, with hilly stage tomorrow we may see a battle between Sella and Rujano for it though.
Marquez goes over 4th 1'31" down creating small gap to others, he found it tough going here and wasn't close to his 2013 shape when he won the race however he should come away with 3rd in GC.
Rodrigues Quintana and Aru come in next at 1'44" with Olivier leading next group few seconds later.
Ardila Cano leading the peleton eventually 3'52" to the winner. Big losses for Pantano Gómez who falls down to 10th in GC, Popovych and Txurruka, however with Txurruka gaining over 2 minutes on stage 6 means he keeps great 6th overall after today.
That's it for today, one more stage to go..a hilly criterium.
