Andy Schleck took the race lead. Today he won`t lose it normally. A clear stage for the sprinters.
3 riders in todays breakaway: Braico Claeys Caruso
Red Bull doing the early pace once more. Meanwhile the break passed the incredibly tough HC climb on this stage. Only Pirazzi jumped out of the peloton for some points while other than that the working riders of Red Bull and Vesuvio took the next points. Claeys though taking the most points here and also takes the KoM lead this way ahead of Pirazzi.
Braico won the sprint ahead of Caruso and Claeys but this wasn`t too important for those. More important that with less than 5km to go they still are in front and Caruso giving it a late try.
Sprint trains though have formed a bit further behind. Oz has lost their men power here and so Goss goes behind the Red Bull one instead, who just have lost Angarita but apparently want to replace him with Skujins as first rider. Let`s see if this works better. Worse isn`t really possible.
Skujins
Chen
Gasparotto
Guerao
Coquard
Goss
Tzortzakis
Guardini
Napolitano
Ulanowski
Vesely
Kennaugh
-
-
-
-
Lay
-
Colbrelli
One thing does not change. Festina clearly the strongest sprinter team here as Gasparotto easily goes past them. Good for Pokerstars that their co-sprinter Lay is behind Tzortzakis now. That though must have cost him lots of energy while also Boy Van Poppel tries to do so. Weird to see those sprinters taking part, when Roelandts not even trying properly. Really sorry for Bouygues here.
Claeys as last rider is caught now when Coquard and Chen start the sprint.
As Chen ruins the sprint preperation again and Guerao now being blocked as other riders such as Goss and Guardini were passing him, Festina in a good situation. Tzortzakis goes into the wind later than Goss who has the longer way as well. From behind also Lay, Napolitano and Kennaugh coming.
Napolitano looking strong. Also Guardini coming fast. But it`t Kennaugh finding the smallest of all gaps now deciding to go past Goss just at the borders.
But it paid out. This tiny gap was the way to victory and he clearly was strongest today starting his sprint from far behind at the end of the sprint train.
Tzortzakis 2nd still beating Napolitano and Guardini on the line.
Goss once more with good consistency but no luck so far. He finishes 6th also behind Vesely but ahead of Guerao.
