It´s the first real test for the climbers. The first of 3 really tough mountain stages not including the MTT. The two HC climbs look nasty while the final climb seems to be less steep again.
9 riders in todays break. With the opening TT delivering some bigger gaps, some of them see a good chance here. Edet Lane Vuillermoz Portela Dieteren Cuming Ruijgh Serry Tschopp
Surprisingly it is Becherovka doing a fast pace until the Cat.2 climb, where they are supported by Festina. So the break never really got a big gap and it`s still under 2min. This is rather surprising as they only have 2-3 2nd/3rd tier GC riders in Vysna, Kratochvila or Danacik. Last in 4th spot at the moment probably made them think about it.
Cat.2
Ruijgh
10
Cuming
8
Vuillermoz
6
Serry
4
Lane
2
After the Cat.2 the pace dropped a bit and the gap went up to 4min. Time for two more teams to send their 2nd tier riders into the attack. Medvedev Mestre
and with a 45s gap also Aasvold.
Immediately a mix of Festina and Becherovka riders come to the front trying to organize the peloton. But with Howard chasing on a HC mountain it`s not surprise that the pace is not extraordinary high. For many sprinters though (Goss, Guardini etc.) it`s a nice pace as they got dropped early.
Cat.HC
Vuillermoz
20
Ruijgh
14
Cuming
12
Serry
10
Lane
8
Portela
6
Tschopp
5
Edet
4
Medvedev
3
Mestre
2
Dieteren
1
The gap was 7min at the top of the first HC but went down to 5min due to Kratochvila working. Then below 4min on the first kilometers of the 2nd HC while Medvedev/Mestre/Aasvold also joined the break here.
But more important a GC attack! Jose Alarcon goes the long way with still 55km to go. He is a pure climber though and the HC is the far better opportunity to create gaps then the easier final climb. Also the ITT have given him a +3'34 already. Time for a come back in the mountains then. Perfect place for an attack as well as the first part of the climb hits the 13% mark.
Many riders are surprised by this early move. Top favourite Spilak for example not in the first 75 positions of the peloton yet. Other GC riders like Phinney though immediately come to the front and chase themselve. The gap to Alarcon though is quickly at 1'30 while the break is 3min ahead.
Halftime of the climb and Alarcon joins the break. Strong performance. The peloton not slow neither though as they further reduced the gap to 2'20 and is down to 87 riders still containing GC leader Coppel.
With riders like Phinney or Duarte chasing hard a selection on such difficult climb was to be expected. Only 17 riders in the front group now with an Orange rider close behind. Let`s check if some GC riders are dropped. In first group definitely (in this order):
Phinney
Duarte
Schleck
Spilak
Valverde
Tenorio
Scarponi
Madrazo
Dekker
This means a couple of riders in 2nd group only:
Morton
Henao Montoya
Dombrowski
Nepomnyachsniy
Martin
Denifl
Kolesnikov
Pinot
Cataldo
Kunshin
Fothen
Ji
Several riders though try to jump to the first group though. Henao Montoya and Dombrowski are the first to be successful. Behind them Kolesnikov, Martin also look well.
Nepo, Denifl, Morton, Cataldo and Fothen next on that list to give it a try with Ji, Karnulin and Kashechkin being the last to try at this point.
What a tough climb. Still 4km to the top and it`s only solo riders left of the break. Only 5 riders as well:
Alarcon-Medvedev-Vuillermoz-Ruijgh-Serry with some gaps in between while the now 35 rider group around (more or less all recent attackers made it into the group plus some former breakaway riders) have a 2'47 gap to Alarcon.
From behind Cattaneo, Krasnoperov, Vysna, Penasa and Kunshin also have left the 2nd peloton and try to join the favourite group. Becherovka really in a dilemma now after working so hard.
Ayubowan though even worse as Pinot might be the biggest name in the later group still.
Was it an attack? Or just a higher pace for a couple of seconds?
At least three riders have opened a notable gap: Phinney Martin Henao Montoya
Behind them another trio quickly highered the pace including some of the best: Spilak Tenorio Dekker
with Madrazo chasing hard now in the next while also a team mate of him is doing the same. Must be Serry from the former break.
This leads to a new split in that group with biggest names behind Nepo, Cattaneo, Kashechkin, Krasnoperov, Cataldo. So mainly a PCT wildcard split it seems.
The situation changed a bit on the descent as riders like Madrazo and Fothen were able to jump to Spilak/Tenorio while Dekker and HEnao Montoya got dropped a bit.
Leader
Alarcon
+1'42
Phinney, Martin, Medvedev
+46
Vuillermoz
+12
Spilak, Tenorio, Fothen, Madrazo
+30
Dekker, Henao Montoya, Ruijgh
+58
Morton, Schleck, Valverde, Dombrowski, Denifl, Ji, Kolesnikov, Duarte, Karnulin
Cat.HC
Alarcon
20
Vuillermoz
14
Medvedev
12
Phinney
10
Martin
8
Spilak
6
Tenorio
5
Dekker
4
Henao Montoya
3
Ruijgh
2
Madrazo
1
Sprint
Alarcon
6
Phinney
4
Martin
2
Madrazo and Dekker almost close the gap to the first chasing group while Spilak already did so. Around the corner Tenorio, Henao Montoya and Fothen still lack a bit.
Behind Dombrowski and Morton not giving up yet and still ahead of the next GC riders. Then Denifl solo ahead of solo Ji and Kolesnikov.
The gap to Alarcon at the start of the final climb though not really reducing. Still 1'43 for him.
On the descent, flat though a bigger group reformed again behind including Denifl, Morton, Dombrowski, who recently had a gap. All of them surely will lose time to the very best today. But the pace is not that slow here neither.
What a rider. In the far background you might identify the next group around Spilak/Madrazo/Phinney. But the gap keeps around the same mark. 1'53 now.
Tenorio is chasing solo as he is 45s behind the Spilak group. Same goes for Henao Montoya who is another 9s behind him.
The next already the bigger group then 2'30 behind them which means 5'18 to Alarcon for those.
Brilliant come back. Jose Alarcon takes todays stage as he was the bravest and attacked on the hardest part of the stage. This will surely move him up in the GC and was the perfect thing to do as weaker time trialist.
Phinney leads in the next group. As expected those slopes here were not hard enough for bigger gaps. So Madrazo, Spilak, Dekker, Fothen and Martin with the same time. In especially Fothen impressed today. All of them lose 1'25 as they were a bit faster in the end. This means Phinney will take over the GC 57s ahead of Spilak. Then Dekker with +1'00 and Fothen another 30s later.
Martin next ahead of Alarcon who have climbed a lot and is ahead of Madrazo now.
Medvedev also with a good ride as 8th 2'47 behind ahead of Tenorio, who is the big loser today. 2'59 for him while Henao Montoya also looked better earlier on as next.
Frank Schleck, Morton and Valverde sprint out of the bigger group and are rewarded a 8s gap to those. Still they have lost 5'26 today.
In the group Dombrowski, Pinot, Scarponi, Ji, Duarte, Kunshin, Kolesnikov, Kashechkin as best Chernobyl rider, Cattaneo, Vysna, Cataldo and a couple more including tomorrows KoM leader Vuillermoz.
