It might be the crucial day. It`s 2 hilly stages left and those are neither easy. But the increadibly long climb, that is getting more and more difficult towards the end could be the best chance to create big gaps.
Amador as top favourite is obvious. Behind several similar riders and next to daily form a strong team and the luck to hit the perfect moment will be important.
7 riders in todays breakaway including the 1st and 2nd in the KoM ranking as also the Eritrean champion. Boaro Sarabia Amanuel Chhetri Mai Melo Pakthusov
Some GC riders have send one of their domestiques into the group. In especially Monsalve might have a late support rider as Mai is the strongest of those.
While the late climb is surely the more interesting and difficult part of todays stage, the 4 hills before are all really steep and quite long as well. Hence a good selection can already be made there.
Boaro and Sarabia in fact try to get as many points as possible to extend their amount, but the climbs are too long and others seem to be more fresh.
Cat.2
Melo
10
Mai
8
Sarabia
6
Pakthusov
4
Boaro
2
Eritrean Champion is more a puncheur than a climber. So todays stage might not have been the most ideal. He struggles to keep contact with the breakaway but not giving up yet.
Cat.3
Melo
6
Sarabia
4
Boaro
2
Couple riders crash in the descent of the 2nd climb. Most popular is Petit, who has trouble to get onto his bike again. Though he does continue just like: Malacarne Kozontchuk Henao Cuming
Next Cat.2 and Mai wins.
Cat.2
Mai
10
Sarabia
8
Melo
6
Boaro
4
Chhetri
2
Several riders are dropped from the peloton. Most of them are helpers but also a potential GC rider in there with Ochoa Quintero.
Telkom and UBS with some serious pace behind and it`s only mid-stage and far from the final difficulty.
But again a crash disturbed the organized field as some leaders and great mountain riders are within those. Kiserlovski Meintjes Niyonshuti Atapuma Gilanipoor Topchanyuk Ablenado Fernandez Didier Frank Berard Feillu Owsian Carthy Parno
Most teams are involved and hence the pace is slowing down a bit.
Unfortuantely Fernandez and Gilanipoor have to abandon. This is in especially a big hit for Compal, as later was supposed to lead them.
While all riders make it back to the peloton, which is good news for the ones of Kiserlovski, Meintjes and Atapuma, Compal seems to re-organize and apparently Trent Lowe is their new leader as he gets 1-2 teammates around him.
Last hill before the long climb and Mai now proves to be the strongest going into the lead again.
Cat.3
Mai
6
Melo
4
Sarabia
2
This means Sarabia is up to 34 points, while Boaro only collected 8 in today being on 26 equal with Melo.
Mai follows at 24.
Telkom chasing behind and it`s a bit under 3min gap, which is not much. 50km and the uphill already has started!
Except for 1-2 crash victims such as Petit or Niyonshuti, who are far behind, it`s mainly sprinters and weaker helpers and the peloton still at 103 riders.
Later surely a big loss for Ricco today, but the team is strong and Meintjes, Janse van Rensburg and Russom still form a great trio as support.
On the climb though Meiji with Iino and UBS with Santaromita took over from Telkom and unfortunately Atapuma is dropped already. His crash surely does hurt him.
And also the first attacks of 2nd or 3rd tier riders: Bagot Topchanyuk Fothen Signorini Lowe
With 12,5km for the break and about 500m more only for the peloton, the hardest part of the climb is reached and from now on it keeps being steep and even gets a bit harder with 2 very tough sections.
The latest attackers were caught again and this means a new attack. This time more serious as it`s Ji, who is normally more a diesel engine and not known for his attacks from far out.
Behind him riders such as Berhane or Ricco first looked as if they follow but then decided to stay calm.
Saggiorato is doing a huge job and brought everything back together including the break and Ji. Though the Chinese attacks once again.
Ji was allowed a 30s gap for the last 3 km now and with still 7km to go the road has changed to even worse quality. 36 riders still hang in the peloton, of which many are at their limit.
Time for the best climbers to show their skills. Amador attacks followed by Italian veterans Ricco and Cunego.
Right behind them also in about that order. Roche Monsalve Pinot Brenes Berhane Teklehaimanot Valls Kiserlovski Yates Talansky Preidler Lövkvist Anacona Lowe Nazaret Chamorro Rodrigues Slagter Fothen Meintjes
Amador almost is up to Ji.
Behind only Ricco with a gap while Cunego is attacking again.
Good for Berhane, that Tekleheimanot is on a very good day it seems. The Eritel duo is leading the peloton where Pinot, Roche, Monsalve, Preidler, Valls and Brenes are following.
Riders such as Fothen, Slagter, Meintjes just got dropped from the 22 rirder peloton. Not ideal as in especially last 2 surely had hopes for the GC due to the hilly stages later on. Also Moschella within those dropped.
The final is really tough. Still 4,3km to go and Amador/Ji having a 36s gap on Ricco. Another 9s to Cunego and then 55s to the first bigger group of just 12 riders around most big names.
Being dropped from those are Anacona, Preidler, Rodrigues, Kiserlovski or Yates. This means Teklehaimanot, Lowe or Roche still in the first group.
Ertirea`s GC hope Berhane now attacks this group seeing the gap becoming bigger and bigger to the first riders.
Ji only got dropped by Amador now.
Amador is already at the 3,4km mark.
Group Pinot though is more than 1km behind. Hence the Frenchman accelerates and the group splits. With him are Valls, Talansky, Brenes and Lövbkist.
Monsalve surprisingly in the later group only alongside Nazaret, Roche, Chamorro, Teklehaimanot and a strong Lowe.
30s later the group around Kiserlovski trying to make it back.
The gap between Amador and Ji is getting bigger and bigger. The Costa Rican in his own level today. Definitely the strongest extending his gap with every kilometer. Still 3 to go.
Pinot and Brenes join Berhane. The gap to Ji is about 1min. Amador is another minute ahead. It`s the fight for todays top5. Behind Valls is solo while Lövkvist and Talansky follow next.
Ji now has to pay tribute to his early attempt. The last bit sees him struggle a lot. With 1,2km to go Ricco is next to him and Cunego just a bit behind.
Also the group around Berhane is not far from them.
What is up to Monsalve? He was expected to fight for podium. Now he is sitting in a group not even in top10 guarantee. Riders such as Lowe ahead of him is kind of weird on such a climb.
The group in general though is slowly gaining again on Lövkvist/Valls. They also have dropped Chamorro and Roche. Later surely had hoped to limit his loss a bit more to have a chance to come back in the hilly stages.
Still 300m left and Amador is celebrating already. The win is obvious and it`s just a question of the gap in between. Almost 2min was the latest information.
Ricco takes 2nd and it`s 1'42 for him. So the celebration might have cost a couple of seconds.
Cunego as 3rd 9s later and still very strong Ji in 4th with another 10s. The long attempt did not absolutely work for him but 4th is about what he was hoping pre stage surely.
Brenes really strong towards the end as he passes his companions for 5th. 2'14 behind Amador, which is just about half a minute to Ricco. The trio surely went fast towards the end still keeping their podium chances.
Pinot and Berhane next 20s later. So the first Eritrean GC win here might probably need another attempt next year.
Lövkvist with a good 8th aleady 3'44 behind. Behind him the incredible performance by Lowe! Not sure if Gilanipoor could have done as good today. The Aussie surely being very strong. Valls in 10th at 4min exactly together with Nazaret.
Teklehaimanot as next Eritrean with a very solid 12th ahead of Talansky and the biggest disappointment in Monsalve! 4'30 to Amador. Far too much for a rider of his quality.
Roche alongside Chamorro next. Top 15/16 for them right now, though Roche surely had hoped for less than 5'34 with the hills ahead. But the climb was ridden super fast and so it was impossible for him to stay with the better.
Anacona, Kiserlovski or Rodriges behind also belong to todays losers.
Next to Fernandez and Gilanipoor, who abandoned earlier, only one rider was outside the time limit, which is surprising seeing so many groups at almost 1h behind. The OTL unfortunately is Petit after his early crash.
