Welcome to Rwanda for GP Kigali! Today we’ll find out if anybody can anybody challenge Danny Summerhill on a course tailor made for him. There’s also a strong wind blowing today, hopefully it means we’re in for some exciting racing today!
The break forms almost immediately as 6 riders get away:
Orue Moulingui Mraouni Barta Lewis Atkins
Certainly interesting that Azteca, Weisenhof and Novatek all have riders here, are their moves to avoid having to chase or tactical options for their leaders later?
The peloton haven’t even finished the first lap and already favourites are on the attack! Tulik paces Baugnies right off the front of the pack, Summerhill sees this and brings Richardson with him!
Vanbilsen isn’t planning on letting this kind of move go and paces the group back, this also brings the break back except for Orue and Moulingui.
After the first lap the peloton was willing to slow up but with 100km left Joseph decides he wants to attack, he’s not the team leader but certainly a danger for the favourite, however there is no reaction and he is allowed to catch the break with a 2’30 lead.
With 44km to race the break is almost caught so Summerhill emulates his strategy last season by attacking right past them with 44km left! The attack causes a few favourites to be dropped including Sibilla, Thomas and Bush!
The strong wind splits the chasing group leaving just 8 riders:
Baugnies, Langeveld, Van Wyk Vanbilsen, Joseph Teunissen Zepuntke Debesay
Behind them Valio and Novatek chase hard.
Strava’s team strength threatens Summerhill’s dominance however as they manage to catch Summerhill! Shedding Debesay and Van Wyk in the process and now with 1’30 on the chasing group behind, there’s still 35km left though and anything can happen.
Baugnies keeps pushing the pace and by the bottom of the climb he has dropped the group to just 4 riders with only Summerhill, Zepuntke and Teunissen staying with him, creating an elite group. Vanbilsen, Joseph and Langeveld keep in range though, just 30 seconds down and chasing hard.
Zepuntke is the first rider unable to stay with his companions as Summerhill and Baugnies exchange fast relays.
Disaster! Summerhill has a puncture! He has to watch as Zepuntke opens a 30 second gap and he ends up a minute down on Baugnies and Teunissen!
Summerhill stays calm and uses his immense strength to rectify the situation almost immediately bringing Zepuntke back to the leading group as they enter the final 20km, but how much energy has he wasted?
And now it’s Baugnies with a puncture too now! He doesn’t get a new wheel until the group containing Cancellara, Vanbilsen and Langeveld catch up, at least he has a teammate to chase there who quickly brings the gap back to 1 minute, but this could ruin his hopes to win today.
Despite his issues, Summerhill shows his strength by dropping Zepuntke once again leaving just Teunissen with him with 12km to go!
Baugnies Langeveld escape their group and catch Zepuntke as Grashev joins the group behind but with Teunissen finally contributing to the pace up front, the gap is at 1 minute still.
In the final 5km Summerhill attacks Teunissen, does the Dutch rider have a response? Further back the chasing trio is only 22 seconds down and not out of this yet!
Teunissen manages to draw Summerhill back and a moment of calm offers a chance for the chasers to catch up but with Langeveld tired it looks unlikely.
They enter the final kilometre side by side ready for a sprint to decide the result!
Unfortunately some lapped riders are getting in the way of the sprint but it looks like the leaders haven’t been disturbed as Summerhill ramps up the pace, Teunissen stays with him, but does he have anything left to give?
Behind the chasers almost closed the gap but were dropped once again when Summerhill accelerated.
Teunissen can't sprint at all as Summerhill wins the GP Kigali once again! A real show of strength for him after coming back from his flat tyre.
Apologies for the lack of images on the remaining riders as lapped riders block the way but we have Baugnies just holding off Zepuntke to keep a podium despite his puncture, there’s a small gap to a tired Langeveld takes 5th.
There's a large space to the next riders, Grashev leads them in taking a surprising 6th place before Cancellara and Vanbilsen who spent a lot of time chasing but could never close the gap. 2 minutes later Joseph gets 9th despite his early attacks and Naesen takes 10th place.
