The 2nd week ends with a flat stage. Time for calming down a bit after the hard mountain stages. Team I-Gen clearly can use such day thinking about new tactics to beat Andy Schleck. Though also Dombrowski and Taaramae looking strong and hence Spilak is even fearing to miss the podium.
4 riders in todays break and they surely hope for an opportunity today as several sprinters might be too tired. Terpstra Kochetkov Christensen Haas
Aegon, Vesuvio, Becherovka mainly doing the pace behind and unfortuantely a crash stops it a bit. Monfort Vosekalns Belkov Kireva Van der Velde
can all continue though.
With 5km to go the breakaway is almost caught while Christensen is still trying something.
The sprinter teams are serious today once again which is shown by the names chasing:
Keizer/Boom for Aegon
Mohs! for Pokerstars. They really want Degenkolb to win a stage while Mohs actually already got one stage win here.
König for Becherovka.
No surprise at all seeing those 3 teams also forming sprint trains and right now they are looking equally strong.
Kluge
Mohs
Van der Sanden
Gough
Degenkolb
Sbaragli
Vesely
Boeckmans
Swift
Bewley
Vantomme
-
-
Goss
Ciolek
Maksimov
Breschel
Chen
The break is caught with 2,3km. Close but as so many times it was desperate.
Kluge meanwhile doing the best job pulling the Pokerstars train in pole position.
Gough for Becherovka doing slightly worse only while Van der Sanden clearly is lacking the engine for a better challenge. Meyer meanwhile trying to move forward being in the middle of the two faster trains while Vantomme is switching over behind Bewley. Smart move probably.
Goss, Ciolek, Maksimov all sitting behind Swift.
Mohs now in the wind with Degenkolb just behind.
The incredible acceleration can easily be seen by the gap to Boeckmans, who wasn`t able to keep contact.
Vesely also doing an excellent job being almost next to Degenkolb. Bewley and Vantomme in a much better position now.
Meyer still somewhere in the mix while Sbaragli once again has to work hard for Swift to deliver him a better position.
But the stage win is most likely decided here. Degenkolb still waiting and Boeckmans was able to close the gap.
On the right Bewley goes around Vesely with Vantomme just behind him.
Did Degenkolb wait for too long? He is in 4th position now in the slipstream of Vantomme.
Boeckmans and Bewley on the sides. 300m left only!
But Bewley with the fastest finish. Not that unsurprising seeing him climbing the mountains a lot easier and hence looked fresher than most others.
Boeckmans with a great comeback sprints to 2nd today with Vantomme having the best feeling of the situation when leaving Swift`s wheel.
Degenkolb on a somewhat disappointing 4th only and yet again question is if Mohs could do better.
Swift missing to make a step forward the green jersey as he is losing points to Bewley and Degenkolb as also the GC riders are not far behind. He still keeps it but only 6th today as also Goss outsprints him is not ideal.
Ciolek and Maksimov also in late top10 ahead of leadout riders.
