It`s the big day in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Who needs hills or time trials if the one mountain top finish can offer a 42km long climb?
It seems impossible on a first view but Garby as best climber alongside Krasnoperov needs to gain ~4'30 here to attack the GC lead! Impossible? Almost but on such climb anything can happen.
A lot closer and hence even more interesting though the "real" fight for the win/podium. Top Stage Racers Tvetcov and De la Cruz are just seperated by 3 seconds!
Grivko and Martinez despite being a bit weaker climbers also within 1min with Zoidl, Salinas, HAcecky, Nieve, De Marchi and all the climbers coming in attacking range clearly.
Bookies have Garby for the stage win and De la Cruz for the GC as favourites.
Quite a rare picture this season. A huge breakaway of 15 riders! 42km climbing in the end surely needs a huge group to even have a chance to beat the better GC riders. Chaabane Daspuntsag Ikibe Moreno Di Gregorio Konwa Lundberg Konte Karatzios Taborre Ilias Jones Lloyd Ariesen Haavardsholm
A nice mix of stage hunters, KoM challengers and team mates, who might be needed later on for their leaders.
Novardianto decides to follow the group ~30km later. Not sure if a smart move but as the gap was only 2-3min, he makes it some kilometers later.
Haavardsholm takes the Cat.3 ahead of Konte and hence remains in 2nd there. Ariesen as 3rd follows behind Konte in the ranking, which is still led by Santambrogio. He is not in the break though and if the group arrives together at the finish, it`s almost secured to see a new leader there as his gap is down to 2 points only.
Ticos and cycleYorkshire took care of the gap and hence it was rarely above 3min.
And now we have reached the 42km mark and the Manitou Springs are awaiting the first rider attacks!
Lampier already ahead of GC leader Tvetcov.
De la Cruz behind the next row of helpers of the two working teams.
Salinas, Khripta, Martinez, Hacecky well placed.
Also Gerdemann, Grivko, Gonzalez Cortes, Rodriguez Galindo, Zoidl, De Clercq, Poels in the first 30 spots.
Krasnoperov and Garby just behind those as also Nieve, Hirschlein.
The breakaway also quickly did split into two halfs.
Jones, Di Gregorio, Moreno, Lundberg, Haavardsholm, Taborre, Ikibe in the first group. Hence the KoM became less interesting as Haavardsholm did drop Konte and Ariesen.
GC wise Jones at 6'31, Ikibe at 6'48, Lundberg at 8'09 the best of those but the gap is at 3min only.
27km to go and Lampier with a quick acceleration. With him his team leader Tvetcov, De la Cruz, who is isolated though, Martinez and Hacecky!
Behind a group around Salinas, Khripta, De Clercq, Gonzalez Cortes and Lloyd as former break rider!
Krizek and Kung follow next a few seconds ahead of
Grivko, Richardson, Krasnoperov, Gerdemann, Nieve, De Marchi, Pozzo and a struggling Zoidl. Kung not waiting for him though and going for his own despite being down in the GC a lot.
This also means that todays stage favourite Garby is still behind with Vervaeke, Poels, Ardila Cano etc.
At least he took over the chasing now and is faster than others. But bad positioning and probably motivation issues due to the GC gap could have hindered him to be more focussed.
And with the breakaway being passed, the KoM will be defended by Santambrogio!
More interesting though Tvetcov`s move at this moment. He attacks past them and De la Cruz is following!
Actually Carlsberg`s Lundberg still in front by 1min as he was the best climber and now their question is stage win or waiting for Garby? Right now he continues to ride at his best.
Look at this! De la Cruz can`t cloes the gap! Clearly not looking as good as Tvetcov ahead. 30s already and going up clearly!
Stage win for Carlsberg now very unlikely as Lundberg is caught by Tvetcov and sits on his wheel now. How long can he stay with him?
We start the final 21km, which is the Pikes Peaks. Average of 6,8km! And seeing how many riders already struggled on the first half of the climb, it will be a real beast!
Just as information! The gap between Tvetcov and De la Cruz is up to 2min! What a ride for the cycleYorkshire rider!
Hacecky just 16s behind the Spaniard. Martinez following another 15s.
Then the group around Grivko, Salinas, Nieve, Kung and De Clercq another 35s.
Zoidl, Krasnoperov, Krizek, Khripta, Gerdemann, De Marchi, Garby, Gonzalez Cortes, Rodriguez Galindo then another 1min down.
Vervaeke another 90s with Hirschlein a bit further then. Huge gaps here and actually Lundberg`s +8min now could see him move up a lot if he can remain at Tvetcov`s wheel for a while.
You can see Garby slowly moving up from group to group. He surely is not slower than Tvetcov but his late move sees him far too much behind.
Kung attacks right now trying to follow Grivko and Salinas, who are a bit ahead him and chasing Martinez.
Surprisingly Kung is allowed to attack, while Zoidl is in the group just behind together with Nieve.
Though it`s the time for a real mountain goat to show his strength. 10km to go and Nieve starts his move. He is quickly past Salinas/Grivko/Kung/De Clercq and up to Martinez.
Only 16s to Hacecky and Moreno as 2nd former break rider.
Also De la Cruz just 24s ahead of those with Tvetcov and still Lundberg another 2'30, which seems an impossible gap to lose.
Garby up to group Zoidl/Krasnoperov now! But now gaps become bigger and it will be hard to really improve.
3km for Tvetcov and Lundberg still with him. Obviously he did save a lot of energy in the group and having 15 companions there clearly helped.
Behind Salinas/Kung/Grivko/Martinez fight for the top5 GC and are just seconds behind Hacecky/Nieve/Moreno.
De la Cruz 35s further up while De Clercq still giving it a nice fight being 40s down solo ahead of the Garby group!
Last kilometer and if Tvetcov was expecting an easy win here, he must be disappointed. Once he starts the sprint, Lundberg is giving him a nice challenge also going out of his saddle!
But the Romanian cleraly being stronger and takes another stage and also pretty much secures the GC win!
Lundberg though with one of his best days taking an impressive 2nd and will move up a lot in the GC. Definitely ahead of Garby, who is really not showing his real self here.
De la Cruz in 3rd, which is enough to defend the 2nd in the GC but it`s not what he was hoping pre stage. 3'45 down. What a gap! And just 12s ahead of Hacecky, who was having a strong finale as well.
Martinez faded a lot in the end and hence Salinas takes 5th 4'15 down. Just behind him Kung while Nieve +15, Moreno +12 and then Grivko and Martinez +7 are following.
GC wise this sees Grivko surprisinly actually defending the podium. Martinez as 4th is just 15s down and clearly used his energy too early today as he was clearly ahead of Grivko at some point but lost his pace in the end.
Salinas as 5th ahead of Hacecky now.
De Clercq coming in solo at 5'30 which sees him up a position in the GC to 7th as the next group around Garby is coming 92s later only! 7'02 in the end to todays stage winner!
This also means Lundberg goes up in the GC to 8th! Huge day!
Zoidl despite only being in that group is still in the top10 as 9th ahead of Nieve, who lost too much earlier.
Rodriguez Galindo and Gonzalez Cortes both drop out of the top10 with Garby not really gaining anything here...Vervaeke and Poels other riders with a big drop down.
Smallest of all stories today. Garby at least takes the U25 jersey as Vervaeke and Kung both are behind him in the GC! Even if a lot closer than expected!
