It is a beautiful sunny spring day in Italy with no risk of slippery stones and little wind.
Literally within the first km, we have the first attack Verhelst opening with Feiereisen, Zakarin and Haas right behind him.
The breakaway grows to 7 riders and gets some distance, the peloton seems ready to relax, but when also Stybar joins the group, it gets too dangerous and is reeled back in.
We get a new attempt Zakarin, Abraha and Juul-Jensen who was also in the original 8 man group.
Van der Velde attempts to join the group but never make it, instead Stybar attack again and get contact. It seems the peloton is content with that, when the four riders start the climb to Salita di Velletri, they got 4’53.
At the foot of the climb Benito is down.
The pace is still relaxed in the peloton, distance 5’27 when the peloton passes the top, but on the last 500 meter of the climb we see some fight for position, Summerhill in 5th, Bewley in 6th, Van Avermaet in 7th position, clearly preparing for the large cobbled section coming up right after the downhill.
It is a strong rider on the downhill Naud, who is leading the peloton on the descent, cutting rather fast on the distance to the breakaway.
About 70 km to the line, the breakaway is at the middle of the first cobbled section, Stybar doing most of the work but also Juul-Jensen taking longer turns. The distance is 4’19.
The fact that Stybar is in the break, does not affect the overall strategy set by Moser – Sygic. Polnicky punishing anyone having a bad day with a hard pace, entering the first and long cobbled section.
Positioning in this order: Bewley 8th, Summerhill 9th, Van Avermaet 12th Senechal 13th Baugnies 15th Vanbilsen 18 th
Sitting dangerously low: Stallaert Fenn Ferreira Jacobs Lampaert Ringheim Kristoff
Still on the first cobbled section, break has 68 km left, distance 3’32. Van der Velde goes down on the cobbles, several riders behind him also crashing trying to pass, Feng, Selvaggi, Lee also hit the hard stones.
Just seconds after another crash 200 meters in front of the first, Roosen, De Luna, Lammertink Liphongyu and Roy down.
The panic provoked by the accidents split the peloton, 129 riders left in the bunch. Fortunately it did not involve any favourites or important riders.
50 km to go, peloton about to enter cobbles sections 4, distance 2’41.
Not too much has happened besides the constant selection of weak rider at the back of the peloton, 116 riders left in the bunch.
McLay, Habtom, Polnicky and Naud working in front.
Other riders in first 1/2 in this order: Ringheim Trentin Vanmarcke Nolf Sulimov Kristoff Fenn Ferreira
Riders sitting dangerously low: Jacobs Lampaert
Break has 45 km to go, peloton at 2’45.
At section 5 we get another crash form the bunch, Kosic, De Maar, Van Baarle Kozontchuk and Breschel down, again no top riders lose any time due to this. 110 rider left in the bunch.
But it triggers some riders to advance Kristoff, Trentin and Vanmarcke moves forward.
From here the pace gets hot, Hnik has now joined Polnicky at the front and sitting too low is catastrophic now. The distance to the break is shrinking fast, at 25.5 km to the line it is over. 77 riders left in the bunch.
The peloton enter the large cobble stone section 7, Summerhill and Bewley takes the lead side by side, this is a crucial moment.
Other in what could be considered the first group, in this order: Fenn Ringheim Taubel Vanmarcke Trentin Sulimov Nolf
Rider that will have to close some gaps to get to the front, but are still considered as in the peloton: Stallaert David Jacobs Ferreira Kristoff Lampaert
Total peloton size 77 riders, but Stybar had a puncture will be out in seconds.
21.4 km left, still on section 7.
Summerhill attacks, Bewley at his rear wheel immediately.
Senechal also quick to react, and behind him Van Avermaet
A few meters further back a line of riders try to catch up, Vanbilsen, Baugnies Blythe Vanspeybrouck Zepuntke Taubel
At the same time Walsleben crash.
The attack came just before a longer asphalt section and the breakaway are brought back by the pursuit. 53 riders are now in the first group with 16.8 km to the line. Amongst those that missed the cut are Lampaert, not a good day for him, been in trouble for a long time.
Now 13 km to the line, Summerhill attacks again, on this wheel Bewley and Van Avermaet
1 km to the next cobblestone section
Behind the trio others react trying to catch up. 8-10 meters behind Van Avermaet, Baugnies with Blythe and Senechal
Another 8-10 meters further back Zepuntke with Trentin
Saber with Vanspeybrouck on wheel is leading the lager group of 45 riders, some 15 meters behind Trentin
10 km to the line.
Things have settled into two groups, Summerhill Bewley Van Avermaet Baugnies Blythe and Senechal
With a distance of 20” to the larger group of 47, still with Saber in front.
Van Avermaet attacks
Van Avermaet was quickly brought back by the other favorites, but the accelerations was too much for Baugnies falling back to the next group.
Heading into the 2nd last 1.4 km cobble stone section with 5.6 km to the finish, Summerhill is leading again.
Blythe is falling back, now 15” behind the first riders.
At 27” 11 riders, they are: Vanspeybrouck Trentin Zepuntke Baugnies Vanmarcke Maes Stallaert Sulimov Kristoff Ringheim and Saber
16 riders at 56”
Summerhill continues to lead the four riders in front.
The first victim in the 2nd group is as you might expect Saber falling back very fast.
Over the next about 3 km, the pace in front slows down a little, enough for Blythe to rejoin the first group, and the 2nd group is also coming closer.
From the 2nd group Baugnies seems to have boiled over, already 59” behind the leaders.
The leader has 2.2 km to the line.
Vanmarcke accelerating from the 2nd group, Ringheim and Trentin right behind him.
The acceleration from Vanmarcke was enough for the 2nd group to get up to the wheel of the other favorites.
But with just 1.8 km to the line position in this group is of course very important at this point, the sprint might start at any second.
Bewley have taken the front, behind him also Van Avermaet is about to pass Summerhill.
Behind Summerhill Senechal, Blythe, Vanmarcke and Ringheim
A small gap to Trentin, then Vanspeybrouck, and behind him side by side Stallaert, Maes and Kristoff
A few meters further back Zepuntke with Sulimov on wheel
Behind them 1’10 down to Baugnies.
Under the red kite Bewley starts his sprint, Van Avermaet close enough to follow in his slipstream, but soon the difference in sprinting skill start to show and the distance between them grow fast.
Behind them Blythe has past Summerhill leading what seem to be the sprint for 3rd, he started sprinting a little earlier that the others and has a small gap.
Summerhill next, to the left of him Ringheim have been able to position himself and Trentin much better now. Senechal, Kristoff and Vanmarcke, also in it for a possible podium.
Vanspeybrouck leading the others they have lost about 6-8 meters to Vanmarcke at this point.
Bewley crosses the line to claim his fourth consecutive win on Strada Appia Antica in Rome, to the undivided joy of the spectators, a very remarkable achievement although not unexpected.
Van Avermaet has lost momentum, but he cross the line 2nd holding of a fast Trentin.
Just like Van Avermaet Blythe also started early and has lost pace, but holds on for 4th, in front of Ringheim 5th, Vanmarcke 6th , Summerhill 7th, Senechal 8th and Kristoff 9th all coming in one group.
A little further back Vanspeybrouck rounds of top 10 in front of Stallaert, Zepuntke and Maes also getting the same time as Van Avermaet.
[PT] Strada Appia Antica 
