The Genting Highlands as the second key stage for the GC. A short one, but the the 22km climb up the Genting Highlands is surely a tough challenge for all GC contenders: 7% slopes in average, but featuring steep sectors (including the final few hundred metres), climbing a total of 1646m height metres.
Valls took the Cameron Highlands stage, leading the GC ahead of Penasa. Both should be amongst the favorites again and it's still a pretty open GC that could make for some thrilling decisions today.
The break of the day is formed quickly and it's a pretty interesting group: 15 riders in total and a few notable names amongst them.
Bardet (GC's 20th, + 1.10, 3rd in KoM) Solis (GC's 21st, + 1.15) Weber Rosa Lemus Davila Poorseyedi McCutcheon Kreuziger Robert Novardianto Hofer Connolly Taborre (2nd in KoM) Koch Fabbro
So with Bardet and Solis, we have two pretty strong climbers, who are surely amongst the potential threats for a notable GC result as well. Bardet remains to be aggressive here, while Solis goes for an interesting move in this short stage (a fact, that should suit him afterall).
Poorseyedi and Rosa are the only escapees, who are interested in the three intermediate sprints though. While Poorseyedi takes the first, Rosa takes the next two then.
With now just 29km remaining, we're soon to enter the long finishing climb. The peloton is led by Team Reddit, where Seeldraeyers, Turchi and Meyer are the main guys to pull the bunch back towards the escaping group. The gap is at just 1'23" to this point and it's pretty obvious, that a few teams don't want to allow Solis/Bardet a too big advantage prior to the climb up Genting Highlands.
And so it's all pretty close together on the first kilometres of the climb: 13.5km remaining and the situation has changed, as to be expected. The weakest climbers have been dropped from the early break and there's another split occuring now.
Poorseyedi, Bardet and Solis remain in the lead, but the peloton (that is already reduced to 63 riders) ain't far behind. Less than a minute, to be precisive. The overall pace is pretty high early into the climb.
Bad day for Antón (GC's 7th), who's on the wrong side of the big split in the peloton! The veteran obviously ain't at his best today and so he will probably lose big time eventually. He's definitely the biggest (and most suprising) name being dropped with still those 13.5km to go here.
12km to go: Bardet and Solis accelerate in order to keep the peloton on distance. They easily drop Poorseyedi that way, but the pack is still about a minute in arrears. This is still a long way up the climb, but the duo is fighting for their chance.
But it's not lasting for too long. Solis and Bardet are caught by the pack a few minutes later. They definitely were of too much danger for the big GC guys, so they had no easy challenge afterall.
8km left and the action is on again, as 4 riders attack from the peloton (61 riders) now:
Khripta Mannion Battaglin Pereyra
The second tier GC contenders, if you want to say so. They all finished in the second bigger group in the first mountain stage, so they are roundabout three minutes behind Valls in the GC.
And maybe that's why there's no big favorite on the move yet, as the next attacks come from some similar placed riders:
Mat Senan Britton
try to bridge across group Khripta/Mannion, that established a minutes gap on the pack quickly!
5.5km to go and a few more second tier climbers are trying to follow the recent attacks:
3.8km remaining and the peloton finally upped the pace, which changes the overall situation drastically:
Battaglin and Pereyra hold on to 36" gap, but the chasing groups are swallowed by the pack (36 riders) now:
Serrano bringing them back while setting a highe pace for Valls, who's positioning himself at the front of the group of GC favorites now.
The big names are all in this group of 36 riders, but there's some less strong riders soon to be dropped. Antón already three minutes behind this group, so he's certainly out of any GC hopes here. Xero still with Bennett and Salinas in the front group though.
3km to go and Battaglin/Pereyra see their advantage melting down, as we have the next wave of attacks from the main group! Now for the bigger GC guns:
Tvetcov (GC's 5th) Valls (GC leader) De Marchi (GC's 12th)
on the attack! Tvetcov had a rather invisible stage two days ago, even though he eventually won the sprint from the main group, ensuring that no further gaps were rewarded to those few guys finishing behind Valls/Penasa. The yellow shirt quickly following, this must be the crucial sector, as we hit slopes up to 11% now!
Krasnoperov followed a few seconds later and those four go past Battaglin/Pereyra with now just 2km remaining!
Salinas also attacking from the main group, about 18" behind group Valls at this point. The bigger group with Penasa and the other GC contenders is 36" behind Valls and there's no further attack yet.
Battaglin and Pereyra do well to hang on and we still have the same six riders in the front with now just 1km to go. De Marchi with an acceleration, Valls looks in control right behind at this wheel though. Salinas still trying to bridge across the leading group, while group Penasa (21 riders) is further 32" behind!
Penasa at the front of his group, yet not able to react on Valls' move. The fight for yellow is probably over for him, but there's still some damage to be done in the GC. Surely a few dangerous threats in the leading group now!
We're inside the final few hundred metres and Valls easily goes past De Marchi with his first acceleration in this final kilometre! Krasnoperov, Tvetcov and finally Salinas trying to hang on, while the earlier attackers can't keep up with this pace now..
Some action at the front of the first chasing group then:
Cataldo Penasa Hacecký
attack with 700 metres to go! It's about the prime positions in the GC now, even though it seems like Valls will easily defend yellow (as you can see him still leading the front group with just the final corner to go)!
Moschella also trying to follow the latest attacks, but he struggles to get away from the main group..
Yap, Valls looks too strong for his opponents and he opened up a comfortable gap with the line just a hundred metres away. De Marchi still holding off Krasnoperov, while Salinas tries to go past with Tvetcov inside the final corner..
Valls proves his dominance and takes his second stage-win here! Obviously the best way to defend yellow. He followed the crucial move and made his winning move inside the final few hundred metres then. That's how to win in style.
+ 11" for the next group then:
De Marchi Krasnoperov Salinas Tvetcov
+ 38" for Pereyra
+ 48" for Penasa, Cataldo, Hacecký and Battaglin
Not the best day for Penasa in particular, but he might have done enough to defend his GC podium..
Bennett leads home the bigger group with Karnulin right behind him. They eventually finish 1'05" behind Valls. A quiet stage from both after being so active in the first mountain stage. Also Solis, Bardet, Uwizeyimana, Moschella, Anacona and Stetina finish in the same time.
U25 leader Zamri comes in as 19th with + 1'26", which should be enough to secure the lead in the young riders' classification.
Valls now leading three classifications, as we also went past points leader Leung by only two points. The GC with a shake up, obviously:
Krasnoperov 2nd with a minute behind Valls. A close battle for the podium then: Penasa 3rd with the same time as Tvetcov and De Marchi!
Salinas moving up to 6th ahead of Hacecký, Cataldo, Karnulin and Bennett as 10th. Moschella, Anacona, Stetina, local favorite Zamri and Bardet rounding up the Top-15 with now only two flat stages to come. So while only a crash (or similar dramas like major splits in the pack) may prevent Valls from winning the final GC, it's still an open battle for the final podium spot. And of course for the points competition.
