A calm day welcomes us in the capital of Germany for a feast of sprinting. The slightly uphill finish should not come in the way of the pure sprinters too much. Expect a fast race.
The early break sees two riders go free and they are not chased down by the pack - Schar and Yechezkel.
Nothing happens of note for a considerable time.
Fast forward to 100 km to go. The pack has got themselves organized behind Orange, Fablok, SPAR, Kraftwerk and Valio. The break's lead is 5'35", having gone above 7' some kilometers back.
Our cameras miss a fall, but here the riders now chasing back to the pack. Mohs was involved, and just out of shot, his team has fallen back to pace him to safety. Others who fell were Cohen, Andersen, Park and Keyneres.
Maikin and Tzortzakis seem to be struggling as we approach the half-way mark. The crash victims have made it back to the peloton. This duo also find their back eventually.
60 left and the gap is 3'17".
Vermote attacks with 38 km to go. The peloton trail by 1'38".
It doesn't come to fruition. The same teams still lead the peloton - Valio, Kraftwerk, Orange, SPAR and Fablok.
Schar has dropped Yechezkel with 15 km to go. The peloton are catching up to them fast!
12 km. Yechezkel is caught. Schar has a 51" lead.
Kenyeres has been dropped by the peloton. The earlier crash has done some damage it seems.
And now there's a huge crash in the pack! Marceczko, Park, Scully, Salas, Spengler, Page, Domene, D. Ignatiev, Liu, Gavazzi and Fuchs are the riders on the tarmac. Only 7 km left. This definitely rules these guys out from getting back to the pack.
Schar still has a 28" gap with 5 km to go.
He is caught 1500 meters later. Walsleben leading the pack onward for Kraftwerk.
2.5 km. The sprint trains are coming into formation.
Guerao
Appolonio
Mohs
Guardini
Walsleben
Lo Cicero
Stepniak
Cisse
Manninen
Kennaugh
Vinther
Tronet
Cavendish is trying to get onto Walsleben's wheel.
1.7 km and the situation has changed slightly.
Cisse
Guardini
Manninen
Tronet
Kennaugh
Lo Cicero
Vinther
Stepniak
Appolonio
Mohs
Walsleben
Guerao
Maksimovic
Itami
Another 500 meters gone, and more candidates have joined the party. Guardini has flicked off from his team's train and his going for individual glory. Stepniak has also dropped off, so Mohs is on his own in the sprint preparations. Cavendish has made up the gap, but does he have enough left for the sprint?
Maksimovic
Cavendish
Guerao
Lo Cicero
Kreder
Appolonio
Mohs
Manninen
Kennaugh
Guardini
Cisse
It is Guardini on the right and incredibly, Cavendish on the left leading the charge. Anyone can still win this realistically! 600 meters left.
400 meters. Guardini is fading but Cavendish still looks strong. Appolonio, Guearo and Mohs catching up to Guardini now.
200 meters and Guerao has pulled out incredible top speed to now be leading the pack. Cavendish's efforts have finally caught up to him. Kennaugh and Appolonio look strong.
100 meters. Guardini is on fumes. His teammate Mohs is coming up strong. Lo Cicero has put himself into podium contention with a late burst.
Guerao wins! That was comfortable in the end! Kennaugh caps off his fast finish with 2nd place. Maksimov's lunge to the line gives him 3rd! He came from quite some way back in the final 100 meters! Then it's Mohs and Lo Cicero pipping a tired Appolonio to 4th and 5th, respectively. Cavendish is 7th, ahead of Van Asbroeck.
Guardini cannot hold off the Itami rocket, the latter taking 9th. Rowe is 11th and Kump 12th.
Van der Sande is 13th with Nelson 14th.
Holloway rounds off the top 15, ahead of Bouhanni.
