The stage starts in Huáiróu Qū, the northern most district of Beijing. The south part around Huairou Reservoir and Chaobai River developed into dense residential areas, but besides that the district is dominated by rural townships and the Yan Mountains.
From Huáiróu Qū the route travels north west into the mountains, heading for Qianjiadian, a rural town in Yánqìng Qū (Yanqing District), in the banks of Baihe River.
The first 60 km of the stage are flat but after that it’s a very undulated route, after 140 km the hardest challenge of the stage a category 1 climb, will most likely create serious splits in the peloton and from there it is constant climbing and descending towards the finish, the last sharp hilltop less than 6 km before the finish line.
As oppose to yesterday nice weather with little wind.
At 5 km raced Samwel opens the stage, Terpstra, Esmaeli, Koshevoy, Costagli and Oomen at wheel.
They don’t make it, next attempt after about 10 km, it is Koshevoy and Le Gac, getting a tiny gap
Costagli, Esmaeli and Oomen try to bridge to the breakaway, but are brought back.
15 km raced, now Esmaeli, Samwel, Sergent and Oomen have made contact to the breakaway, again 6 riders in front.
25 km raced, breakaway at 1’19. Now Ramos Ticona and Jeannesson attacks trying to bridge to the 6 riders in front.
This was a signal for Indosat Ooredoo – ANZ, fronted by Colbrelli, Ji and Moser they reopen the chase.
Over the next 13 km there is a hard high pace hunt, lasting until Ramos Ticona and Jeannesson are brought back, even though the original break are also close, the peloton settle down and the 6 riders in front increase the distance again.
The peloton is now led by Meiji - JR East on the last kilometers of the flat section, as soon as the hill’s begin supported by Indosat Ooredoo – ANZ. They never let the guard down allowing no more than 3 minutes gab.
None of the rider in the break starts the stage with KoM points, best placed is Le Gac at 5’23, GC 47th, Youth 4th.
106 km left, we have been over the first two uncategorized hills for some time now, 20 km to the first sprint, 32 km to the top of the category 1, distance 2’31
Approaching the intermediate sprint and the climb coming up right after, the pace is getting higher, it is still Meiji - JR East and Indosat Ooredoo – ANZ doing all the hard work, and now we see many of the GC riders Kinoshita, Ulissi, Froome etc. positioning at the front.
In the breakaway the hard pace have forced first Samwel and then Sergent to drop.
They don't fight for the sprint
Result of intermediate sprint Le Gac Koshevoy Oomen
peloton
Peloton starts the climb.
Somewhat surprising Bauer leading with Portela in 2nd. Can’t explain what they are aiming at.
Then Anuar Aziz in 3rd, Froome in 4th Ulissi in 5th, Kinoshita in 6th position.
No important riders has lost contact at this point, but some GC top 20 rider are sitting dangerously low if a split should happen, GC 5th Lavery, GC 10th Sanchez Gil, GC 18th Kinney and GC 19th Rabottini all in the 2nd half of the group.
Less than 6 km to the top for the breakaway
The first major split in the peloton, most important rider dropped is U25 leader Schachmann.
Up front Esmaeli are no longer able to hold the pace set by Le Gac
5 km to the top for the trio
At 1’27 Esmaeli
At 3’28 Sergent
At 4’13 Peloton 97 riders.
On the last two km towards the top Le Gac sets in acceleration after acceleration building up an impressive lead of 2’03 to Koshevoy and 2’49 to Oomen before he passes the KoM.
In the peloton Schachmann has just been able to rejoin, but a last acceleration by Ji over the top, split the peloton again. At the same moment they pass the top they also catch Esmaeli
Situation when the peloton passes and result of KoM
Le Gac (KoM:1)
At 2’14 Koshevoy (KoM:2)
At 3’04 Oomen (KoM:3)
At 5’12 favorite group: Ji (KoM:4), Belmokhtar (KoM:5), Rovny (KoM:6), Kinoshita, Hiratsuka, Zielinski, Ulissi, Di Maggio, Portela, Froome, Flügel, Anuar Aziz, Milan, Reichenbach, Honkisz, Kwiatkowski, Betancourt, Vogt, McEvoy and Barrio
At 6’06” Peloton, 59 riders with all the better riders not mentioned above.
We get a crash Feillu, Jiao, Scully and Wang
On the downhill many riders get back, we now got the entire GC top 20 rider in the peloton again.
Le Gac passes the category 3 with 2’16, 36 km to the line. From the peloton Schachmann is not only back but it looks like he attacks the KoM.
Some riders losing time over this climb: Rodriguez Galindo, Honkisz, GC16 Waeytens, Zingle 1’45 behind the peloton
Kung and GC 10th Sanchez Gil 3’11 behind the peloton.
Result of KoM Le Gac Schachmann Kinoshita
20 km left, Le Gac at 1’14
We get the first attack between the favorites, it is Betancourt
Two km more and also Di Maggio accelerates.
Betancourt catch Le Gac
While acceleration mainly created by Froome prevent Di Maggio from getting away.
These accelerations further reduce the favorite group. The situation with 17.8 km left. (selected riders)
at 36” the peloton 25 riders
at 1’29 youth jersey holder Schachmann, again in trouble.
At 1’35 GC 19th Rabottini
At 1’51 GC 9th McEvoy
Besides those we know that GC top 20 riders Waeytens, Sanchez Gil and Kinney are even further back.
17 km left
Her comes the crucial attack. Froome with Ulissi and Kinoshita at wheel, they catch Le Gac immediately, with Betancourt some 15” ahead.
Betancourt wins the last intermediate sprint in front of Kinoshita and Froome
Situation with 12.5 km to the line.
Leading Betancourt
At 7” Kinoshita, Froome, Ulissi
At 15” Anuar Aziz
At 27” Flügel
At 47” Kwiatkowski
At 56” Reichenbach
At 1’07 Le Gac
At 1’19” Vogt
At 1’55 Peloton 17 riders with Boily, Levarlet, Caruso, Di Maggio, Mehr-Wenige, Lavery.
At 2’32 Schachmann
At 2’54 8 riders including Rovny, McEvoy, Portela
10 km to go Betancourt was caught a few minutes ago, and now also Anuar Aziz joins the leading group from behind.
6.2 km to the line, 800 meters to the top of the final climb, Kwiatkowski has closed the gap to Flügel
Leading Kinoshita, Froome, Ulissi, Anuar Aziz and Betancourt
At 32” Kwiatkowski, Flügel
At 48” Reichenbach
At 1’33 Di Maggio
At 1’48 Boily, Caruso, Vogt
Result of KoM Kinoshita Froome Ulissi
That means that Visconti keeps the mountain jersey with 28 points, Le Gac moves up to 2nd with 22 points, and Kinoshita 3rd with 18 points.
The five riders in front stay together right up to the final, Kinoshita first under the red kit, with Froome, Ulissi, Anuar Aziz and Betancourt in that order.
At 1’25 Di Maggio and Boily have both passed Reichenbach at join Kwiatkowski and Flügel
At 1’53 Reichenbach
At 3’22 Caruso and Vogt
Kinoshita wins a close sprint over Ulissi to take the victory in Qiandiajian
Froome 3rd, Betancourt 4th and Anuar Aziz 5th all in the same time.
Kwiatkowski wins the sprint in the next group for 6th, Flügel 7th, Boily 8th and Di Maggio 9th they lose 1’44”
Reichenbach rounds of top 10, coming in alone at 2’46”
Obviously there is no change in the race lead of Tomohiro Kinoshita over Diego Ulissi, but many other changes in top of GC. Chris Froome up from 7th to 3rd, Carlos Betancourt upfrom 11th to 5th brilliant attack from him !.
David Boily up to 10th from 30th really great day for him too, Dietmar Mehr-Wenige, Mario Vogt and Cyrile Thiery also with good moves in the right direction.
The most disappointed must be Aleksandar Flügel falling from 3rd to 6th, also Cesare Di Maggio still not finding his legs in this race.
Tomohiro Kinoshita continues to lead the points and as mentioned Giovanni Visconti keeps the KoM lead without scoring anything today.
Generali – EDF holds the team classification, with Minions passing Indosat Ooredoo – ANZ for 2nd.
Berg Cycles holds on to the youth with another shift between Mario Vogt and Maximillian Schachmann for first and second. Olivier Le Gac moved up to 3rd.
[C1] Tour of Beijing 
