Final mountain stage in the Tour of America. And with 4 long climbs plus 3 shorter ones it might be the hardest of the race.
Clearly Schelling would have preferred to have no more climbs as Barguil is just 22s behind him.
It will be the final decision for the GC and also for Berhane. Getting into the race as top favourite he is all but successful here. Rarely a sign by him and often beaten by others.
Also Kiserlovski could be interesting if he can even attack the top 2 today with a long range attack while Pinot looked so strong in the last week but lost the podium in the ITT. Hence today his change to fight back.
6 riders in todays breakaway going up the early Cat.1.
Most interesting of course 15th in the GC Warbasse. A rider not that different to Schelling or Barguil but with a bad start into the race with a unfortunate puncture at the worst possible time.
The others are: Martin Samwel Jim Sivori
and KoM leader Vuillermoz, who wants to finish that competition in style.
Wiggle is not very happy. Might be a small battle but Pozzovivo sitting in 14th just one spot ahead of Warbasse, is reason enough for them to chase. Opie and Offredo at least won`t become bored early on today.
Martin and Jim losing contact in the break on that long climb might not be that surprising. Seeing Warbasse as well being dropped seems weird.
Maybe Newton`s team leader Fraile asked for a slower speed behind and hence Warbasse had to be dropped for Wiggle to stop their fast pace?
Sivori "steals" the KoM points from Vuillermoz. But with 12 pts up there he still extends his lead nicely. Samwel and Warbasse next while Ebsen and Stancu attack from the peloton for 6 and 4 points.
Though 122 pts for Vuillermoz right now with Bookwalter at 78 and Stancu at 75 look rather safe.
Both Warbasse and Samwel are caught again after the descent, where they surely didn`t go all in. Also Martin and Jim being back in the pack.
Still it`s 3 riders in front by 70s as Ebsen didn`t stop after the top and bridged to Vuillermoz and Sivori.
The Dane is also the one taking the Cat.3 then ahead of Sivori. Vuillermoz again gifting the points to others apparently.
Right at the start of Yakima Peak, the 18km long and 5,1% steep HC climb an US duo attacks. Bookwalter might hope for a KoM miracle here while Warbasse is a weird one as he goes again instead of just staying in first place.
Maybe a misunderstanding between him and Fraile or the manager?
A show of strength at Warbasse basically bridged the 2min gap in just a bit more than 1km!
Bookwalter not making it and just being a bit ahead of the peloton, where MOL is taking over now.
No more sign of Wiggle as the support clearly lacks strength for long uphill chasing.
Impressive. Stancu attacked mid climb and first passed Bookwalter. Then caught the group. Gapped the others and only Sivori was able to follow him to the line and in fact taking the 20 points.
14 to Stancu ahead of Warbasse. Then Ebsen and Vuillermoz again just smaller points.
From the peloton Kamzong, Iturria, Berhane, Rojas Villegas, Schelling and Barguil take the remaining points.
132 vs 89 vs 79 when comparing Vuillermoz, Stancu and Ebsen in the virtual KoM ranking. While 4 remaining KoM`s could be exciting it`s over. Stancu can no longer reach Vuillermoz`s amount of points and hence the KoM is decided. Though the French could have made it less interesting by taking more points early on today.
End of the descent and yet again Warbasse caught!
This time though the whole break is caught! Samwel not done yet though and going again.
Also Stancu, Rowsell and Kamzong follow.
Those four form the 3rd breakaway of the day and apparently are allowed to go. 3'40 the gap half way up the Cat.2.
And while Stancu wins and is about to secure the 2nd in that competition at least, Bookwalter has attacked for the final 2 points and is back into 3rd position passing Ebsen.
Nice little fights for positions there.
12km left and it`s time for the final climb of the whole race: Mount Rainier with 4,6% in average but in especially the first and the last meters are rather steep.
When is Barguil going to attack? Or who is attacking at all today? Berhane?
Right now Schir and Goncalves control the pace for Schelling! Behind already Barguil and also Berhane up there with Niyonshuti ahead of him.
And all the others as well of course: Garby, Kiserlovski, Pinot, Campero, Fraile...
Stancu fancies the win today and attacks and no one is able to follow. 11,5km and he is having a gap of 4'30. Coule be enough.
Behind though the pace is getting higher and responsible for this Stancu`s team mate Pomoshnikov. As 13th in the GC he surely is under expectations and hence wants to grab that tiny chance for a top10 result. ~2'20 for him to reach that.
Atapuma, Pozzovivo, Campero immediately getting to the front and higher the pace. Same for De Marchi.
9,2km left for Stancu in the lead. ~2,5km behind the peloton with a 5min gap.
In between the most recent attackers and in especially Pomoshnikov with a notable gap already!
9,5km for the favourite group and here it comes. Barguil with the long expected move. Behind in the first rows 5 Ticos riders. Pure strength! Only one rider left for Schelling!
And first rider to follow Barguil is Pinot. This was expected as he looked very strong recently. Almost up to a struggling Atapuma in front of him.
Berhane and Garby next to attack.
No sign of Schelling yet, who has lost the GC in the virtual ranking. One team mate behind him but without any energy left it seems.
Instead Kraftwerk with the chasing. Tatarinov, who else, working for Kiserlovski now, keeping the gap to Pinot as small as possible and also quickly getting Berhane/Garby back into the peloton.
Barguil meanwhile really is on fire!
He is up to Campero and Pozzovivo and might get some support by them as they also need to worry about their GC positions with Pomoshnikov being another minute ahead.
45s behind Pinot, another 15s Atapuma and then 40s to the peloton.
The actual gap of 22s is easily gone if Schelling doesn`t find an answer soon.
Stancu on the final 1200m and behind four riders are closing because Pomoshnikov is chasing hard. Could lead to some serious argueing there in the MOL bus later on.
Also the Barguil trio is not far behind with Pinot closing the gap slowly.
1'20 in total for the Schelling group...it slowly is drifting away from him.
Berhane/Hadi for Eritel, Garby, Chamorro, Warbasse/Fraile, De Marchi, De Clercq, Atapuma, Kiserlovski/Tatarinov all around him but not gaining much needed time!
What was an easy win for Stancu became a 1 on 1 battle. And Pomoshnikov really not making friends today. While Stancu rode comfortably towards the line expecing to be given the win, Pomoshnikov just goes around him on the final meters taking the stage. An impressive climb by him clearly but "stealing" that stage from his team mate might not be the best.
Campero takes the 3rd with Barguil following. Both 39s behind the MOL duo and likely we just have seen the GC winner here.
Last years GC winner Pozzovivo with a nice finish today as well and a goodbye for him from the top riders here. 5th on the stage and potentialyl gaining a spot even today.
Then Kamzong, Rowsell, Samwell next with Pinot being up to them.
Ticos with the best possible outcome here. Luxury domestique Chamorro with a late acceleration and getting a small gap. 1'30 already behind the winner and hence Schelling has lost the GC today.
Here he comes leading the 1'42 group with most other GC riders! He will still have a fantastic 2nd but being in the lead for that long must feel tough to lose it on the penultimate day.
Ticos though were a level ahead of all others and this is shown by Chamorro as well, who is passing Fraile for 5th in the GC with his late gap. No less than 4 more of their riders in that big group and hence easily taking the team ranking of course.
Fraile in 6th might have hoped for more at some points but in the end a great result for them, in especially after Warbasse`s early loss.
Berhane in 7th of course a huge disappointment while Garby in 8th is probably about right. Though in the end he lost the top5 in time trials alone. In the mountains regularly one of the better riders and in the hills surprisingly strong.
Campero and De Marchi as most consistent in the end filling the top10.
The points could become interesting 126pts for Barguil, Granjel Cabrera 25pts behind and hence in theory able to pass him tomorrow with a sprint win.
KoM as said for Vuillermoz ahead of Stancu.
U25 became closer with Stancu that strong today but Hadi defends the lead due to the TT and remains in front.
Lanterne Rouge easily defended by Dillier. Also on the stage yet again the very last and being far behind Schomber and Flens.
