Quite some time has passed since the Tour of America started. Today it`s already the final day and it`s one for the sprinters as regularly on the last day of a GT.
Very nice that top favourite Granjel Cabrera is 25 points behind GC leader Barguil and hence has a shot to win the points jersey with a win today. Aeropostal clearly should be motivated to chase today.
Other than that not many decisions and unlikely that the GC will change today.
Excellent. Granjel Cabrera goes for the early sprint and wins it ahead of Aregger, who also is nicely placed in the points competition.
This means the gap is down to 18 points and even a 2nd would present him the point jersey.
Afterwards a group of four was allowed to attack: Handley Daspuntsag Fløtten Eaton
Behind 3 teams mainly chasing.
MOL for Vanoverschelde, Aeropostal for Granjel Cabrera and Reddit for, who knows for. Meyer? Croket? Canelon?
Time for some riders to thank the team for the role they had in the last couple weeks. Atapuma, who was supported by the team in the mountains, now tries to give Granjel Cabrera the chance while KoM winner Vuillermoz had a lot of freedom and also is riding for their sprinters today.
10km to go and the gap is down to 40s and it looks like a sprint finish here. The 2nd sprint went to the break and hence it remains with the 18 points differential.
3,2km and the break is caught. Surely an earlier catch would have been good for a better sprint preperations. Now it`s all a bit chaotic at the front and the sprinters look for their team mates.
MOL was the first team to really find their riders. Manakov - Vanoverschelde - Pomoshnikov
Von Hoff as winner of the first sprint stage has the perfect wheel sitting right behind them.
On the left side then Aeropostal with Nieves - Dall'Antonia - Granjel Cabrera but with some gaps in between.
In between all this chaos trying to find the wheel of Von Hoff or on the other side.
In the middle: Haddi - Nizzolo - Richeze - Kreder - Opie - Croket - Keough - Bertilsson
Also in the middle next to them: Canelon - Aregger
On the right side: Meyer - Park - Afewerki - Richeze - Hadi
Pomoshnikov on the left going with 1,8 km. The winner of the queenstage yesterday surely not a sprinter and neither a leadout. Vanoverschelde on the left not really attempting to follow yet with Von Hoff and Haddi behind him.
On the right Meyer with yet another weird Reddit sprint.
Nizzolo, Afewerki, Park, Croket and both Richeze`s try to follow this one.
And last but not least Granjel Cabrera. Sitting behind those with 2 team mates but not really looking that confident yet.
Almost Flamme Rouge and Aeropostal is waiting!
Also Opie, Keough, Bertilsson, Kreder waiting for them it seems.
And while Vanoverschelde on the left at least starts his sprint now but has a big gap to Pomoshnikov, the right side is looking pretty good now with Afewerki closing the gap to Meyer with Oark and Nizzolo behind him.
Meyer made it to the 1km mark and then basically stopped exhausted.
Afewerki in the wind now and so is Nizzolo but the quick exhaustment of Meyer and also Pomoshnikov on the other side should be a warning for them. The wind apparently coming from the head and makes waiting a smarter solution it seems.
Granjel Cabrera though waiting too long it seems only being in ~20th position right behind the big bunch while the likes of Opie, Kreder, Bertilsson all start their sprint now behind Vanoverschelde.
Afewerki is the next one to struggle with 600m to go and same likely goes for Vanoverschelde.
Nizzolo now in the lead with Richeze and Keough coming fast with Opie behind.
Aregger on the one side and Kreder/Bertilsson on the other also flying now.
And Nizzolo struggling with 200m to go.
Keough and Aregger the next in the wind! Behind first Opie is sitting and waiting.
On the left Bertilsson passing Kreder with Granjel Cabrera 2 spots behind them but being blocked now due to the long waiting.
Close one. Keough and Aregger with the same problem by being in the wind too early. Opie passed them on the last 100m but was challenged hugely by Bertilsson while Kreder had a nice finish but more on Keoughs level in the fight for 3rd while Aregger is the first guaranteed 5th with Nizzolo likely 6th.
Opie at least is sure that he had won. Would be a huge win for the Wiggle rider.
Kreder as well not looking happy and apparently only is 4th with Keough in 3rd.
And after a short moment the photo finish shows. It was indeed Opie taking the win! Bertilsson so close to get another but in general Carlsberg had stunning stage results here in total and yet another 2nd is continueing this series.
Sancor as 7th but none of the well placed Richeze`s. Tolosa, who waited longer got 7th while Granjel Cabrera on a disappointing 8th only. Might have recognized the wind correctly and waited but then did it too long until there was no more room for him to pass.
Vanoverschelde and Von Hoff follow as last of the top10 with Croket and Afewerki just outside.
And here he comes. The peloton arrived together and Barguil was well placed and takes the GC. Congrats to this stunning win as also to the whole Ticos team, which was just incredible here.
Schelling as 2nd with also a huge race. Well done.
