It's flat as a pancake on the first stage in Barbados. No wind, just beautiful sunshine greets us today. No intermediate sprints or climbs today either.
But that does not deter some riders from forming the break. These riders are:
Belevics Nych Boonratanathanakorn Padun
70 km to go. We see Kraftwerk and Valio leading the chase. Novatek and Fablok are also helping out occasionally. The pack trails the break by 4'15".
25 km to go for the break now. Their lead is down to 1'30".
Kraftwerk, Valio and Fablok at the front. Eritel and Euskaltel have also joined the pace-making. 10 km to go.
Nych attacks the break with 5 km left. The pack are 39" in arrears.
3 km. Three huge trains have formed in the pack. Nych and Bonnratanathanakorn are still trying to stay away. The other two have been caught.
Nych is visibly tired now as we enter the final 1500 meters. Boonratanathanakorn has been caught already.
Nych is caught just as we pass the Flamme Rouge.
Goss, Maksimov and Kennaugh have a gap on the others.
600 meters to go and the situation is as follows:
Goss
Maksimov
Kennaugh
Guradini
Cavendish
Van der Sande
Bouhanni
Guerao
Van Heerden
Manninen
Vanoverschelde
Kreder
200 meters later, it is Guardini in the lead. Goss, Maksimov and Kennaugh are fading fast.
200 meters to go. Bouhanni and Vanoverschelde are challenging Guardini now. Cavendish and Van Heerden have made up ground on the right.
Bouhanni now leads with 100 meters to go.
50 meters left. It's Bouhanni versus Vanoverschelde for the stage win. Guardini is now in danger of losing his podium spot to Cavendish.
Bouhanni just hangs on to take the win and the GC lead here in Barbados. Vanoverschelde just came up short and is 2nd.
Cavendish sneaks past Guardini at the line to claim 3rd.
Van Heerden is 5th, Manninen 6th and Guerao 7th. The top 10 is completed by Goss, Kennaugh and Mohs.
