First impressions: the favourites are starting the race in the city of Zürich. What an awful day is awaiting them!
The first attacker: Eduardo Sepulveda. With him there are Ebejer, Kaisalovou and Schulz. While their move failed due to numerous counterattacks, a couple of minutes later the first group stood:
Ebejer, Sepulveda, Kaislavuo, Schultz, Vila, Valverde, Semple. However, Azteca and Kulczyk were chasing them down. But many teams wanted to contest in the breakaway, so it wasn't easy to get away. After some minutes also this move was turned down.
15 km into the race we have a first gap: Hamilton going clear with Sonnery. Tehy quickly increase their advantage: 1 minute in 5 kilometers.
Semple, Petili, Rinner try to counter but can't
Not everybody is too happy with the group though. We have a counterattacking group covered by Haussler, Schultz, Frankiny and Dall'Antonia. But sooner than later it is Ochoa Quintero that brings them back on track to the pack.
Haussler is not done yet though as he makes another move together with Schultz and Sepulveda. And they can bridge over to the group!
Meanwhile we have our first crash of the day, with 6 riders going down: Le Bon, Kratochvila, Bille, Cherel, Delage Hugentobler. Some major contenders are involved already. Eventhough everybody will be nervous on an important day like this, at least the weather is fine so that we can't expect crashes due to that. But close to the see anything may change quickly. And we sense some significant wind blowing all over the parcours.
With 200km to go the group surpasses the 2 minutes.
And only 8 kilometers later we can surely state: The group of 5 stands! The break of the day includes: Sepulveda, Sonnery, Hamilton, Haussler and Schultz. A young Argentinian time triallists, 2 Aussies of which one is a young climber and one an experienced sprinter, a versatile sprinter that goes well over the climbs from france and a far relative from Lewis Hamilton.
We are going a lottle bit more speedy through the race over the next kilometers, as it's now about establishing a time gap and controlling it.
180 km - 4:55
160 km - 6:25
140 km - 7:45
The highest point of an advantage was reached in the second lap of the race; with 135 km to go they had an advantage of 8:04
In the pack several teams where engaged in the chase. A list of the most present ones at the fore:
Reddit
World Cycling Centre
In-N-Out
Xero
Campari
Repsol
Kulczyk
Statoil
Azteca
130 km - 7:45
120 km - 6:20
110 km - 6:00
100 km - 5:45
90 km - 5:20
80 km - 4:00
[...]
Nothing really happens until we ride the parcours for one more time:
Xero leads with Diggle, Azteca still with Ochoa. Nobody attacks on the first flatter climb. The break is still working very well together with 3:30 of an advantage.
Now the race should go down to madness as they kick into the ramp. A strong headwind is opposing the riders however. Hardy leads the pack.
No movement over the climb. Things could start getting interesting, as the break has still 3:30. The pack really needs to speed up soon.
Also over the second climb it's just Ochoa, Salinas and Anton doing the pacemaking. Hardy tries to speed up, but the three just calm things down. This looks more and more like a breakaway thing here.
2:30 for the pack already and they are already at the descent. Surely there has to be some issues with the pack. It's not much more than 10 Kilometers until we cross the finishing line, and no major attacks anywhere. And it seems like the break absolutely has this in the bag!
Osorio and Corwin now chasing hard for the pack, but it is still 2:18. The break almost reached the city of Zürich, where it will be hard to close a gap on the tight and technical roads.
The wind is blowing heavily under the 5 km to go banner! It is still 2:18, this one will go to the break. Sonnery vs. Haussler now? The two sprinters should be the favourites in this scenario, but are they? It still is Zuri.
3 km. The peloton has cut the lead to 2 minutes due to the hard chase of Osorio. But surely they'll now hold on at the front unless they heavily cat-n-mouse. Sonnery takes the turn from Haussler. One too much?
The pack is also getting ready. Chaves is set up by two guys, and also Bratashcuk, van der Hugenhaben and Roux look ready and set for the approach.
Flamme Rouge! Sonnery is doing it all on his own and going from the front. He must feel so confident right now. Haussler is dangerously sitting at the back of the group, while Sepulveda took the perfect position in the slipstream of Sonnery. If you wanna call it slipstream, as we have heavy crosswinds blowing over the finishing straight.
500 Meter. The crowd is going wild (well the half empty finishing tribune at least). Sonnery is fading, while Sepulveda is sticking his nose in the wind. On the right side there is Hamilton coming through with Haussler on his wheel. Schultz however is blocked by the fading Sonnery. Who got the prime position now? Hard to tell, as legs may be dead empty in the wind.
How remarkable! This is a drag race to the finishing line. And the man in pole position is Sepulveda. He's just riding head down full gas and can't really be contended here. Everybody is suffering and just weaving across the rode. This is more of a strong mans drag race than a classical sprint. And Sepulveda looks as if he is the strongest.
Damn this is tense. It's the final meters - can anybody prevent Sepulveda from crossing the line first?
No they can't! Nobody had the legs to come around the argentinian who is definitely riding for the wrong team. After that it's Hamilton and Schultz coming in for 2nd and 3rd. But who is going to take the final podium?
Haussler wins it. Of course it had to be the two by fart best sprinters that came last from this group in the Zuri madness. Just another chapter. Big time result for the two teams still, looking at who they got in the pack.
Speaking of which, Azteca dominates the run in. Xero with Anton and Roux towards the fore as well. No Reddit, cycle Yorkshire or Repsol riders to be seen, this could be an important one for the Kiwis.
And for christ's sake the camera must have crashed here. Swiss people shouldn't have saved some money on the wrong end, cause this is awful. We can't exactly see the run in, but we can confirm that it was Osorio ahead of Ochoa who came in first. Antón, Roux and van der Hugenhaben round off the top 10.
Spoiler
1. Sepulveda
2. Hamilton
3. Schultz
4. Haussler
5. Sonnery
6. Osorio
7. Ochoa
8. Antón
9. Roux
10. van der Hugenhaben
A shameful peace of work to end this report here, we are very sorry for this desaster on the final stage. The full results will be added later in the format. Please accept our apologies and enjoy the final results of this race. See you next season, lovely Continental Tour.
We're back on track after a short informational break. Thank you very much for covering the first 4 laps buddy, this is Croatia14 with the closing lap of Zuri Metzgete and hence also with the closing lap of the MG CT season.
We've got 40 Kilometers left, with the breakaway 1:50 ahead of the pack that is led by Azteca and Xero. Who is going to win today? Soon the first of the two climbs is going to be ridden.
We're in now and Hamilton goes for glory with an attack. Who is going to follow? For now everybody, but Sonnery and also Haussler are having some issues.
1:08 left with 32 km to go.
With 29 km to go we are now on top of the climb.
Sonnery and Schultz have lost contact, so it's just 3 riders at the front. Their lead is back to 1:20, with the duo 25 seconds behind. Boily, Roux, Chaves and van der Hugenhaben the obvious choices and very well placed in the pack.
Still 137 riders in the pack with 25 kilometer to go and only 1 climb left. World Cycling Centre have taken over the front.
Sepulveda, Haussler, Hamilton
Sonnery, Schulz
+ '43
Peloton (137 riders)
+ 1:28
22 kilometers to go:
The pack has approached the final climb, and led by Ilya Koshevoy they've taken the pair back in. Only 3 left to catch. Nzeke takes over now, but who of the favourites is going to fire first? One thing is clear: If they want to avoid a bunch sprint, they have to ensure that over the next 5 kilometers. Still 1:12 for the group
Vichot fires first! Boily is directly on the wheel and also Gaimon is following. They quickly open up a lead of 25 seconds, but now vdH takes over the pacemaking by himself. 19.5 kilomters left.
Now Gaimon has cracked as Vichot and Boily accelerate again. In the pack it's down to 93 riders. 17 kilometers now and...
...Boily and Vichot overtook and dropped the break. But it's not only them making a move. Also...
...van der Hugenhaben went clear with Chaves and Roux following. Shortly behind also Bratashcuk and Monfort go after that acceleration.
He couldn't sustain a gap, but at least he stretched the pack. And there it's riders all over the place. 45 seconds for the leading duo of Boily and Vichot.
But van der Hugenhaben wasn't done yet. He tries another attack, with Chaves and Roux following. Bad...
...luck for him that Chaves immediately drops him afterwards, and also Roux not looking great. Wyss dragging the pack in behind now, which is down to 27 riders at the moment. But it's gaps all over the place. 36 seconds for the leading duo. Roux could hold the wheel into the downhill but now it's...
...Gilbert and Monfort making a move, bridging the gap to vdH. The current race situation with 7.5 km to go:
Boily, Vichot
Roux, Chaves
+ 0:45
vdH, Gilbert, Monfort
+ 1:06
30 riders
+ 1:32
51 riders
+ 2:24
This looks absolutely great for our leading duo, that is really working well together. One rider is abosolutely an angel on a rampage right now, and that is...
...Gilbert. He drops his companions on the flat, to solo ride to the fore and join Roux and Boily!
Meanwhile Juarez and Taborre turned the race for vdH and also Monfort. They went from strongest to fallen as they get snacked by teh pack with 5 to go.
And while at the front the leaders have 45 seconds still...
..Gilbert is not done yet, attacking and dropping Boily and Chaves. What a ride!
And now the leaders lost 15 seconds in one kilometer. They looked safe to win here, but now it's getting interesting again.
Roux managed to come back to Gilbert, but now cracked again and is dead and gone. He has 52 seconds over the pack though, which should be enough to hold on for 5th. 5th?
Yes! As after Roux recovered and cracked, Chaves now recovered. He's back on Gilberts tail and it's only 20 seconds to the leaders. But the flamme rouge...
...beckons already for them. They have no time to waste though as Vichot has to go from the front. 500 Meters now and...
...he tries to go the outside way to overtake Vichot. Can he deliver? Also Gilbert and Chaves...
...give their last, but they should be too far back. 200 Meters:
It's one on one Vichot vs. Boily. Who is going to win it?
It's the Frenchman. Victory for Arthur Vichot! What a well deserved win after a dramatic race with an emphatic finish. The race for the podium is still on though, and it goes to...
...Gilbert in a drag of dead men. Big time performance from the Belgian legend in one of his last races as a professional. 4th for Chaves after a gutsy ride that'll draw kind of a happy end for Aztecas season.
Roux just saves himself, which should be very important for Xero ranking-wise, ahead of...
...Wyss for 5th. The Suisse was by far the strongest from the bunch in his home race, and with some more attacking he maybe could've won this.
Juarez takes 7th after some major pulling work. A nice result for SanCor to close the season, and hopefully not the last one for him in the Argentinian colours.
Agostini leads in the rest of the pack ahead of Tvetcov, who maybe could've done better as well. Thinking of the promotion fight: Remember that Repsol quite heavily outscored Xero here, who couldn't work with their numbers here. It will be a close one. A Top 10 for Statoil is also very nice to finish the season, and they deserved it after some hard work over the day.
But let's track back one last time to the winner of today, who was one of the main protagonists of this years CT season: Arthur Vichot!
Thank you very much for attending our last TV coverage of the year. It was a pleasure to be host to the final race. Now we can't wait for new faces and shaken up teams after the offseason, to welcome some fresh racing in 2018.
Switzerland 
