Some easier stage again and the sprinters can prepare themselves again. The final circuit has some small hills as you can see on the route but it`s not as difficult to make it a punchy sprint only.
Can Vanderbiest make it 2/2 in Polognes sprints?
First of all, the early sprint went to Granjel Cabrera ahead of Vanderbiest. No other sprinter went for it.
Just afterwards the break of 6 riders was formed. Young Bester Caruso Thomson Boonratanathanakorn Bettiol
For Euskaltel it might be a chance to make yesterdays tactical mistake forgetten.
Basically nothing has happened over the whole stage and hence we jump towards the 10km mark. The group still has 90s and hence the peloton is struggling. The riders ahead are mainly decent puncheurs and seem to be a lot less exhausted than those behind after yesterdays big GC stage.
Also the organization isn`t that good. While Generali/Indosat worked well yesterday, the sprinter teams don`t find a good cooperation and hence it`s just a bit of Carrefour and a bit of Azteca to show something.
Worst part likely the missing Euskaltel support as on stage 2, but why working if Caruso is in the break?
And with 3km to go Caruso attacks. He is a decent sprinter from small groups as his leadout for Bouhanni showed. But the group is full of decent finishers and hence you can`t be too sure about it.
Boonrat... and Young the first to follow.
But Caruso still has a small 8s gap under the Flamme Rouge.
Boomrat... following first with Bester, Bettiol and Thomson, while Young is paying for his chasing 2km ago and is dropped!
Behind Carrefour try to give it all but it`s too late. Schorn with Vanderbiest and all the other sprinters behind can only fight for the late top10 positions.
Bettiol is fastest right now and flies past the others and closing to Caruso but so is the finish line.
And the Euskaltel puncheur can celebrate. He was strongest and/or smartest today.
Big win for him and he might even be back in GC top20 area due to that gap.
Bettiol as runner-up with Boonratanathanakorn next ahead of Bester and Thomson while Young as 6th was almost caught be the peloton.
Vanderbiest and Castaneda as best of the rest under the Flamme Rouge.
Surprisingly Castaneda as strongest today on that hillier final. Vanderbies as 8th ahead of Alaphilippe and Gabrera.
But it`s 1'33 behind the group!
And then a gap opened behind them as the non-sprinters took it easy in the final. Even 2'32 for the main peloton and hence a big gain for Caruso, who is 14th in the GC even.
