Welcome to the Pro Hallstatt Classic, we have got a nice blue sky and little wind this morning in the beautiful Hallstatter see area, surrounded by the Alps.
The setting as also mentioned in the preview is this:
From Bad Goisern we start with a circuit route, moving south following Hallstatter See, then around the 1975 meter mountain Hoher Sarstein, through Pötschenhöhe mountain pass, the last 3.7 km at 5.8%, but going up quite a bit longer. This lap first 5 times over the mountain pass, before we have the summit finish climb up to Predigtstuhl, 6.6 km at 7.6%.
De Plus opens the stage with Logar, also Jones and Van Niekerk on the move.
After more acceleration in front of the peloton, the pace is increased resulting in Jones and Van Niekerk being reeled in.
As the pace settles down again, Padun seize the moment to slip away from the peloton. After a while he joins the first group just as they are about to start the first round of climbing.
This turns out the be the breakaway of the day. It max out at a little more than 7 minutes in the valley between the 2nd and 3rd climb.
In the peloton work have been shared by Danacik, Prado, Karnulin, Konrad, Iturria, Tarvis, Fumeaux, Kangert and Kratochvila.
Might say many showing will to work, but at this point not very hard, often rider sitting in the pace line but actually not doing any work at all.
The pace now going up in the peloton and from now on it is Padun working all the time in the breakaway as soon as it is uphill. Padun is clearly the better climber in the group and likely to have the best shot on a surprise win.
Logar on the other hand, though still in the group seem to be struggling at the hard part of the climbs.
On the third climb Prado doing all the work in the peloton.
In the valley between the 3rd and 4th climb, the distance is down to 3’33”, 70 km left.
The 4th climb, first Prado working at the first ½ of the climb, Badilatti at the hard last part. Kratochvila setting a hard pace on the downhill.
Distance cut to 1’33” in the valley between the 4th and fifth climb, 35 km to go.
We start the 5th climb through Pötschenhöhe mountain pass, again Prado at the beginning and again Badilatti takes over.
As the breakaway hit the hard section Padun attack, at first dropping Logar and with another hard acceleration also De Plus.
18 km to the finish, distance 1’21”
The peloton is fast on the downhill, leaving only Padun in front.
This is the positioning in front of the peloton when the slope hit 4%, 6.3 km to the finish.
In the pace line it is Novak, Cink, Prado, Kratochvila, Jaramillo, Polanc,
Spilak first of the favorites in 7th position, Danacik for Sagan 9th, Terasaki for Flügel , Konrad for Ginanni, Ramos Ticona for Trofimov all close inside top 15.
Beltran right behind Ginanni, Karnulin by his side.
Dzhus for Pluchkin to the left. German National Champion Klemme to his right, behind Klemme De Bod for Martin, Madrazo and Kwiatkowski.
The last line of the photo is Pernsteiner, Hosek, Bratashcuk and Barguil
With 5.7 km to the finish it is over for Padun.
Let’s take a look at some of the stronger riders, caught by the camera sitting too low in case we get a split, ordered by worst position first. Shikai, Henao Montoya, Vosekalns, Scarponi, Nibali, Penasa, Preidler, Guldhammer and Choi.
Could look like the pure climbers do not sit very well positioned when entering the climb.
Up front we still see no attacks, still the Isostar Slovenija’s domestics leading the race. But it could look like the very huge peloton is stretched now and could break.
This is the positioning with 4.8 km left: Novak, Kratochvila, Prado, Cink, Sagan, Polanc, Spilak, Trofimov, Beltran, Flügel, Pernsteiner, Padun, Barguil, Madrazo, Karnulin, Klemme, Martin, Formolo, Ginanni, Vysna, Bibby, Jaramillo, Kwiatkowski.
The only top rider right behind those is Pluchkin so if a split would happen now, to could be in this region. the photo is from 5.1 km so may be small differences in the ordre
3 km left, we still have a huge peloton of 135 riders, but now Spilak have moved to the front, definitely not the time to lose contact with the rider in front, unless you can overtake him.
Unofficially could look like we are about to get a group of about 40 rider, opening a small gap. This is the order: Spilak, Novak, Barguil, Kratochvila, Sagan, Martin, Prado, Kwiatkowski, Trofimov, Beltran, Pluchkin, Madrazo, Pernsteiner, Flügel, Formolo, Klemme, Hosek, Guldhammer, Vysna, Polanc, Bibby, Karnulin, Saggiorato, Ginanni, Paulus, Ricco, Olivier, Konrad, Dekker, Dyball, Reichenbach, Kangert, Kolar, Roglič, Iturria, Tratnik, Ciccone, Danacik, Cink, Preidler and Morton
2.5 km to the top.
Without actually acceleration, just pushing hard Spilak with teammate Kratochvila at wheel opens a gap.
In the group behind it is Barguil, Sagan, Martin, Pluchkin, Kwiatkowski, Madrazo, Novak, Beltran, Prado and Trofimov as the best 10.
Barguil close the gap, for about 500 meters everything is calmed down again, but then with 1.5 km left, acceleration from Spilak.
The best placed 20 riders behind him at this point: Barguil, Sagan, Madrazo, Kratochvila, Pluchkin, Kwiatkowski, Beltran, Trofimov, Martin, Guldhammer
Gap to: Formolo, Flügel, Hosek, Klemme, Vysna, Roglič, Saggiorato, Paulus, Bibby and Pernsteiner
First under the red kite, Spilak
19” down to Barguil with Sagan and Madrazo
Another 8” down to a group of 22 riders, positioned like this: Pluchkin, Beltran, Kratochvila, Kwiatkowski, Trofimov, Guldhammer, Martin, Flügel, Formolo, Hosek, Roglič, Vysna, Klemme, Saggiorato, Paulus, Bibby, Kangert, Olivier, Pernsteiner, Dekker, Dyball and Ginanni
24” to the next group
500 meters left Spilak is building on his lead, can’t miss this one.
Pluchkin has closed the gap to group Sagan, they got 12“, to the next group which have grown to 32 riders.
Spilak wins the first edition of Pro Hallstatt Classic at Predigtstuhl, having plenty of time to celebrate.
Sagan 2nd in front of Pluchkin 3rd Barguil 4th as 2nd Moser – Sygic riders in top 4, Madrazo 5th, they all lose 47”
Another group of 4 riders comes in at 1’07” Beltran 6th, Roglič 7th has really moved forward over the last 2 kilometers. Kwiatkowski 8th and Trofimov 9th
First in the next group of 29 riders in Martin 10th in front of Olivier, Penasa, Hosek, Kangert and Flügel to round of top 15.
Pro Hallstatt Classic 
