Welcome to the second stage of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, and the first road stage. Yesterday's TTT saw Skujins, Barbin and Ulissi concede minutes (one through being at an awful TTT team, the other two being dropped) and Trofimov and De Bie just a second off the lead. Bobridge will also be happy with his GC spot, even if he was aiming to be, if not in the leader's jersey, at least within a second before today's stage. Today isn't a day where you can win this race, but it is very tough and you could very well lose it. With a short, steep climb and then descent to the finish, the question is: how aggressive will the favourites be?
Predictably on a day like today there was quite a fight to be in the breakaway. here were the unsuccessful attempts:
#1: Pavarin, De Plus, Jones, Ivanov, Kochetkov
#2: Kochetkov, Pavarin, De Plus, Hatanaka, Phelan, Hagen, Jones
Costa (Joao, not Rui) seems eager to bring his CT KoM chasing skills to the PCT and beats Paterski to the first Cat.2 climb ahead of Scheit and Kasperkiewicz in a breakaway attempt containing nobody from the first two. The pack seem ok with it and slow up on the climb.
Here are the winners of each sprint through the first part of the day:
KoM 1
Costa
Paterski
Scheit
KoM 2
Scheit
Kasperkiewicz
Costa
KoM 3
Scheit
Costa
Paterski
Sprint 1
Costa
Scheit
Kasperkiewicz
You might have thought that UBS be made to lead the pack, but it's been more T-Mobile, Grieg, Moser and Evonik today.
KoM 4
Costa
Scheit
Paterski
Sprint 2
Costa
Scheit
Kasperkiewicz
KoM 5
Costa
Scheit
Kasperkiewicz
An interesting move from Yates here with 43km left: He goes on the short Cat.3, with Pernsteiner and Moscon along for the ride. Two domestiques and one leader - a nice position for outsiders Mohoric and Waeytens to have a domestique up the road, but Yates laying a lot on the line!
There's a furious 6km-or-so chase, but Grieg bring them back. Nobody allowed an exit visa just yet by the favourites!
A sly move from Bakelants on the next climb, as he uses a big effort from Gillett to bridge to the floundering Paterski and Kasperkiewicz. No response yet! Meanwhile Costa left the latter duo and then Scheit behind on his way to the KoM - probably his last, seeing as the lead is under 40 seconds to Bakelants now!
Phelan puts in a short effort to regain contact with the group, however due to the line of breakaway stragglers he hasn't quite caught Bakelants yet. Meanwhile Costa is the last survivor, 50 seconds ahead of Bakelants having put in a big effort on the last part of the climb.
And yes, a gap for the Grieg duo over the top! This is an interesting move, but surely with a large peloton and everyone having domestiques it can't survive!
They're brought back fairly quickly on the flats, with 40 seconds still a decent advantage for Costa. For those just tuning in (even some of you managers ) this is not Rui Costa, Philips' leader, but Joao Costa (no relation). 26km to go.
19km left and the catch is made by Veyhe! Two climbs to go, what fireworks will we see, if any, from the big names? 100 riders, give or take, left in the pack, not including Daniel Eaton. The white jersey not making it over that last climb. Surely only a third of that number can make it to the finish even if they don't attack, probably much less than that!
Bakelants doesn't want to finish today with anybody in front of him, or even on he same time! He attacks the short Cat.3 with 12km left!
He finds a gap due to nobody being on his wheel, whilst Trofimov heads up the chase!
An 8-man group briefly find a gap before it's closed by Sagan. But over the top, it's a counter from Van Garderen, followed by De Bie, who saw it coming!
A lot of riders not wanting to miss out and so no clear gap for the American champ, but he's stretching things out on this descent!
As the road flattens out it's Sagan who tries to leave the rest behind and bridge, and it looks like he might do the former at least! The winner of this stage last year going from a bit further out this time, but can he repeat the trick?
Contact for Sagan, but just 12 seconds with 4km until the summit of the climb! Though just false flats right now. If any duo could do it, it might just be these two though.
Bakelants still in no mood to work with anyone and the Belgian powers away as soon as the climb starts!
Bobridge now on the attack, Ginnani and Skujins best placed to respond! The Aussie sensing an opening to solo up to the leading duo ahead with Thurau blocking De Bie and Ginnani.
Schar's day in yellow is coming to an end, and predictably he won't get a second. He won't be too bothered about that, so long as his leader Trofimov gets a smooth transition into the jersey.
Bobridge failed to do anything with his move and so it's Ginnani's turn to attack! 28 seconds now to a flying Bakelants, whilst Sagan is at 11 behind the Belgian, refusing to give up!
Bakelants should crest this final climb alone as neither Sagan nor the pack can gain any ground on him! 21 men left in this group of Trofimov, with Prevar, Klemme and Reichenbach the biggest names left behind!
Kangert and Janse van Rensburg leave a gap to their leader Ginnani and so he, Van Garderen, Bobridge and De Bie have a small advantage over the likes of Trofimov!
Mohoric counters now with Skujins on his tail and Vanendert trying to follow! Meanwhile Ginnani has lost the wheel and De Bie is just holding on as Bobridge counters again!
Aside from every rider I just mentioned it's just Beltran, Bibby and Costa (Rui, not Joao) who are still in the Trofimov group! Gastauer and Ulissi can't hold the wheel and so they, and everyone else, has lost touch! Four Gazelle riders ahead is some impressive depth, though aside from Janse van Rensburg it was to be expected with Bibby and Kangert also here for GC.
Bakelants with a very very strong performance here, a measured ride though as he steadily reaches the top with 31 seconds to the Trofimov group! Sagan behind keeping a 10-second gap to the chasers!
Van Garderen giving his all to follow Bobridge, but the Aussie is so close to breaking the elastic and going solo! This ground-level shot showcasing the brutal gradients, over 15% for a while now!
Mohoric with a very good ride to stitch this group back together. I'm also very impressed by Vanendert, who's doing a great job leading Kulczyk after Barbin went AWOL today!
German Champion Klemme isn't having a bad day as we thought, but most have been wildly out of position as he finds his way to the tail-end of the chasers... almost! Can he get to Costa's wheel?
1'20 back to the Gastauer group, big losers in there GC-wise!
Bakelants isn't renowned for his descending and in this technical finale he's losing some ground, but taking it well and should win here! 2km left.
Bobridge now going and other than general gains I think I know why - Bakelants has taken provisional yellow with his gap and bonuses, and Bobridge wants to get involved too as Trofimov and De Bie look tired! Currently with no bonuses it's:
Trofimov Leader
De Bie + 2
Bobridge + 2
Bakelants +6
Kangert/Bibby/JvR + 24
Sagan + 31
With bonuses, any one of Trofimov, Bobridge, De Bie, Sagan or Bakelants could be our new leader! Most likely one of the latter two, given it’s 20 seconds on the line
The very good descender Sagan has nearly caught Bakelants with a beautiful descent, flamme rouge now, can he slingshot past the Belgian on the less steep but still technical downhill of the last kilometres to repeat his stage win of last year?
Bobridge actually extending his gap, and taking over provisional yellow with his third place bonuses!
Here comes Sagan, launching his sprint! Can Bakelants hold him off with 800m to go?
The Slovakian with an advantage here, it looks like, rather than attacker, he'll be playing heartbreaker to the soloist this year!
But Bakelants coming up to speed now and drawing closer again, but it's too little too later with just 300m left and a bike length to recover!
Bakelants with a big speed advantage, he should have gone earlier as he's covering ground much faster than a tiring Sagan!
Oh my word, he could actually do it!
Oooh, that's a tight finish, but I think Sagan has just held on by the slimmest of margins here!
But Bakelants doesn't agree, he is claiming the win and celebrating! Oh dear... It's going to be a photo finish, apparently.
Mohoric coming fast, trying to shut the gap to Bobridge after coming off the descent very quick!
The Aussie will gain a well-deserved third place here, but no gap as the young Slovenian shuts enough of a gap to get a s.t. result for the rest of the group.
Van Garderen rounds out the top 5, whilst De Bie, Ginanni, Skujins, Trofimov and Kangert completing the top 10. So the only gaps to Trofimov are to Sagan and Bakelants, plus the bonuses for Bobridge. We should see Bakelants in yellow no matter if he gets 20 or 12 seconds' bonuses here, but with the latter it could be tight!
We found Barbin - on the attack! The Italian, as well as Zingle from Euskaltel, have attacked the 65-man Gastauer group over the summit of the last climb.
Another Euskaltel rider, Caruso, as well as Waeytens also trying their luck on the descent.
I'm not sure if any of them will get the gap they seem to have, as Dieteren, perhaps forgetting he has a leader ahead who he's helping shut the gap to, sprints as though his life depends on it to shut it.
Back to the race for the win, and it's gone to Bakelants! I don't agree, and they're be hell to pay for the jury with the Moser manager I suspect! 26 seconds is the gap, meaning...
Bakelants in yellow! The Belgian moves into the driver's seat for tomorrow. Big day, and the GC very finely poised. Last majorly hilly day before the ITT as well, surely some movements from the less chrono-inclined puncheurs!
Speaking of jury controversy, for the first time in living memory a narrow downhill gap is awarded! Barbin and Zingle get one to Caruso, who gets one to Waeytens, Dieteren and Yates, and another back to the pack.
That's all from us on an action-packed opening day in the hills with Bakelants already overturning his deficit to De Bie, Trofimov and Bobridge from the TTT! Tomorrow sees a tough hilltop finish, with the final climb totalling 4.7km at 7%! It should be another GC shakeup. Until then.
) this is not Rui Costa, Philips' leader, but Joao Costa (no relation). 26km to go.
