An intriguing opening stanza of the inaugural Ronde van Nederland awaits us in Limburg today, with a flat-to-slightly bumpy parcours finishing in an uphill sprint. The finish slope should delight our punchy sprinters, and we have the best of the best here today - Van Stayen, Demare, Kump, Van der Lijke and many more!
But more intriguing today is which of the pure sprinters - think Cavendish or Ahlstrand - can match the punchier finishers - and how many of the real puncheurs, such as Bakelants or Hagen, who are in attendance, will rear their ugly mugs in the finale? Bonuses are key here in the Ronde van Nederland, with our F1-style system, so every minor place counts for a GC contender in the first or third of the above categories.
As always in cycling, there is a large fight for the breakaway with some unsuccesful attempts. Above we can see Mosca beating out Vermeltfoort for the Bemeleberg KoM as part of attempt #2!
#1: Aadel, Manamalage, Mosca, Vermeltfoort, Mraouni, Aramendia, Archbold, Soucy, Martinez
#2: Mosca, Vermeltfoort
#3: Mraouni, Schachmann, Kastrantas
A quintet gets the gap to the peloton: Weiss Dyball Schachmann Kastrantas Mosca. Was a bigger group with Vermeltfoort and Naud but over the Cat.3 Loorberg, won by Schachmann ahead of Dyball and Weiss, they were dropped. The gap still under a minute and the breakaway is in pieces, with Vermeltfoort still on the road and Mosca and Kastrantas struggling!
Big news here as over the rolling with 40km the high pace of the peloton has put a group of 33 over 4 minutes down already! Many big-name sprinters here, including: Cavendish, Haller Howard Silvestre Granjel Cabrera, Keough Reinhardt Havik, Aberasturi Enger and Porsev!
You know what's crazier? Kump has gone clear... with 133km to go! Obviously using the Skujins in Pais Vasco tactic of attack when you see your name on the road... it worked for the Latvian, but I doubt a sprinter pulls it off!
Kump and the rest are caught (to be fair, Kump sat up once he got to Mosca), and the breakaway is confirmed as Dyball, Schachmann and Weiss. Schachmann took max points on the Groenweg, where that action took place.
Meanwhile the 33-man group that were dropped have found their way back to the peloton, as the pace eases up. Phew!
Schachmann is the third to attack on the Cauberg, but takes the sprint and his 3rd KoM point win, which secures him the jersey until Stage 3 at least. A gap of 4'50 for the breakaway with 67km to go, and almost on the final circuit. 42 km/h winds now, which is a diagonal crosswind for most of the final circuit. Interestingly it's a tailwind for the final 400m, which are flat and so could benefit an early attack on the "hill".
Puma, Evonik and Isostar doing the majority of the work so far today, the former two ramping up the pace now with 25km to go and 1'39 gap to shut to the breakaway.
10km left and 1'05 for the breakaway. The old commentator's rule of thumb gives them a shout here, but you have to doubt it.
If Stoltz isn't in a breakaway, he's killing one! The powerful Luxemburger catches the break with 5km to go. No trains to speak of yet, but the sprinters and puncheurs all gathering behind Evonik and Puma leading the run-in to the line. Just a descent, some flats and the final drag to go now!
4.5km left and Stoltz is putting the hurt in behind and opening up an advantage for the new Evonik train (Stoltz-Dzamastagic-Van Avermaet-Van Staeyen), which Houle, Sagan and Grosu are well-positioned to take advantage of. Wackermann trying to bring Felline and Demare up to level with Puma's illustrious rivals, whilst Kump and Zabel are also up there. Behind is just a cluster of other big names.
Dzamastagic vs Wackermann with just over 3km to go, Kump and Van Garderen the next men behind each train, whilst Houle, Wyss, Sagan, Grosu, Boeckmans, Howard and Kristoff aren't too far behind. Interestingly it looks like the bigger frame of Van Avermaet is at the back of Evonik's train and not Van Staeyen! Positional mistake or new tactic?
Van Avermaet has rectified the mistake by launching now, but does going from further back disadvantage him as Felline also goes! Mohric and Wyss coming up to try and give Kump his own leadout, but the Slovenian is well-positioned by Van Staeyen anyway. Houle battling him for the wheel though, with Sagan and Grosu still behind and Boeckmans et al flailing a little due to the ferocious leadout work from Dzamastagic!
Mohoric with a stunning acceleration, weaving through the gap between Van Avermaet and Van Stayen and coming to the front! Kump and Van Staeyen being left behind by their leadouts, whilst Demare is enjoying a textbook pilot performance from Felline! Houle right on Van Stayen's wheel now! 1.4km left and the drag about to kick in!
A gap also opening up behind, just 15 riders left here as we see Wackermann, Boeckmans, Wyss and Kristoff leaving behind Howard and Ahlstrand! Also Hagen and De Bie hoping to catch up to their GC rivals by hitching a ride behind these top sprinters!
Flamme rouge, what a destructive leadout from Van Avermaet! Mohoric blown out of the water, putting Kump in trouble as he has to go across and follow Van Garderen on the outside! Van Staeyen looks ready to slingshot out of his teammate's slipstream and go for gold, and Houle has his number so far! Felline trying to box in Van Staeyen, clever work if a little gamesmanlike!
Felline pressing Van Stayen towards the kerb, whilst Demare is free to launch with 900m left. But already 100m up the road is Van Avermaet, no time to look back and see Van Staeyen has gone from his wheel! These 4.5% gradients are tough to sprint in, have no doubt, but the Belgian makes it look easy!
Van Stayen dodges the Italian and is almost level with Demare, meanwhile Boeckmans is in the wind a long way out, Kump is coming the long way, Sagan and Grosu are falling behind and Howard is almost back on terms with this front group. The winner looks to be Demare or Van Stayen... or Van Avermaet, as he is about to round the corner with 400m left and a healthy gap, but slowing down now.
Kump is caught up but still on the outside with 350m left for Van Avermaet, whilst his teammate behind has the inside line but a bike length to make up on Demare! Houle and Tejay looking good for 5th and 6th here but not going to come around.
Demare was in perfect position and is capitalising now, about to come around Van Avermaet! Van Stayen boxed in and also maybe short on speed after expending energy catching up. Kump stuck behind Demare but could get second here!
Demare hits the front now with 200m left, can Van Staeyen come around after having done an excellent job weaving into the gap here? Kump trying also but too far back!
Demare takes the win! A textbook sprint here, minus having to come around a stray rival leadout, after a great set-up from his team! A very well-executed victory, and a mental blow over Van Staeyen and Kump heading into the next two days, where all three should contest again. Along with his many bonus seconds, grabbing the leader's jersey already is a great start to his GC bid! Van Staeyen is second, Kump third.
Van Garderen overhauls a tiring Van Avermaet for a valuable fourth place, grabbing some nice bonuses ahead of the hills on stage 3.
Grosu overhauls Boeckmans in the last 50m to take seventh, with Sagan and Hagen, who did a good job closing the gap, rounding out the top 10 and both nabbing a few bonuses for the GC.
