Welcome to Thailand for a great battle between the best sprinters in the PCT and CT divisions. It’s a completely flat race, with a circuit of 15 kms which riders will have to do 12 times, for a total of 180 kms today
Almost 50 kms are needed for a breakaway to be consolidated, with only 3 riders. Two of them are from Amateur teams, but the other one is a rider of Carrefour, a team that has Lo Cicero here, one of the race favourites. Interesting tactics by the French team
Sanogo Wang Kulhavy
With 24 kms to go we see attacks for Kal, after a timid try by Stewart before. The 3 riders in front have a 1’10 gap to the bunch now
Kal is joined by local hero Chawchiangkuang in his attack, though Podium Ambition is pulling really hard behind and doesn’t let them get a gap
Final lap for the breakaway riders (15 kms to go) and they still have 45 seconds of advantage over the bunch, where Kraftwerk, Fablok, Iberia and Podium Ambition are working for the sprint
The breakaway is finally caught with only 6 kms to go, and now it’s time for the sprinters to get their trains to work
Kraftwerk is dominating the finish, with Cavendish still having 2 riders ahead of him with 2,5 kms to go. Fablok only has one rider for Mohs, and Guerao, Lander and Drapac being on his wheel. Matthews is helping Ewan to get closer to the lead in the left side, with Degenkolb on his wheel, while Nelson looks to have a free role and is trying to get in Mohs’s train. Carrefour’s train is still a bit behind the rest, but if powerfull, they still have time
Maikin
Willwohl
Cohen
Matthews
Stepniak
Cavendish
Mohs
Ewan
Itami
Guerao
Degenkolb
Lander
Manninen
Drapac
Nelson
Bouhanni
Li
Saber
Giaux
Kurth
Lo Cicero
Fablok’s train has moved to the left side of the road, blocking Podium Ambition progression, but Ewan was able to hang on Mohs’ wheel, and Degenkolb is glued to Ewan’s. Cavendish has only Willwohl to lead-out him with 1,8 kms left, and has a lot of sprinters around him, like Guerao, Lander, Itami, Manninen, Nelson or Drapac. Carrefour has a free space close to the right fences and tries to benefit of it, while Rowe finally appears in the sprint, trying to hang on Lo Cicero’s wheel
Carrefour end up winning the battle of the sprint train, as Giaux exited the final corner ahead of everyone else with 800 metres to go. Willwohl is still ahead of Cavendish, while Mohs has started his sprint, with Ewan in his slipstream. Lander, Manninen, Degenkolb, Saber, Bouhanni, Drapac, Guerao, all have lost places due the corner, and now will have a hard time coming back
Willwohl leads with 400 metres to go! The leadout of Cavendish has rebeled and is close to get an incredible win, though Lo Cicero is coming out of his slipstream really fast, almost touching wheels with Mohs trying to go around the Czech rider. Ewan and Cavendish seem to lack the top speed to challenge for the win, while Manninen and Lander are getting closer to the lead
300 metres to go and Lo Cicero has taken the lead for Willwohl, who is still going strong in second place, though he should be overtaken by some riders who are coming faster, like Ewan, Lander, Degenkolb, Mohs or his own team-mate
Final 100 metres and Lo Cicero shows no sign of fading anytime soon, so the Italian will take the win today. Willwohl is struggling now with his speed, and is about to get overtaken by Mohs and Ewan. Cavendish, Manninen, Lander and Degenkolb fight for a Top5 spot at the moment
Ivano Lo Cicero wins in Thailand this flat classic! Half of his win has to be thanked to the amazing leadout of Giaux, but the Italian had his share of the win by holding everyone behind in the final metres
Mohs gets the second place by milimetres ahead of Ewan, after Willwohl exploded in the final 100 metres
Cavendish gets fourth, while Degenkolb can only be fifth today, just ahead of the day's biggest surprise with Willwohl. Manninen is seventh, barely ahead of Bouhanni, Lander and Saber, who complete the Top10, of which Drapac and Rowe fall short
Ivano Lo Cicero goes to the podium to get his trophy for being the winner of 2018 Nakhon Ratchasima Trophy! It's his first win in more than a year, as his last win was the Italian Championship back in 2016!
