We should expect an interesting race today, with several possible contenders for the victory. Some CT teams with a kinda big race as well: Di Maggio, Gautier, Ben Nasser or Siskevicius would certainly love to score some valuable points against the PCT teams. Kinoshita, McCarthy, Schreurs, Flügel, Froome or Anuar Aziz won't give them an easy ride though.
A few early attempts to break clear from the pack have been shut down by the peloton:
#1 - M Walsleben, Kulimbetov, Padun, Yamamoto
#2 - Wirtgen, RodrÃguez, Min, Padun, Pranata, Cosnefroy
#3 - W Ford, Manulang, Min
Ford, however, stays clear and after the first climb, he's quickly growing his lead to more than 3 minutes with still 169km to go. No other rider would follow and so will be the solo breakaway today: looking at what happened at the Coppa Placci earlier this month, he would certainly love to enjoy a similar outcome!
Ford's gap would peak around five minutes and it's business as usual then: the peloton would start to chase about halftime and with now 52km to go, the gap is down to 2'24" with teams like Ayubowan!, Kraftwerk Machine and Meiji sharing the work at the front of the peloton. Also Indosat showing it's colors here and then, but the main work is done by Ayubowan! and Meiji for most of the time in this second half of the race..
Bettiol as the main pace setter in the final few laps of the race then. On the third to last climb of the day, his pace would cause a first notable split in the pack, as a group of 12 riders suddenly goes clear from the group with now 24.5km to go and Ford leading by 1'13" at this point:
Credits must go to Jeannesson then though, as he works hard for Izagirre to close this gap soon after! With now 15km to go and Ford still leading by 1'15", the peloton is back together (114 riders) with only the weakest puncheurs being dropped from the current pace..
Piaskowy and Hatsuyama taking over the job at the front of the pack and there's still a gap to Ford, that has to be closed as soon as possible!
Penultimate climb and Ford's lead is quickly down to just 15 seconds with now 11km remaining and some favorites trying to break clear late into this climb:
Kinoshita Schreurs (who actually initiated the attack) Gautier
with a small gap on the main group, that is down to just 20 riders with this lattest accelerations at the front!
Ford has been caught soon after the climb and with now just 5.7km remaining, we got a clearer picture of who's in this new leading group (19 riders):
in this order Anuar Aziz Schreurs Kinoshita Froome Gautier Flügel McCarthy Betancourt Ford Di Maggio Bellis Juul-Jensen Waeytens Prevar Bystrom Caruso Dyrnes Bettiol (now suffering from his efforts) Shushemoin (same here)
Already 53 seconds in arrears, a small group with Izagirre and Ben Nasser! As well as Wirtgen and Carthy.. bad news for Izagirre, who probably won't make it back into the front group and therefore only a low Top-20 may be possible today!
Further 44 seconds behind, a big group with Dowsett, Klemme and Siskevicius as the most notable names!
The front group enters the final 1.9km climb and the action kicks off right from the bottom of the ascent:
Anuar Aziz, Froome, Gautier, Schreurs, Kinoshita, Flügel and McCarthy forming a new leading group of 7 riders!
14 seconds behind, Betancourt is trying to hang on.. also Di Maggio, Juul-Jensen, Bellis, Waeytens, Bystrom, Prevar, Caruso and W Ford as part of this 9-men-group..
Dyrnes can't follow anymore, he's quickly 22 seconds in arrears!
1.4km to the finish and now it's 5 riders with another acceleration:
Anuar Aziz Froome Gautier Schreurs Kinoshita
Flügel and McCarthy a few seconds behind..
Betancourt tries to go clear from the next group now!
Anuar Aziz enters the final kilometre with still the leading position ahead of Froome!
Gautier tries to follow as Schreurs struggles to hang on and Kinoshita not in the ideal position right behind him..
Flügel and McCarthy could not close the gap and Betancourt indeed went clear from the next group to catch up to the chasing duo!
The sprint is on and Anuar Aziz holds off Froome with now just a couple of hundred metres to the finish!
A small gap to Kinoshita then, who easily dropped an dead empty Schreurs and also Gautier, who's down as well!
Betancourt and McCarthy went clear from Flügel and they go past Schreurs/Gautier now..
Anuar Aziz takes the victory with Froome not able to match his speed! A close one, but Froome actually never looked like he could go past a very strong Aziz on this final kilometre of the race. Certainly a great win for Indosat and it's captain.
Kinoshita a clear 3rd then, 17 seconds behind today's winner! A solid podium result, even though he might have lost some ground duo to his position behind Schreurs earlier into the climb..
Betancourt with a fast finish to cross the line as a good 4th.. after missing out on the crucial first attacks on this final climb, that's definitely a pleasant result eventually!
McCarthy has to settle for 5th - not bad, not too special neither..
Some tough final few hundred metres for Gautier and Schreurs, but..
Gautier at least holds off a fast finishing Juul-Jensen to go 6th eventually. A good result for Juul-Jensen as 7th, as he appeared to be the strongest from that group, that could not follow the first attacks on the climb!
Schreurs looked like a serious podium contender early into the climb, but he totally cracked on the final kilometre to finish the race as 8th eventually..
Flügel and Bystrom complete the Top-10 then. A good result for Bystrom, who had a fine sprint here..
..just like Prevar, Bellis and Boily as 13th!
Waeytens and Di Maggio complete the Top-15, crossing the line almost two minutes behind the winner.. both can't be happy with their results and for Di Maggio, it ain't the first disappointing performance this month..
Caruso finishes 16th right behind this duo..
Ford came in as a strong 17th then. A great effort after his long breakaway attempt!
Dyrnes has to settle for an 18th place ahead of Siskevicius, who can't be pleased with this result. Of course this has been a packed startlist with better puncheurs than him, but he certainly had hoped for a Top-15 or something like that.
Izagirre with a somewhat shocking 21st place then! People might have expected more from this guy, who won the Tour of Ukraine (also thanks to a great performance on a tough hilltop finish) just a few days ago!
Barbin (23rd), Vichot (28th) and Ben Nasser (30th) could not land a notable result for their respective teams neither..
