It is a beautiful morning in Kigali, but there is a very strong wind blowing, almost 60 km/h on the start line. This could definitely turn out to be a problem.
The early breakaway starts just as the flag drops, Van Aert, Pasqualon, Park, Jung, Monk and Toupalik
Even before we reach the first cobbled section more riders have joined the leading group Le Gac, De Bondt, Ngamoki-Cameron and Thomas
Behind those also Dulanjana, Sanikwathi, Ssabagwanya and Atkins
But the peloton up the pace and starts to bring back rider by rider as the front group split on the unforgiving stone sections.
Over the top of the 1st cobbled climb we got just four riders left in front of the bunch De Bondt, Park, Monk and Ngamoki-Cameron, the got 39”
The peloton slows down and over the 2nd cobbled climb the distance has grown to 4’14”
On this part of the stage the peloton is mainly pulled by Lindeman
Lebris, Harrison, Soler and Scheit
Top puncher Dieteren struggles on the stones and lose contact
Over the 3rd cobbled section the distance have grown to 5’52”, 182 riders left in the bunch.
We are on the 5th of 16 cobbled hills; we have now started to see first rider getting dropped and come back and lately also large groups of riders seemingly not able to rejoin the peloton, at this point no one important.
Mainly Matthews, Lindeman and sometimes Okbamariam taking turns in the bunch.
The distance has grown to 6’44”
We are now at the 10th cobbled hill, and we have seen a new interesting development, on the cobbled sections top favourite Vanspeybrouck moves to the front of the peloton and pulls hard, not only reducing the gap significantly, but also putting anyone hanging low at serious danger.
First major victim we have seen is Bush disconnected on the cobbled hill, he gets back on the flat section.
Distance 3’14”
Joseph attacks over the hill after the 12th cobbled section, opening a pursuit group of seven riders with Baugnies, David, Moulingui, Zepuntke, Marcos and Vanbilsen
At the rear of the bunch we can spot Taillefour, Gaudin and Nolf a bit low.
Up front pressure from De Bondt on the 13th section drops Monk.
The trio left in front has 1’41” to the pursuit, and 2’03 to the bunch now 47 riders.
37 km left.
The pursuit was reeled in on the top of the 13th section, and the pace drops a little.
Now also Park was dropped from the breakaway.
In the peloton also many riders dropped on the hill, Bolivar, Flaksis, Fouquet, Grashev, Insausti, Kurth, Langeveld Lebris and more.
At the beginning of the 14th section, the breakaway was over.
Baugnies setting a hard pace in front of the peloton getting smaller and smaller.
We have now just 19 riders left in the leading group over the top of the 14th cobbled climb they sit in this order: Baugnies David Blythe Zepuntke Vanmarcke Nolf Burghardt Vanspeybrouck Okbamariam Albert Ngamoki-Cameron Maes De Bondt Saber Joseph Vanbilsen Schoonbroodt Fenn Matthews
At 1’21” Thomas Gaday Marcos Sinkeldam
At 2’08” Theuns Chatarunga Thwaites Breen Rowe Vermote
Photo a bit earlier so might not be exactly same ordre
Another four riders drop in the hill, Fenn Matthews De Bondt Schoonbroodt
Then attack from Baugnies at the flat section.
8 riders response immediately, David Vanspeybrouck Blythe Zepuntke Burghardt Albert Okbamariam Maes
Behind them also a split, 6 riders still close: Vanbilsen Nolf Joseph Vanmarcke Ngamoki-Cameron Saber
At 1’25 De Bondt Schoonbroodt Fenn Matthews Theuns Rowe
We are now at the flat part of the penultimate cobbled section, the leading group further reduced, just 5 riders left in the lead. Vanspeybrouck back in the leading role setting the pace, in front of Baugnies David Blythe and Burghardt
At 32” Zepuntke
At 39” Vanbilsen Albert Maes
At 1’07” Vanmarcke Okbamariam Nolf Ngamoki-Cameron Joseph Saber
14.2 km to the finish
Further split on the on the downhill, David drops and was joined by Vanbilsen coming fast from behind.
Then first Burghardt and finally Blythe was dropped.
Blythe with a good move on the asphalt hill re-joins the leaders.
8.8 km left with just the final cobbled section.
2.3 km left
The three leaders on the flat part of the final cobbled section it looks like we got a clear picture of the riders going to share the podium.
At 57” Burghardt
At 2’11 Saber David Albert Zepuntke Vanbilsen
At 2’42 Theuns Vanmarcke Okbamariam Maes
Vanspeybrouck high pace have sucked the energy out of his companions, just a short acceleration and he drops them with ease, winning GP Kigali
With a narrow margin Baugnies 2nd in front of Blythe 3rd
Burghardt alone for 4th
Saber alone for 5th
Then a larger group coming in together David 6th Zepuntke 7th Albert 8th Vanmarcke 9th and Vanbilsen rounds of top 10
GP Kigali 
