We're off in lovely weather for the seventh running of this cobbled race in the USA. The peloton expect a tough day over the stones and the inclines, and they wouldn't be wrong in their assumptions given the past history of this race.
Six riders get away and the pack looks happy to see them go. The break consists of: Peters Mraouni Svab Nareklishvili Lammertink Gaze
Bontenackels is dropped already! Could be a long lonely day on the road for him.
RBC, Evonik, Moser, Kulczyk and Aker control the front of the peloton, with the deficit at 3'45".
Four more riders were dropped on the opening cobbled section, but they all, including Bontenackels, made it back in the flat.
Mraouni in trouble in the break as the incline forces the riders to dig deep.
The Vesuvio rider would make it back eventually, as the first drops of rain arrive.
A group of 32 riders now out the back of the peloton. There is in fact, another smaller group behind this. The favourites are safe inside the 132 rider peloton.
All the dropped riders would make it back with 100 km to go.
80 km to go. The break have got their hands (and everything else) dirty, negotiating the cobbles in this inclement weather. Their lead is down to 3'4". Seven sections of cobbles remain.
29 riders now off the back in the longest cobbled section of the race.
Lammertink is dropped from the break with 70 km remaining. He would be caught soon after.
Narekishvili and Mraouni are dropped next. They also are swept up imminently.
The break are caught with 56 km to go as RBC now take control at the front. 86 riders remain in the peloton.
We're on the fourth-last cobbled section. Summerhill attacks with Bewley following. 59 riders remain in the front group.
Daniel suffers a puncture with 32 kilometers to go.
He is picked up by a group containing Laporte and Zubov, among others, who were dropped earlier.
In the meantime, Van Avermaet and Trentin have joined Bewley and Summerhill off the front, and hold a 21" lead over the chasing pack.
Speaking of the latter, Kump, Senechal and Puccio lead the chase, but they haven't been able to reduce the gap with 28 km to go.
5 km later, Wisniowski now leads the pack on the flat before the final climb. The gap to the four leaders have increased to 25".
15 km left now. The gap of the four leaders is up again to 29". The chase group has 26 riders.
Daniel is still chasing, on his own!
11 km to go. Wisniowski's incredible effort brings 11 surviving riders up to the leading group of four. The front group now stands at: Summerhill Bewley Van Avermaet Trentin Wisniowski Stallaert Polanc Tsatevich Senechal Spengler Teunissen Kamyshev Sulimov Baugnies Vanbilsen
Kump and Altur are among the big names to miss the cut.
Declerq has dropped back to Daniel's group.
We hit the cobbled hill with it's 10% incline!
Immediately, the lead group splits into three:
E1 -> Summerhill, Van Avermaet, Trentin, Bewley, Wisniowski, Polanc
E2 -> Tsatevich, Stallaert, Senechal
E3 -> Kump, Altur group, which has caught the others in the earlier 15 man lead group
(E1)
Polanc cannot hang on to the front group and is distanced with 8 km to go.
The peloton has swelled in size to 22 riders, including Baugnies, Kamyshev, Kump, Teunissen, Vanbilsen, Altur and Daniel, who has finally made it back.
Baugnies attacked and has now caught up to the Tsatevich group. Behind them, the peloton have blown up!
Polanc is a lonely man on the road, as he cannot see the front group around the bend anymore. 5 km to go. The four man group behind him is more than a minute in arrears.
The leaders are starting the climb to the finish with 2 km to go. No attacks yet. Summerhill doing all the work at the moment.
It's still Summerhill at the front as we approach the red kite. Polanc is visible in the distance while the Tsatevich group is caught by the re-forming peloton.
Still no attacks with 800 meters remaining.
Bewley's picks his spot and moves to the front with 600 meters left. Nothing powerful, just a few harder pedal strokes to get into the perfect position.
400 m to go as Van Avermaet too makes his way to the front. Trentin and Wisniowski are being gapped.
It's surely between the front (and big!) three for the win as we enter the final 200 meters.
And Bewley takes his via his positioning as no one launched a move in the closing stages! Fatigue catching up to everyone after this grueling race perhaps.
Van Avermaet and Summerhill complete the podium.
A great ride from Wisniowski is rewarded with 4th place, ahead of Trentin in 5th.
500 meters to go for Polanc and the pack is closing.
The Isostar rider does hang on to claim 6th place.
Baugnies the best placed from the peloton as they enter the final 500 meters. Daniel, Stallaert and Tsatevich the others with a gap to the rest.
Baugnies does take 7th, ahead of Daniel, who's pulled off a serious salvage job!
Senechal has caught up to Tsatevich and Stallaert with 100 meters left.
Stallaert finishes 9th, while Senechal pips Tsatevich to 10th place.
Benoot is the fastest from the pack and finishes 12th.
