Welcome to Moscow. 211 flat kilometers from the Red Square to the Red Square, will we see a mass sprint or another (Evonik) late attack? Stay tuned to find out!
A hectic start, as the first six attempt to form a breakaway, ranging from five to nine members, are all brought back by Evonik in the person of Nooytens. A seventh attempt is about to get underway. Here are the names of those who tried, in different combinations:
Betilson, Braico, Carboni, Cruz, Fernandes, Fumeaux, Herrada, Jones, Laas, Mudarra, Muhlberger, Nareklishvili, Polnicky, Puccio, Roosen, Rosskopf, Senyenov, Sweeck, Turek, A. Van Niekerk, M. Van Niekerk, Verona, Vervaeke, Weinstein
Attempt 7, containing Braico, Jones, Nareklishvili, Turek and both Van Niekerks, failed as well.
Attempt 8, containing Cruz, Fumeaux, Polnicky, Roosen and Senyenov, failed as well.
Attempt 9, containing Betilson, Braico, Cruz, Polnicky, Puccio, Rosskopf and Zordan, failed as well.
It took until the tenth attempt before we had a group which got more than 30 seconds and survived more than 5 kilometers: Braico, Muhlberger, A. Van Niekerk and Weinstein got to 40 seconds. Evonik and Volvo would bring them back, with Muhlberger going solo.
He would be joined by two others to finally create the definitive breakaway: Cruz Muhlberger Sweeck
They have 1'47 to 150 kilometers to go, so it took 60 kilometers to get a breakaway.
The break got to 6'44 as biggest gap, at 115 kilometers. Carboni and Amezawa tried later but their counter attempt didn't get far. eBuddy and Hugo Boss lead the chase.
Those two teams would later be joined by Aegon, Evonik and Festina. Together they halved the gap at 65 kilometers.
Rear wheel puncture for Spengler. Luckily the Mavic car was close by and he was up to speed in no time. Unfortunately it was just when the peloton would really pick up the pace, thus he never got back. Stenersen and Mraouni would also get mechanical troubles later on in the race.
Local team Tinkoff decides to liven up the race, as Sulimov attacks with 40 kilometers to go, when the break is back to 2'30. No one decides to follow him.
Instead the teams at the front decide to chase after him. They successfully do so, but Tinkoff has another ace up their sleeves as Vorobev attacks immediately, resulting in another chasing effort.
Fellow time trial specialist Howson is put in charge of the peloton, and catches him with ease. As a result, the gap to break has gone down to close to under a minute within ten kilometers of the first attack.
The breakaway notices this and acts accordingly. Sweeck launches an attack but the other two follow easily. The gap is going slightly up again, to 1'05.
This gap remains constant over the next few kilometers, until another Tinkoff rider attacks, this time Malori. Weber wanted to follow him but was called back by his manager, as he's more valuable in the sprint train for Coquard.
Muhlberger attacks again at 18k, when the gap has gone down to 40 seconds due to Malori's ill-fated attempt. Just like Sweeck's attempt, the others have no trouble in following, thus having another extension of their time at the front.
15 kilometers, 35 seconds. Now Cruz attacks, and this looks more promising than his colleagues. Volvo has put nearly everyone at the front, thus not believing in an upset victory by Sweeck.
Maybe they should though, as he reunites with Cruz together with Muhlberger. The gap with ten kilometers to go is still 25 seconds. More teams come to the front, to avoid looking foolish today.
Muhlberger and Sweeck throw the towel, shake hands and are caught by the peloton. Cruz on the other hand squeezes out every bit of energy he has left in order to stay ahead.
The race is 6500 meters too long for Cruz, as his tank got empty eventually. Gonzalez Salas leading the peloton with a high pace, likely to deter any new attacks. Will we finally see a mass sprint for the victory?
A narrow passage at five and somehow Manamalage finds himself with a gap. Surely this is not planned by Volvo as they have been preparing a train for Ahlstrand, but why not this way? The sprint trains of Aegon, Festina, Hugo Boss and Volvo are literally side by side behind, with only one turn to get better positioning remaining.
Coming out of the final turn with just under three kilometers to go and Manamalage dropping back voluntarily, here is how the riders line up for the final dash:
Aberasturi
Santos
Havik
Tzortzakis
Coquard
Kristoff
Ariesen
Kump
Bertilsson
Sbaragli
Howard
Ahlstrand
Bauhaus
Swift
Van Stayen
Grosu
Becis
Kennaugh
Houle
Stoltz
Kneisky
Zabel
Manamalage
Demare
Vesely
Wohler
Kwok
De Bod
Silvestre
Boeckmans
Avelino
Wisniowski
Summerhill
Lead sprinters who are too far out to have a chance of a good result today: Maksimov, Meyer, Afewerki, Docker, Porsev, Rowe and Van der Sande.
Dzamastagic and Van Avermaet also too far back to repeat their result last year. Evonik throwing everything on Van Stayen this time.
This is the start line, not the finish line, we still have 1.5 kilometers to go. The riders at the front elected to wait after the small uphill section, which we have now passed. Aberasturi leads out Havik, but Kristoff is not on their wheel, instead going for the wheel of Santos, thus leaving Coquard to follow him instead. Kump, Demare, Grosu, Kennaugh and Avelino in the positions behind. Van Stayen already started his sprint on the left side of the road, where Bertilsson gives a final lead out to Ahlstrand, with Bauhaus doing the same for Swift. Howard also in the mix but without helper.
Van Stayen takes the lead under the kite for the final kilometer. Havik lost the wheel of Aberasturi, the Spaniard now sprinting for his own chances. The Aegon and Volvo leadouts clashed, resulting in neither of them having an optimal speed at the moment. Santos also decided against giving Kristoff a tow, thereby also putting Coquard in a bad position. The right side is now led by Avelino and Grosu. Zabel, Vesely and Boeckmans coming from behind.
500 meters, Van Stayen with the highest chances of victory. Avelino in second place but Kennaugh looking to be stronger. Grosu behind them, then Ahlstrand and Swift finally up to speed. Aberasturi fading away. Howard kept himself out of all the troubles, but he has to make his way forward for a podium finish. Kump, Demare and Kristoff now setting up on the far right of the road. Coquard also finally coming up.
Van Avermaet, Dzamastagic, Michael Van Stayen! Three out of three for Evonik! Not with a late attack this time but purely on the speed in the sprint! This deserves a dance on the bike.
Kennaugh crosses the line in second place ahead of Grosu. Avelino just outside the podium. Coquard in fifth place, Ahlstrand sixth, Swift seventh, Vesely eighth, Kristoff ninth, Zabel rounding out the top ten.
Howard fading towards the end for eleventh ahead of Kump, Demare and Boeckmans. Houle, Aberasturi and Silvestre completing the lead pack.
Rowe wins the sprint for eighteenth, from all the riders which were caught out due to bad positioning out of the final turn. Outgoing champion Dzamastagic finishing 32nd, but that won't bother him given his teammate takes the honors this time.
