Stage nineteen can rightfully be called the queen stage. 195 kilometers from Ashford to Mount Rainier, with a lot of climbing to do. Will we an epic battle between Valls and Talansky, or will Yates pass them both? Will Eastman strike back, a long solo by Berhane or another rider in the top ten or fifteen? Hochmann winning by four hours to place everyone outside the time limit and win the race? Anything is possible! (except that last one maybe)
No Hochmann in the break, but some other names to enjoy: Koshevoy Stetina Riesebeek Moreno Hernandez Mendes Jim Moyano
Koshevoy the highest ranked rider in the GC, 18th at 16'01. Stetina is yesterday's stage winner. Riesebeek leads the KoM and is close to mathematical security provided he finishes the race. Mendes could still theoretically pass him, but he has to take nearly all points despite his weak impressions the past few days. Jim, Moreno Hernandez and Moyano might hope for stage glory.
This is not yet the finish line, but the first ascent of Mount Rainier. Mendes picks up no points and Riesebeek four. Stetina takes the sixteen points. Gap to the peloton already six minutes.
Riesebeek is allowed to win the hors category Yakima Peak and this should seal the jersey. After today there are only sixteen points available for the fastest mountain time trial tomorrow, at the same climb. The gap to the peloton has extended to fourteen minutes, Koshevoy's presence doesn't seem to bother Kulczyk, Podium Ambition, Ayubowan, Azteca or any other team who might be in danger of losing a place in the GC now.
Puncture for Berhane, but the team would easily bring him back to the peloton, and the other teams recognized the misfortune and didn't increase the pace. The gap to the front got even bigger, to over sixteen minutes. That means, I cannot believe I'm saying these words this late in the race: Ilia Koshevoy is the virtual race leader!
The riders then had to climb Yakima Peak again, this time from the other side. The second part of the stage is a mirror from the first, as the finish is on the other side of Mount Rainier. Riesebeek is dropped, as was Mendes on the previous climb, leaving five leaders. Kulczyk starts to increase the pace, reducing the amount of riders in the peloton to 60 and the gap to the break to 14, Koshevoy is no longer virtual leader but will do some good business in the GC today.
As the breakaway heads onto the final climb, fifteen kilometers to go, Stetina attacks. Moreno Hernandez follows, the others elect to wait. The peloton still at thirteen minutes, the favorites all waiting for the final climb as well.
Koshevoy and Moyano return with ten kilometers to go, but Jim is gone for good. Stetina then attacked again, with Koshevoy and Moreno Hernandez following. Moyano would not, and so we have three leaders remaining.
The peloton also makes their way to the climb. Suaza goes for an early attack. Kulczyk still with the train: Pozzo, Cieslik, Eyob, Valls, but the gap only goes down to twelve minutes.
At 3.5 it's Koshevoy's turn to attack. Neither Moreno Hernandez nor Stetina has the strength to follow, so this might be the stage winning move. Also important for him to gain as much time to elevate himself into the top ten.
Almost simultaneously, WCC teammate Berhane attacks from the peloton. Sepulveda responds together with Eastman, Yates and Atapuma. Valls and Talansky stay in the peloton. Suaza has a lead of 30 seconds.
What a day for Ilia Koshevoy, winning the stage, becoming virtual leader for a while and very likely a spot in the top ten. He's so empty or emotional that he doesn't raise his arms, but I'm sure it will all sink in later.
Two stage wins in a row was a bit too much, but first and second place for Stetina is certainly a good result as well. He also picked up a lot of mountain points, climbing to second behind Riesebeek at an unrecoverable gap though.
Moreno Hernandez finishes in third place, Moyano fourth. Great rides by both guys, just not strong enough for the victory.
Fifth place for Jim, who takes third in the KoM two points ahead of Moreno Hernandez. As Riesebeek was caught by the peloton, the next finishers will be the favorites.
Five kilometers to go for Suaza. He leads by 27 seconds over Eastman and Yates, and another 32 seconds to group Valls/Talansky. That makes Yates the virtual owner of yellow, but he has to keep this gap for the remainder of the stage.
Valls and Talansky lead the chase themselves, as they smoked up all their teammates in earlier chasing. Other riders surviving in this group: Anacona, Manfredi, Sepulveda, Berhane, Atapuma, Parra Bustamente and a struggling Eyob. The next group with seventh-placed Squire at a minute.
Eastman and Yates did not cooperate well, and got caught under the flamme rouge by the chasing group.
Suaza crosses the finish line in sixth place. Nearly ten minutes have passed since Koshevoy passed the line.
Manfredi sprints to seventh ahead of Yates, Talansky and Parra Bustamente, losing 34 seconds to Suaza. Sepulveda, Eastman, Valls, Atapuma and Anacona also in the group. Berhane losing an extra seventeen seconds.
Group Squire finishing at 11'14, 48 seconds behind group Valls. Eyob dropped back to this group. De Marchi, Hoem, Lemus Davila, Henao, Brandt, Tatarinov also in this group.
As for the GC, the top four remains unchanged in terms of position and time difference. Valls and Talansky going into the mountain time trial with nothing seperating them, Yates at 25 seconds. Eastman at 3'23, Berhane at 4'25. Koshevoy with the giant leap to sixth at 5'15. Atapuma, Anacona, Sepulveda and Squire complete the top ten, Suaza eleventh at only five seconds from Squire.
Yates leads the points classification with 147 points, Talansky second with 126 and Haller at 125. The latter could still score a decent amount of points on the final stage.
Riesebeek secure of the mountains jersey provided he finishes the race. Eyob with a three-minute lead over Henao in the young rider classification. Compal leading the teams classification with a decent gap to Banco de Bogota and Azteca.
Everyone managed to finish inside the time limit, including Hochmann who didn't go for the monster ride. In fact, we haven't lost anyone since the start of the race, all 112 riders still in competition.
