The focus of the culmination of the PCT season brings with it the decisions regarding the promotion and relegation fights. A few teams looking to make up unlikely ground at the top of the table to push themselves into the direct promotions spots. At the bottom of the table, the final relegartion spot is to be decided, with a 30 point gap separating three teams!
Favourites
Name
HIL
SPR
ACC
Lutsenko
81
72
81
Kinoshita
81
68
77
Schreurs
81
71
74
Ulissi
80
74
75
Flügel
81
68
74
McCarthy
81
65
74
Juul-Jensen
78
66
79
Bystrom
79
68
76
Betancourt
80
67
74
Caruso
78
70
77
Bilbao
79
71
75
Pichon
79
63
76
Dyrnes
78
65
77
Barbin
78
71
76
Waeytens
80
66
73
Froome
81
53
73
Anuar Aziz
81
67
71
Five riders get away early to form the break of the day:
Errazkin Dzhus Garby Langeveld Eliad
We're just at kilometer 25, and already there's a long line of riders getting dropped.
The break is splitting up. Eliad and Errazkin are dropped and Garby too seems to be struggling.
Eliad and Errazkin are caught by the pack.
Dzhus now dropped by Langeveld. Garby is further behind.
The three riders in the break come back together with 117 km to go.
Generali, Kraftwerk, Meiji, Ayubowan, Indosat and Novatek working at the front to chase the break. 80 km to go.
40 km left. 2'22" is the lead for the break.
Lot of riders are getting dropped from the pack now.
Ulissi attacks with 26 km to go, and on the penultimate climb. The break is just 19 seconds ahead.
The break is caught and passed by Ulissi.
Ulissi is long gone as the break splits up singly.
Kinoshita and Lutsenko the next to attack with 23 km left. Garby is caught.
15 km to go for Ulissi now. Lutsenko and Kinoshita have caught up to Langeveld, and trail Ulissi by 42 seconds. Dzhus has been caught by the pack.
13 km to go and Ulissi's gap is down to 35 seconds. He's now starting the last climb (the Lierse rider is being lapped). Langeveld hanging on well to this group.
34 riders remain in the peloton as they start the final descent. Villella and Schreurs lead them on.
Langeveld is finally dropped by Kinoshita and Lutsenko.
Schreurs, Bilbao and Pichon attack from the peloton.
The earlier attackers come together with 9 km to go (other three riders are being lapped).
23 riders remain in the chasing peloton. McCarthy at the head of that group.
E2 has reduced the gap to 20" with 6 km to go.
Seven riders - Landeveld, Prevar, Alaphilippe, Pavarin, Roux, Rovny and Waeytens are dropped from the peloton. That is huge news in the relegation battle and horrible news for Lierse!
Dyrnes and Juul-Jensen remain in the peloton, which is small enough to be called E3 now.
The gap is increasing to the Waeytens and that is probably goodbye to Lierse's survival hopes!
Both sets of attackers come together with 5 km remaining. The pack have also closed in.
3.5 km and the front group has 20 riders. Schreurs leads. The Waeytens group is more than a minute behind. Juul-Jensen is much better placed than Dyrnes.
Barbin in trouble...
We're going uphill with 2 km to go. Schreurs and Lutsenko at the front. Juul-Jensen in about 8th position, with Dyrnes in about 18th.
No attacks as we reach the Flamme Rouge. Kinoshita leading the front group.
They start the sprint with 500 meters to go. Bad time to catch two lapped riders! Lutsenko has inexplicably fallen a long way back. Kinoshita, Schreurs, Ulissi, Bilbao and Pichon in the leading positions.
Kinoshita powering away with 300 meters left. The order is similar behind him. Juul-Jensen is challenging Froome for 6th place. Lutsenko falling further back.
Kinoshita in the clear as we enter the last 100 meters. Schreurs too, in clean air behind the leader.
Kinoshita wins! A home winner riding in the home team! That's something special.
Schreurs takes 2nd.
Ulissi's early initiative is rewarded with 3rd place. Great way for the champions to wrap up their season. Runner-up SPAR with Bilbao finishing it off with 4th in this race. Pichon is 5th for Nordstrom.
Juul-Jensen once again turns into his team's hero with a superb 6th place when it mattered the most. Froome 7th and Lutsenko in 8th.
Caruso finishes 9th. Villela is 10th, ahead of Anuar Aziz.
McCarthy finishes 12th, which means his team is destined to be in PCT for another season. No miracles from them today. Dowsett and Le Gac through next.
Bystrom is 15th, but promotion is secure for Repsol. Flugel finishes a disappointing 16th.
Yates not with his best race, finishing 17th. Dyrnes comes home in 18th, not enough to turn it around for his team. Betancourt and Barbin complete the Top 20.
Today's winner - Tomohiro Kinoshita.
Waeytens ends up 24th, in the next group on the road. Together with Netia, Lierse too come up just short in the relegation battle.
