Good morning, evening or afternoon wherever you are watching in the world to this live broadcast of Viana do Castelo. A fan favourite since its introduction five years ago, Viana this year makes its debut in the Continental Tour after four seasons in the second division. A unique race profile has lent itself to the brave and the bold in years gone by, with daring solos from Brynolfssjon, Summerhill and Baugnies the last three years and an upset win for Lars Boom in 2016. As you can see there it has favoured the northern classics riders who can get over the hills well, with the long climb up to the Santuario de Santa Luzia on each lap accompanied by the long cobbled descent requiring immense technical skill, with each lap also containing rolling hills and cobbles that scream Flanders rather than the Portuguese coast.
The top two cobbled names in the division also are our top two favourites today, both Prezmyslaw Kasperkiewicz and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck know their way over a hill and technically are among the best in the division. The former, U23 World Champion in Krakow, is regarded as one of the most talented classics riders of the next generation and shot to fame with his Chrono d'Arenberg win last year, and this year steps up to the mantle of leader for his home team Netia. He had a torrid time in the GP Herning though, leaving a few questions around his ability and experience! The latter has experience on his side, having dominated this division two years ago for his team NENT Racing, then of course known as Nordstrom. A solid fourth for him in the GP Herning a few days ago.
We must be in that small part of Portugal where the road signs are in French
Sadly we won't be treated to a crisp yet sunny late winter's day on the Portuguese coast, a rainy day today which will make conditions even tougher! An arduous fight to get in the breakaway with around 17 riders clear at one point, currently heading towards the first time up the climb there's two groups of 2 with at least a minute on the peloton: Rhim and Korzh about 25 seconds ahead of Mannion and Vinther.
It's going to be a really tough one. Many riders are already off the back after a fast start, just over 100 left in contention, including favourite Van der Haar, but we're assured that is was just a mechanical problem and his teammates are guiding him safely back to the peloton. Best to get that sort of thing done now!
On the climb, Mannion uses his superior climbing skills to make it a leading trio. Vinther is left for dead and is back in the peloton as our final morning breakaway pass Portugal's answer to the Kaapelmuur, the Santuario de Santa Luzia! A lead of three minutes over the top.
The name of the game is survival for all that have made it thus far. A cold, wet and muddy morning but luckily not too hard a temp after the opening kilometres. The gap holds at around three minutes as nobody really wants to go too hard with a tough final 140 kilometres coming up. Work is split amongst the peloton, with Nielsen, Fouche, and Natarov doing more than their fair share of pace-setting along with some other riders.
Oh and the race is heating up from a long way out! Coronel attacks with 121kms to go on the third lap and is followed by a host of solid names! Taramarcaz, Mebrahtu, Kaupas, Corwin, Silva, Dupont and who's this at the back? Why it's the 2017 winner Kari Brynjolfsson, up to his old tricks again! They catch Mannion who has been dropped from the morning breakaway trio!
This is a very dangerous move with some very good riders and nobody will be more worried than Netia here, one of the only teams without representation in this break! No favourites ahead except for Corwin, but every rider is a capable classics domestique and they could certainly stay away if left unchecked by the Polish squad. They will have some unlikely friends: the team they spent last year fighting, Lierse, who also have nobody involved.
Allonca wants in on this move, which has rapidly gained a minute's advantage, and that's what Netia needed as Kolev follows! Surely this move has a great chance of staying ahead with barely anybody left to chase them!
However, that duo fails to bridge, whilst Corwin has also surprisingly drifted back to the peloton, lead by Tryg Cycling! However, there are still 10 riders together at the front of the race with three minutes to the peloton! 114km to go, can Tryg, Netia and Lierse (if they have anybody) bring them back? A long way left and anything can still happen of course.
Mannion's yo-yo day continues as he is dropped and caught by the peloton with 100km to go. Meanwhile Mebrahtu has punctured and is alone in no man's land!
And the peloton chasing hard and they are down to just 33 riders! Netia and Tryg taking this threat seriously and they've brought the gap down 40 seconds in the last 10km. Chokri, Pedersen and Rickaert with some serious hero pulls here!
No major cobblers dropped, but Villella the biggest name dropped along with what appears to be the entire Signal Iduna squad (barring Dupont ahead)!
And Pedersen dropped after a lot of hard work, chapeau! The gap down to under 2 minutes with 84km to go, thanks to him in large part! Meanwhile Mebrahtu is back in the front group. However, as one comes in another goes out as Korzh finds his way back to the main pack. His team may believe the earth is flat, but he's feeling the weight of this climbing!
Dupont can't quite make it to the top of the fourth lap, and is dropped from the breakaway. Not all bad for his team though as Kal and Abelouache have returned to the peloton in a minor regrouping to give them a presence there. 7 riders left in the leading group, now with 2'20 after the gap eased out again with the exit of Pedersen from the chase. now 34 in the peloton.
Behind another member of that brilliant Strava team from 2016, Langeveld is dropped surprisingly early. 4th here that year, what a ride that was from him as Strava swept up the minor placings. No repeat of that this year I'm afraid for the legend of the lower division cobbles.
And wow, what a turn-up this is! Bad goes to worse for Bianchi as now Roger Kluge is dropped, one of the day's favourites! He has Archimandritis the Cypriot Champion with him as well as Langeveld not far behind, so it's not all lost for the German. Hofstede and Fouche also gone, both visible working in the early race and great efforts from both as non-cobblers!
There's been more action in this last 50km than some whole races, and we've still got 76 to go! What a race this is turning out to be. Put on the kettle and get cosy, because you won't want to miss any of this!
Puncture for Igor Boev, who was one of the best men left in a sprint. It'll be hard to come back from! His teammate Van Hoecke is coming back, not sure if he's dropped or waiting! He's with Kal and Abelouache, both gone again. 25 men left in the peloton with, and I can't stress this enough, over 70km still to go!
And a really nasty couple of minutes for Adriatica as now Kaupas loses touch on the descent and will fall back to the peloton! Still, with young Tilen Finkst and old Chris Pfingstein they have a solid presence in the pack. Just 6 riders left in the breakaway who are dropping like flies! The gap back down to under 2 minutes as well.
A bit of respite now, for me at least! The next 12km pass without any dropping or catching up, only the shortening of the gap to just 1'14 by the grit of Malecki with a huge pull!
And some really tough luck here for the 2017 champion. Brynjolfsson, who has looked solid so far, is forced out of the breakaway with a puncture. A shame for him and for his companions, who are now down to just five and looking a lot less threatening in the face of Netia and Tryg's motivated youngsters with just a minute and change to protect over the next 60km!
Five more riders gone and just 21 left in the pack. Kaupas, Villella (again), Mygind, Dupont (finally the end for his yo-yoing team) and the very hard-working Chokri will not be joining us in the finale!
It's all going pear-shaped for Azteca! Orue and Richardson both can't handle the constant up and down of the road, and are dropped on a rolling section, leaving their team totally leaderless! They're joined off the back by neo-pro Mikkel Honore, who has nothing left after a solid effort in the chase.
Malecki continues to lead the peloton as we approach the climb for the penultimate occasion, 18 men in the peloton and let's see who's still here: Hugentobler, Hirschi, Ghani Naesen, Finkst, Pfingstein Kasperkiewicz, Malecki Van Keirsbulck, Kumara Kulppi, Brynjolfsson Joseph, Verhels Maes Van der Haar Kuroeda Toupalik.
And the breakaway, 1'13 ahead is: Coronel Taramarcaz Mebrahtu Rhim Silva.
Sauber and NENT in great positions here with multiple riders in the favourites group and a rider ahead. Mebrahtu and Rhim (on the attack for over 150km now) are lone wolves, whilst Silva has Kuroeda back in the peloton and may drop back soon you'd suspect to protect his young leader.
Neo-pro Hirschi dropped with 50km to go, as is Rhim from the early break after a great and long effort!
46km to go and onto the penultimate ascent of the Santa Luzia climb, Mebrahtu leading with the most freedom of this group and the most to lose with a catch, the other three have leaders behind and Silva in particular is happy to wait, whilst the other two probably prefer this situation and are likely just using the Festina rider at the moment. 56 seconds, if they can make it over the top ahead of the peloton with a solid gap then it's an interestingly poised race going into the finale!
Oh and here we go! Young Przem Kasperkiewicz is taking the race to the field and attacking right at the bottom of this climb, he's really going for it! Clearly he believes it's his climbing skills which will win him the day, not the cobbles! Van Keirsbulck has been waiting all day for this move and follows in the wheel, his teammate Kumara leaves a gap and this duo is away! A 45km duel between the two favourites, surely not?
The group behind look lethargic and haven't even come around Malecki and Kumara yet, it looks like they're already thinking of third place! Verhelst and Kulppi won't be as they both drift off the back!
Wow! Wow, wow wow! This is a special talent, Przemyslaw Kasperkiewicz keeps going on this climb, and Van Keirsbulck must relent already! Still developing, still just 25 years of age but he's absolutely left everyone for dead here, what an attack. However ahead of him lies the breakaway and then 45km of open road. It's one thing to explode like that, it's another to attempt 45km solo against the best the CT has to offer. This is pure confidence from the former U23 World Champion, and you love to see the self-belief of this great talent!
Behind the group mostly staying together still but Toupalik, Brynjolfsson, Pfingsten and Rhim are all dropped. If Sauber can take over or the group get an understanding perhaps staying together is the best thing, as Kasperkiewicz has a big job on his hands and the race is by no means over! However already a minute even to Van Keirsbulck, it's a long way to bridge!
Kasperkiewicz takes a breather behind the breakaway and that's all Van Keirsbulck needs to catch up. Perhaps the young man realised the difficulty of a 45km solo, but he has given his rival a key advantage in the form of Coronel, a teammate who is already at work opening up this gap which now stands over two minutes. A well-executed plan from NENT Racing!
Home favourite Silva can't quite make it past the Basilica in touch with Coronel's pace, but if he recuperates a bit on the descent his race is far from over, with his teammate Kuroeda behind who could use some assistance! Same goes for Tamaracaz, who follows a minute later and has Ghani and Hugentobler behind.
Meanwhile, the chasing group splinters over the top, coming out of it best is the trio of Ghani, Van der Haar and Kuroeda, and what a great tactical decision this could be for Rakuten if Silva can help them bridge! Joseph chases them about 30 seconds behind and no sign of Maes et al further up the hill, however race radio reports Naesen is dropped, leaving young Finkst, in one of his first-ever races, leading Adriatica! Only he and Maes are chasing, as Hugentobler, Malecki and Kumara have teammates ahead. 40km to go.
Coronel leads this quartet across the finish line for the penultimate time to the sound of an old bell ringing, and there is one lap left to decide who will win Viana do Castelo, and with over 35km to go anything could still happen. A chance here to look at the accurate time gaps too:
So the chasing trio have pulled the gap back slightly to under two minutes and will have company in Silva soon. Taramarcaz has been given license to go for himself it looks like and is within 40 seconds of the leaders. Joseph stuck in the middle alone, with Maes leading two unhelpful companions still on the hunt for a top 5! Hugentobler and Finkst working together to stave off those behind but the top 10 may be out of each unless someone implodes, which again could happen with a very long 35km still to go! This race has been hard full throttle for 90km and there's still longer to go than the entirety of some races' action! All the riders mentioned today deserve huge props, what a demanding day this is, one of the contenders for hardest on the calendar!
And what a ride by Mebrahtu, by the way, still in search of the win alongside the division's best! Not picked up by any professional team and surely he's proven his worth and then some with a gritty ride today!
As the chasing trio catch up to Silva, Van der Haar attacks past the Portuguese puncheur! Kuroeda follows and they leave behind Ghani and Silva, they've shut the gap to 1'27 and are firmly in pursuit of the leading quartet and a shot at victory!
Ghani drops Silva soon after.
The last 180km really taking its toll now on the riders and behind the leaders it's every man for himself. Van der Haar leaves behind Kuroeda and is about to catch Tarmaracaz He's halved the gap to the leaders in the last 10km but can he catch them before the final climb - and will he have energy for the finale?
Coronel's done his dash, a brave effort after riding in the breakaway for 80km to give Van Keirsbulck some respite but now he has to leave his leader to fend for himself!
Mebrahtu still hanging in there and looking fine on the outside at least, but doing no work for obvious reasons. Kasperkiewicz and Van Keirsbulck work together for now, knowing the threat of Van der Haar and Kuroeda behind and extending their cushion over them a bit here towards 1'15.
Maes and co. caught up to Stijn Joseph here in the battle for the best of the rest but the Tryg rider has been dropped now having done so much work! Kumara has been chilling for a while now and so too Malecki, though he's been recuperating energy from his huge turn on the front of the pack! Silva is in their sights now.
Tarmaracaz is now 2 minutes behind, meaning Kuroeda and Ghani won't be catching the leaders. Van der Haar down to 1'35 but not totally out of it yet with around 10km left until the bottom of the climb. He is starting to fade though and is yet to find Coronel on the road even.
18km to go, the climb to the Santuario de Santa Luzia looms over the leading trio! No changes to the status quo, nobody caught or dropped, just the gaps growing ever wider, what a tough race this is! Mebrahtu looks a little worse for wear now and unless he's ballsy enough to bluff the two main favourites, it looks like he'll be best to ride at his own tempo to secure what would be an outstanding podium spot. It seems like a duel on the mountain awaits Kasperkiewicz and Van Keirsbulck, and I have to say I'd be favouring the young Pole in that situation!
And yes, a grimace the only response from the Ethiopian as Van Keirsbulck strikes first on the lower slopes of the climb! 5% gradient, this is proper climbing, not a steep but short muur, a real medium mountain!
And wow, the Belgian is pulling away! A huge attack and he's left his young rival behind early on this climb. Has the Flandrien judged his effort better so far today? It would seem that way!
Shades of 2016 here as a duel turns into a runaway lead for one rider whilst the other is stuck with a surprising African companion! It was Summerhill, Baugnies and Lagab then, and now it's Van Keirsbulck who is leaving behind his companions! Halfway up the climb and he's slowly but surely stretching the gap out to the best part of a minute, and this is his to lose now!
Add onto that the teammate who helped drive Summerhill to that win ended up with a top 5. His name? Samuel Coronel!
Further down the mountain, Ghani is hunting for a top 5 as he passes Tarmaracaz and Kuroeda on the road, he can see a tiring Van der Haar up ahead who still hasn't caught Coronel!
Even further behind, Kumara and Malecki have left behind Joseph and Silva and look like they'll round out the top 10. A great day building for NENT Racing!
10km left for Van Keirsbulck who will now process past the Santuario de Santa Luzia one last time and down to the finish as victor. Over a minute and growing to Kasperkiewicz and Mebrahtu, and well over four to his teammate Coronel. What a ride this is.
The picteuresque Portuguese coast is a unique place for a cobbled classic but the awful weather and this win of a Flandrien makes it seem like a home win for Guillaume van Keirsbulck. 5km to go and he's carefully descending back into the city, but his advantage over Kasperkiewicz (who will be second having dropped Mebrahtu) is nearing two minutes. A dominant last 20km from the Belgian!
And so after carefully negotiating the descent, Guillaume van Keirsbulck can cross the line victorious here in Viana do Castelo! A magnificent victory, a war of attrition won by a man who protected himself well, never went above his limits and in the end showed his class, distancing his companions on the final climb with what looked like ease. But his slumped form tells us otherwise - one of the toughest rides he'll do in his life and barely energy to celebrate!
Kasperkiewicz rolls into the line in second, a dissapointing finish but a lot to be proud of for this young man. His youthful eagerness showed on the penultimate lap when he perhaps went too hard too early trying to go solo, and he couldn't respond when Van Keirsbulck did the same on the final climb. However a learning experience for the Pole, and certainly a statement of his class after a dissapointing opening race in the GP Herning.
A fantastic podium finish for Goton Mebrahtu, off the front for 121kms, and battled through punctures, pain and pressure to hold on to the leading duo where nobody else could, all the way until the final climb. A huge result for him and his amateur team, and a truly inspiring ride! 32 years old, his best ride of his career. Chapeau!
Lars van der Haar and Samuel Coronel have both had a taste of 4th and 5th respectively here before in 2018 and 2016 - so now they get a chance to try the other, as the Paraguayan pips his Dutch counterpart on the line. A great ride from Coronel here, again in support of the winner (Summerhill in 2016), and so turns a great day into an even better one, and a major haul for NENT Racing. Superb performance, as he attacked with 121km to go, worked hard to keep the breakaway away, then worked for Van Keirsbulck and played a big part in that win. My MVP today for sure, though it's a tight contest with Mebrahtu!
Van der Haar will be perhaps a little dissapointed with this, he will have at least felt he could have been third here. But given the circumstance, and being fairly isolated in the peloton, he's done alright in context and made for a nice little C2 outing for his PCT outfit Delvaux.
A duo of young guns behind, Kumara in 6th turns an even better day into an even even better one, and a even more major haul for NENT Racing! Whilst Coronel played breakaway foil, he did pitch-perfect work in the peloton and earned his result by being one of the strongest there in his own right. A similar story for Malecki, who did tireless work in the peloton controlling the gap and shedding dead weight, and brings some bonuses for Netia in 7th. Just 23 years old, that's a real breakthrough ride for the Pole!
Ghani with a very impressive 8th, his team showed great depth today even if they might be dissapointed not to get a higher finish for their first man. Just 24 years old too, the fourth U25 rider in the top 8, a little surprising given how arduous this race was!
Kuroeda a bit of a disappointment here as it looked like he was chasing the podium but he lost touch of van der Haar early and only went backwards.
Tamaracaz completes the top 10 ahead of teammate Hugentobler and Silva. The latter two proving there's room for puncheurs here. Some great depth from Sauber here with three in the top 11, as well as Hirschi in 18th. The latter one of the standouts of the rest, a great performance from the 21 year old, who is regarded as more of a climber usually! Tamaracaz and Silva both doing well from the breakaway here.
Adriatic have six riders in the top 30 and five in the top 25, neo-pro Finkst in 15th a real pleasure to see today! Meanwhile Nicolas Maes a huge dissapointment, completely cracking at some point there and ending up slipping to 16 minutes down in 24th!
A solid day for the amateur teams here, with Mebrahtu on the podium accompanied by 10 in the top 30!
Despite the 90 minute cut-off, many riders still rolled in past the time, some over three hours behind Van Keirsbulck. But they all finished and that's something to be proud of. Most notably here, aside from the aforementioned Manamalage, well over three hours behind, is Troels Vinter, who bonked hard after his appearance in the breakaway but fought on to the finish here. And as he arrives, we must depart. Thank you for joining us for an epic edition of Viana do Castelo, see you next time!
