A lovely day greets the riders as they line up for a long and challenging race. The top punchers from the division are all here to try their luck.
Favourites
HIL
STA
RES
ACC
Edmondson
79
75
72
76
Bystrom
79
75
72
76
Meyer
79
74
71
77
Chaves
79
74
73
72
Costa
79
71
70
70
Roux
78
78
71
75
Siskevicius
78
73
72
75
Villella
77
72
74
80
Besada
77
74
74
77
Mehr-Wenige
78
74
69
67
Hoelgaard
77
72
72
74
Teklit
77
75
72
70
Zingle
77
74
69
76
We're ready to go and the race director flags us off in New Zealand. The peloton is leisurely at the start but we get an attack a couple of kilometers in.
Four riders get away and soon two more join from an unworried pack to make it a six rider break of the day.
Christiansen Nishizono Eenkhoorn Onodera Rachid Yang
Edmondson suffers an early puncture. No harm done as two teammates drop back to pace him back to the pack soon enough.
The pack allows the break to build up a six minute lead.
At the halfway mark, we see some organization, with Euskaltel, BNZ, Netia and Zalgiris sharing responsibilities at the front of the pack.
60 km to go. The breakaway is starting the last section of hills which eventually end at the race finish. Their advantage has been brought down to 2'40". The peloton has dropped a couple of the weaker riders already.
We're at the highest point of the race with the pack now chasing with intent. Their deficit stands at 1'40" and reducing with every paddle-stroke.
Onodera, Christensen and Nishizono attack their breakaway companions and get a sizable gap.
48 riders are now dropped from the pack with Besada, Rabitsch and Groselj among the stronger ones.
33 km remaining. The break got back together in the interim but Yang attacks with the peloton less than a minute behind now.
Yang is reeled back in a few kilometers later. The peloton is letting the break hang on to a small lead for the time being.
14 kilometers to go for the break now as they start the final climb before the climb to the finish.
Nishizono's attacks in what looks to be a final act of defiance to the pack.
It is of no use as the breakaway, Nishizono included, is reeled back just a kilometer later.
Equinor is pushing the pace at the front and those at the back are feeling it! Just 39 riders remain in the group now. 11 km to go.
More riders dropped and some big names here as Roux, Bernas, Roche and Mehr-Wenige cannot keep up any longer!
We're at the start of the climb to the finish. The 31 rider peloton have 3 kilometers left, in what promises to be a drag race up the climb. Equinor, Euskaltel and Edmondson are at the front.
A kilometer later, it is Bystrom, Edmondson, Costa, Meyer and Chaves in the front positions and surely looking to launch the winning push.
Bystrom leads half a kilometer later with Meyer closest. Chaves and Costa are next. Edmondson is fading, and so is Molard. Siskevicius is trying to make up ground. Gaspar still helping his leader Villella.
Chaves takes the lead as we reach the red kite! Meyer and Bystrom just behind him. Villella looks to be struggling and it is in fact his Gaspar who looks strong for NENT!
Chaves followed by Meyer and Bystrom still the order with 700 meters to go. Costa is now tiring. Siskevicius and Gaspar look fresher behind the Euskaltel man. Edmondson, too, looks revived.
Chaves still leads with 400 meters left. Hoelgaard has made huge gains and is now up with the leading group. Costa is out on his bike!
200 meters to go for Chaves but Meyer just put in a hell of an acceleration to close the gap! The latter has the better line. Bystrom a lot clsoer to the front as well. This is getting close! Behind, Pons is the latest to have made up ground on the tiring leaders.
Chaves is hanging on to his lead by the smallest margins with 100 meters remaining.
50 meters to go. Meyer is level and with the inside line! The tide looks to have turned towards the Eddie Stobart leader! Behind them, Hoelgaard is gaining on Edmondson for 5th place.
But somehow, some way, Chaves has that last bit of kick to reach the line ahead of his rival, despite having to go on the wider line! An incredible ding-dong battle. Meyer with a great 2nd place in his first race of the season, but he will surely look back and wonder if he could've gone just a little faster. Bystrom finishes 3rd, having led till the last kilometer.
Siskevicius wins the sprint for 4th, ahead of Hoelgaard, who does indeed beat Edmondson, with the latter in a slightly disappointing 6th.
Another fast finisher, Pons, claims 7th, ahead of Gaspar.
Pibernik and Costa complete the Top 10, ahead of Mudarra and Mutsumine.
Stuyven finishes 13th, ahead of Pellaud.
Shirota is 15th with Villella, a disappointing 16th.
Diggle, Molard, Hatsuyama and Nibali complete the Top 20.
