129 riders at the start line in Gaeta. The weather nice, clear skies and sunshine. No rain and mud to make the bad roads even worse. The commissaries drop the flag and we're off!
A few kilometers in and we have the first attacker: amateur Wallays.
Four riders followed and that's it. First attempt to form a breakaway is successful without much hassle: Howes Konovalovas Velasco Wallays Van Zandbeek
They have a gap of three minutes with 168 kilometer remaining.
Eventually a few teams control the gap, giving them five minutes max. Andorra, Lierse, Netia and Tryg are the teams expected to take the work and they do so. ISA lurking behind them.
All five members of the breakaway survive the Salita di Velletri climb, Velasco crossing the top first. Despite the banner, no mountains classification in this one-day race.
The peloton arrives four minutes later without dropouts, the same teams still at the front. Surely a relief for many riders who might have watched Strada Appia Antica yesterday. It's only cobblestone and asphalt from here on out.
The first cobblestone section of the day. The peloton can see the break but the gap is still around three minutes. Seventy kilometer until the finish line in downtown Rome. None of the breakaway riders exceptionally good or bad on this surface, so no threat for the favorites you would think.
At the end of the first section, Konovalovas slows down and stops by the side of the road. He has a puncture! The others won't wait for him, he has to get back on his own. Tough times for the Lithuanian.
Yechezkel attacks on a flat section between sectors two and three. Mebrahtu and Naesen follow, but then semi-favorite Maes decides to join. The other teams don't approve of this move even though we still have 55 kilometer to go, and quickly bring back the group. The tables are set.
Konovalovas couldn't make it back to the break and was caught with 45 kilometer to go. His former companions hold a lead of 1'40, going down on every cobble section. Biermans and Van Aert control the pace for Lierse, joined by Reckweg and Rickaert for Netia. The peleton is reduced to ninety riders but no major name missing as of yet.
Mebrahtu gives it another go, followed by Kaupas, Jenko and again Maes. Once again he is considered too dangerous, Lierse and also ISA bringing them back quickly. Some wasted energy for the Belgian early on in the finale.
The peloton moves within a minute of the breakaway on sector seven. Velasco attacks from the breakaway, feeling the pace isn't high enough there to stay away until the end...
But in a classic example of overconfidence, Velasco was caught and would be the first to get dropped. The others have only 30 seconds at 30 kilometer, Verhelst, Mraouni and Reckweg the main pacesetters at the moment.
And at the next cobblestone section, the entire breakaway is caught. Joseph leads the pack with Vanbilsen right on his wheel, and Maes alert in third position. A small gap appeared to occur, but ISA and Netia quickly closed it. Twenty kilometer to go, and the peloton is seriously thinned out. Yet all the major names are at or close to the front.
The pace was not very high as some riders which were previously dropped got to return, increasing the group size to 50. Kaupas opens the finale at 13 kilometer, as he attacks together with Ariko and Kozhatayev.
A long cobblestone section ahead, which the leading trio rides onto now with a 24-second lead. Maes attacks for the third time this race. Instead of trying to bring him back using teammates, Bush and Vanbilsen go after him.
This trio easily joins the other trio to form a leading group of six with less than ten kilometer to go. Machado and Kasperkiewicz lead the chase in the seriously fractured group behind. With them are Lhotellerie, Kluge, Bolivar, Saber, Richardson and Naesen. Tsatevich and Havik are in the third group at 35 seconds from E2. The likes of Harrison, Joseph and Langeveld even in a fourth group.
Six kilometer and another small cobblestone section. Kasperkiewicz rides the chasers back to the leading sextet, but Bush accelerates to maintain a small lead. The second group now contains fourteen riders as Jenko managed to bridge the gap. Group Tsatevich/Havik and beyond at over a minute and out of contention for the victory.
Seventeen seconds is the lead for Bush with only four kilometer to go. Maes leads the second group but he has spend a lot of energy already. There are also no helpers which could do the chasing, as only Adriatic Kontinentalna Selekcija has two riders in the group (Kaupas and Naesen) and they're hardly favorites. Ariko couldn't follow the pace anymore and is in danger of being caught by Tsatevich et al.
Machado attacks with three kilometer remaining. Maes still leading the chase with Richardson now on his wheel. Vanbilsen letting them do the dirty work for now. The Frenchman can't really get any closer to Bush though.
In fact, Machado's attempt proved to be futile as the others catch him again, now it's Vanbilsen himself at the front of the group. The gap to Bush times at 25 seconds on the final cobblestone section, 2000 meters from the finish line.
Vanbilsen's pace is so high that he rides away from the chasers and is on his way to Bush as we head into the final asphalted kilometer. Maes now leading the chasers again, but none of them has the energy to bridge the gap.
The Belgian draws alongside the American into the final turn. They can see the finish line and have a clear gap to the others. A sprint between these two will decide the winner!
Kenneth Vanbilsen does it again, after winning the first edition he takes the second edition as well! This makes up for a disappointing Strada Appia Antica!
Robert Bush had no energy left for the sprint, giving it everything to get away from the group. He improves upon fifth place from last year, but second place feels oh so close to victory.
Lahcen Saber wins the sprint in the second group. Another podium place for the Moroccan, but on the third step this time around.
Fourth place for Kluge ahead of Jenko, the best Continental and Amateur rider in the race respectively.
Bolivar, Richardson, Lhotellerie, Kasperkiewicz and Maes complete the top ten, Machado last of the group in eleventh. All had no answer to Bush and later Vanbilsen.
Naesen, Kaupas and Kozhatayev lost touch with the group in the final kilometers, and roll over the line in twelfth to fourteenth place.
Havik beats Tsatevich, Kolev, Arissol and Changpad for fifteenth.
Ariko completes the top twenty ahead of Van der Velde, Hofstetter, Bovenhuis and Archimandritis. The final point goes to Feng.
Disappointments of the day are Joseph (28th after working for Vanbilsen), Harrison (30th) and Langeveld (31st). 128 out of 129 riders finished the race, Petilli being picked up by the broom wagon.
