The final stage is an ITT, and this year is sure to be the decider with the Top 2 riders in the GC locked on the same time after three stages! The top 5 is separated by just 20 seconds, and it's still anyone's race to win, despite the short distance to be covered on this stage. Behind them, things are a little less uncertain, as the riders are quite far apart in terms of their times. There could be some changes for positions 8-10 and then again for positions 15-20. Chances for changes elsewhere look slim.
Favourites
TT
PRL
Dillier
80
79
Schär
75
75
Gallopin
75
74
Just three riders remain from the original list of favourites for this race. This just means that this is a chacne for an unfancied name to make their mark.
Harry Tanfield is the first rider to be picked up by the cameras. He goes through the course in a time of 13'2".
Stage favourite Dillier riding next. He comfortably takes the lead with a time of 12'38".
Kal clocks a time 22 seconds slower.
Gallopin so close! He stops the clock just a second over Dillier's time!
Schappi moves into 3rd, 15 seconds down.
Schar is the new entrant in 3rd place, going 2 seconds faster than Schappi.
Bester now goes 3rd. He's 8 seconds slower than the fastest time so far.
Bohli into 6th, 18 seconds down.
Van Asbroeck immediately displaces Bohli for 6th.
The GC Top 10 get going with no further changes at the top of the standings on the stage.
Kumara is very weak in TTs and that shows as he loses 2'15".
Eeckhout only slightly better at 2'2".
Sinkeldam with a much better showing, losing 47".
Debesay clocks the 10th fastest time of the day, 24" down on Dillier.
Baugnies loses 1'17".
The battle of the Top 5 coming up as Nolf rolls down the platform...
He's marginally the best TT rider among the Top 5 and clocks a time 56" down on the lead.
Albert, who's poor against the clock, loses 1'36". This means he's now behind Nolf in the GC.
Vanspeybrouck stops the clock 1'8" off the pace. This means he's 12 seconds slower than Nolf on the stage, and was leading the latter by the same margin after Stage 3. It's a tie for the moment between Nolf and Vanspeybrouck!
Summerhill's TT capabilities is opposite to his cobbles capabilities and this is reflected in his run. He finishes 1'48" off the pace, meaning he falls behind both Nolf and Vanspeybrouck in the GC.
Ferreira, with the leader's jersey on this shoulders, is off...
He reaches the line to stop the clock and looks like it's not a great day in the saddle for him! He loses 1'33" on the stage, meaning he too drops behind Nolf and Vanspeybrouck in the GC! He pips Summerhill to 3rd place.
We wait for the judges' confirmation of the race winner as we congratulate...
Today's winner - Silvan Dillier.
And there's confirmation. Pieter Vanspeybrouck wins the KBC De Panne Tour for the second year in a row, after a count-back win over Fredrik Nolf. The latter rode an excellent race and is so unlucky to be on the wrong side of this result. Ferreira, perhaps the most aggressive rider of the tour, finishes 3rd, ahead of a slightly disappointed Summerhill in 4th. Albert will be very happy with a Top 5 finish.
Ferreira wins the Points Standings, ahead of Naesen, with Dillier making a dash to 3rd on the back of his win on this stage. Kumara easily defends his U25 jersey despite being the slowest in that category in the TT. Bohli and Spengler are the others on the podium in that category. Andorra win the team classification, ahead of Carlsberg.
