Welcome to Onda, a municipality and a town in the autonomous community of Valencian with a population of about 25.000.
The profile quite similar to yesterday, but maybe a little bit harder with all the climbing coming later, and the very steep finish. Not unlikely that the short sharp finish will be better for the explosive riders that the lighter pure climber types.
A sunny day with 27°C, more wind than yesterday from 17 to 21 km/h.
The Race
Nareklishvili accelerating right as the flag drops, at his wheel KoM leader Vink and Lecourt De Billot
A few meters further back De Souza and behind him Culey attempting to catch up.
They will not be alone, a 2nd wave with Bernard, Cink, Kastrantas, Lemus Davila Miller, Plucinski, Schlegel, Vliegen and Vuillermoz, catch up within the next 3-4 km and finally Geoghegan Hart, Ioannidis and Sakalou joins the front after a total of 9.5 km on the route.
Will be another 12 km until we get the final attacks from the pack, van der Poel trying to close the 1’58” up the breakaway, he will be alone on the road over the next 12 km before he joins the break with 149 km to the finish line. At this point the gap has increased to 3’50”
So, who is in the breakaway:
Best placed in GC is Kastrantas 15th at +1’28 everybody else at more than 7 minutes.
In U25 van der Poel best as 8th at 6’41”
In the KoM we have got the leader in the breakaway Vink with 22 points, also van der Poel got 10 points, Plucinski and Kastrantas 6 points each, Schlegel and Vliegen with 4 points.
The on paper best suited on this profile must be Sakalou, but also Schlegel, Kastrantas, Vuillermoz, Bernard, Miller, Lemus Davila and Cink quite strong on a day like this, so could be a hard challenge for the peloton if they work together well.
The group just roll over the points sprint, almost 100 km left pack at 3’21”
Right after the points sprint we start the climb to Puerto de Marianet, Geoghegan Hart attempt the early move from 1.2 km, Sakalou the only one reacting. Sakalou close the gap over 300 – 400 meter but never did pass the Englishman.
Tao Geoghegan Hart takes the first KoM points today. KoM leader Vink gets the last two points behind Sakalou
As the cameras was on the break, we do not know who but someone has upped the pace in the pack and cut the distance down to just 1’45” before we start the 2nd KoM climb today. This time the more important cat.2 Puerto de Eslida.
In the breakaway Ioannidis, Kastrantas, Schlegel and Lecourt De Billot was distanced over the climb and have not caught up on the downhill.
With less that 500 meters to the top, Bernard accelerates with Plucinski clued, turns out to be a great strategic move as they drop the others and pass the top as one and two, with Plucinski claiming the maximum points haul, moving up to shared 2nd in KoM standings
Ioannidis was swallowed by the pack. While Kastrantas, Schlegel and Lecourt De Billot rejoined the breakaway. Laas led the peloton over the KoM.
The distance to the pack is 1’58”, as they start the final cat.3 Puerto de Alcuda de Veo.
Kalaba and Mas leading the pack on the downhill and early part of Alcuda de Veo
Kastrantas now setting a hard pace to front to keep the distance to the peloton, dropping first Lecourt De Billot then KoM leader Vink and later Culey
Kastrantas keeps up the hard pressure right to the top and takes the KoM in front of Nareklishvili and Geoghegan Hart
Pack at 1’32”
Over the top and on the downhill the pace is very high and we see pictures of relative strong riders like Shapira, Hacecky Poljanski and Mai already in groups distanced by the peloton with minutes.
On the short uncategorized hill just 5 km prior to the last intermediate sprint, the first top climber was dropped by the extreme pace in the pack, 27th in GC Preidler dropped.
In the breakaway what may have been the favorite of the group Sakalou suffers from the hard pace on the flat sections which is his weakest terrain, also he was dropped and now fights on his own to keep the pack behind him, paying the price of not having teammates in the group.
Another important climber in trouble, GC 18th Bongiorno can’t keep up with the pace in the peloton.
Kastrantas climb the maximum amount of bonus seconds passing the point sprint first.
Brändle leads the pack on the last flat section before the upcoming cat.2
Sakalou was swallowed by the pack and now also De Souza was dropped from the breakaway.
When the breakaway starts the climb to Mas del Moro, The peloton or favorite group is at 1’57” (77 riders), group Preidler at 3’49”, no reports of Bongiorno since we last saw him but it looks like he is back in the favorite group.
Vuillermoz is leading the breakaway up the climb, keeping up a constant high pace. First dropping Schlegel then Geoghegan Hart and latest Kastrantas
Cink with a well timed late attack win the KoM sprint in front of Lemus Davila
Leaving the KoM leaderboard unchanged.
For some reason the pack has slowed down and lost a lot of time on this climb, the gap suddenly back at the 5 minutes level.
Miller was dropped over the top.
The next important event is a disaster at team Aegon – Lavazza, Velits has a mechanical and the management decide to bring back Eiking, van der Hugenhaben and most important Olivier to help.
Bernard attacks on the final downhill, leaving him with a small advantage entering the climb to the summit finish.
Vliegen stands still as soon as the brutal uphill start, leaving us with a pursuit of Cink, Lemus Davila, Nareklishvili, Plucinski, Vuillermoz and van der Poel
Peloton at 4’25”, group Preidler at 5’51”, group Velits at 6’31.
With unbelievable determination from his teammates, Velits rejoin with favorite group, with van der Hugenhaben and Olivier.
Up front Bernard was caught and Vuillermoz takes the lead, dropping van der Poel and Nareklishvili
2.5 km to the top
2 km to the top for the stage leaders.
In the pack the serious part of the pursuit has started with Taaramäe passing teammate Galta to take the lead.
The order of riders behind him is: Galta Yates, Mosca, Kudus, Tenorio, Foliforov, Pluchkin, Tvetcov, Barguil, Brambilla, Haig, Keizer, Bongiorno, Cattaneo, Dyball, Quintana, Denifl, Lopez, Kastrantas, Kolesnikov, Kirsch, Kritskiy, Warchol and Brenes
1.7 km top the top.
Vuillermoz keeps pushing up front now also dropping first Bernard then Lemus Davila
300 meters behind them Taaramäe about to catch Nareklishvili and van der Poel
Still 50 riders together in the favorite group, slopes above 13%.
1.2 km left. Vuillermoz how shook of his last two breakaway companions, riding alone towards the summit.
Cink and Plucinski at 37”, favorites at 1’03”
Taaramäe attacks under the red kite, he is now 100 meters behind the stage leader with everyone else reeled in.
The situation behind Taaramäe is: Plucinski, Tenorio, Pluchkin, Cink, Kudus, Barguil, Brambilla, Haig
No way Vuillermoz could keep those riders behind him at slopes above 16%, he is passed by Taaramäe with 800 meters left.
There is a small gap to the larger group led by Tenorio in front of Pluchkin, Kudus, Barguil, Brambilla, Haig, Denifl, Plucinski, Kritskiy, Cink, Keizer, Yates and Cattaneo
Another small gap behind Cattaneo
500 meters left for Taaramäe, now a measurable gap of 16” down to the next riders, fronted by Pluchkin in front of Tenorio and Kudus
Behind Kudus, Barguil and Brambilla side by side, another four riders in this group in next row, Denifl, Haig, Kritskiy and Vuillermoz
23” down to Keizer
Another 10” to a 17 riders group fronted by Keinath and Nesset
200 meters left
Taaramäe takes the stage to Mas de la Costa, his 3rd stage win of the tour.
At 13” Pluchkin 2nd, to cliam his 2nd podium.
At 21” Tenorio takes the last podium, also his 2nd podium of the tour.
Kritskiy with a strong finish 4th
Barguil 5th, Brambilla 6th, Kudus 7th, in the same time as Kritskiy
Denifl 8th at +40”, Haig 9th at +52”
Keinath rounds of top 10 in front of Keizer both at 1’27”
Rein Taaramäe keep the race lead, extending the time difference to 42 seconds. Aleksandr Pluchkin 2nd and Justo Tenorio 3rd both in the same time.
Rein Taaramäe also extend the points lead to 82 against Aleksandr Pluchkin’s 60.
With the 16 point at the summit Rein Taaramäe now shares the KoM lead with Michael Vink
Merhawi Kudus still leads the U23, with 3’19 to Miguel Angel Lopez
Aegon – Lavazza keep the team lead, 3'33” in front of Gazelle
Vuelta a Espana 
