Tomorrow is the team time trial, today is the final mountain stage. Can anyone threaten Eastman? Which riders will attack to make up the time they will lose tomorrow? Who will battle for the mountains classification? A lot of questions today, hopefully a lot of answers as well.
A large breakaway on this rainy day, a full dozen (12) at the moment: Mehr-Wenige Mostov Pogacar Lewis Pirazzi McConvey Piccoli Stachowiak O'Connor Le Bon Habtemichael Fung
Juodvalkis would make it a baker's dozen (13).
Pogacar just manages to pass Pirazzi on the first category three climb of the day to get two points, as McConvey and Piccoli finished ahead. Pogacar is third in the mountains classification at the moment, but rival Meyer is not in the break and Eastman can realistically only take points at the final climb most likely. He's also dangerous for the youth classification if the break survives, 1'27 behind Zaccanti.
The gap has already reached double digits at the intermediate sprint 40 kilometer into the stage, 150 kilometer to go. Juodvalkis is gifted the sprint as the latest arrival. Pirazzi is highest ranked in the GC, 24th at 8'46, and thus has the virtual yellow jersey over his shoulders.
Pogacar bounces back at the next category two climb to take ten points and tie with Eastman at 36 points. Pirazzi, Mehr-Wenige, Stachowiak and Lewis take eight, six, four and two points. Only Mostov got in trouble on the climb but rejoins after downhill. Eleven minutes is the maximal lead the peloton will give, a few teams cautiously starting to chase.
The uncontested sprint after the downhill is gifted to Mehr-Wenige.
Pirazzi takes the next category two mountain sprint, but Pogacar takes eight points which brings him into the lead. Lewis, McConvey and Mehr-Wenige take the remaining points. Mostov again in trouble, this time with Juodvalkis, but both returning again. Halfway through the stage and the lead is down to eight minutes.
NENT, Centovalli and OMV Petrom the main pace setters, teams which have riders in the lower end of the GC top ten now threatened by the breakaway. Peloton reduced to 100 over latest climb, but all names of importance still at the front. The gap is slowly coming down on the wet tarmac.
Pirazzi wins the second-a-last climb of the day ahead of McConvey and Lewis, no points for Pogacar at this category three climb. The virtual classification with one climb in the race to go:
#
Rider
Pts
1
Pogacar
44
2
Eastman
36
2
Pirazzi
36
Eastman needs fifth or better on the stage to win the mountains classification, assuming the breakaway is caught and Pogacar scores nothing. If the breakaway does survive, then Pirazzi needs to finish some places ahead of Pogacar, and at least in the top five.
The final climb can be split in four parts, an easier first section followed by a steeper section, a short downhill and then seven kilometer very steep. We reach the foot with twelve leaders, as Mostov did not receive a third life. Twenty kilometer to go and the lead is 3'30, Centovalli and OMV Petrom leading the peloton with three riders each.
Pirazzi attacked the group and leads after the first section, but the gradient is slowly rising. GCN and Bianchi take over in the peloton, the gap down to three minutes. Is Bianchi chasing after their own Pirazzi?
The Italian is brought back at the top of the first climb, a short downhill before the true final climb. Bianchi slowed the peloton down a bit, the gap back up to four minutes with only ten kilometer to go, but now Azteca comes to the front with Mannion and Stetina.
All Azteca did was reduce the group to fifty riders, Camier the most notable victim, and reduce the gap to three minutes. GCN and OMV Petrom come back with Cuming, Palyi and Majoral. Eastman around tenth position with his competitors behind him.
Saggiorato attacking a kilometer into the climb, immediately followed by Pinot. Diaz and Valls tried to follow but had to sit back in the saddle, dropping back to group Eastman who doesn't panic yet despite the number two in the GC up the road.
At the front, Le Bon attacks with five kilometer to go and no one seems able to follow. The gap is coming down, Saggiorato and Pinot at two minutes, group yellow jersey at 2'30.
Pinot and Saggiorato work together, but Valls is closing in. Then a gap to Cort Nielsen, slightly ahead of Kiserlovski, Eastman, Ratiy and Faiers. Small gaps, not more than fifteen seconds, but Eastman is already 40 seconds down on Pinot. Medvedev sticking around in the peloton, where Signorini and white jersey Zaccanti are even dropped.
Le Bon going strong, 3.5 kilometer to go and he leads by a minute over his former breakaway mates. That group is also split, with Piccoli, McConvey, Pogacar and Lewis getting clear.
Pinot and Saggiorato reach the back of the former break with Valls not far behind. Cort Nielsen was caught by the group yellow jersey, now 55 seconds behind Pinot. Eastman in danger of losing yellow. Diaz 30 seconds behind them, with a larger group at another 50 seconds including Giogieri, Manfredi and Borisavljevic. Medvedev and Potocki in danger of being dropped there.
The superior climbers making their way through, group Pinot passing group Pogacar, group Eastman passing group Pirazzi. Le Bon leading by 1'48, it will be difficult to close that gap in just over two kilometer.
Faiers and Cort Nielsen riding away from Eastman, who does not have the energy to respond. Pinot and Valls drop the breakaway, but Saggiorato cannot follow yet. The virtual gap between Pinot and Eastman is 1'26, so Pinot goes into yellow. Pogacar dropped back to Eastman, but the American is currently unlikely to gather enough points to the KoM. If Pogacar manages to stay ahead of Borisavljevic, he might take the youth classification as well.
Final kilometer, Le Bon leading by 45 seconds over Pinot and Valls. The gap has come down quite a bit, and Pinot appears to ride away from the Spaniard.
For Eastman things look dire, losing more time to Pinot. Kiserlovski sticking with him, either tactically or he also does not have the energy. Faiers and Cort Nielsen have managed a decent gap and it looks like Piccoli, McConvey and Lewis can follow their pace.
Johan Le Bon wins, the strongest of the breakaway and the stage!
Pinot second at 53 seconds, twelve bonus seconds and likely over a minute to Eastman. Valls managed to get back to his wheel but couldn't pass him, third place and eight bonus seconds.
Meanwhile, Eastman has finally found the right pace, passing the breakaway and riding towards Faiers and Saggiorato!
Faiers fourth, Saggiorato fifth at 1'30 and 1'44 respectively.
And Eastman finshes sixth after all, but what is the gap? 1'57 to Le Bon, so 1'04 to Pinot. With the latter's bonus seconds, we have a new GC leader by five seconds!
Ratiy seventh, with McConvey and Piccoli eighth and ninth, all in the same time as Eastman.
Cort Nielsen losing some ground in the final kilometer, finishing tenth at 2'21 ahead of Kiserlovski and Lewis.
Diaz thirteenth at 2'40, Pogacar fourteenth at 3'21. Eastman finished sixth, which means he comes two points short of Pogacar who will win the mountains classification. If Borisavljevic doesn't finish within a minute and a bit, he wins the young rider classification as well!
Mannion, Pirazzi and Heider up next. Manfredi finishes eighteenth at 3'56.
The peloton, including Medvedev and Giogieri, finishing at six minutes. Borisavljevic losing an additional minute with Potocki and Nibali.
Thibaut Pinot goes into the final stage as GC leader, five seconds ahead of Eastman. The team time trial will be very exiting! Valls moves up to third at 1'49, Kiserlovski drops to fourth at 2'19. Faiers fifth, twenty seconds ahead of Cort Nielsen. Saggiorato, Ratiy, Diaz and Manfredi completing the top ten, Medvedev and Giogieri drop to eleventh and twelfth.
Eastman does win the points classification, but concedes the mountains classification to Pogacar who also takes the white jersey with two minutes to Borisavljevic. Bianchi holds the teams classification with three minutes to CYBEX.
