We're just underway and the first riders attack: Kaislavuo Oelerich Bush Schreurs Mas Benoot
A counter attack of another six riders. Summerhill at the front row, but surely he won't be allowed into the break. Hamza Thomas Per Insausti Sulimov Vermeltfoort
The more the merrier it seems: Senechal Sagan David Wohler Menten Lampaert Kuznetsov Nechita
And it won't stop: Miller Katrasnik Marzuki Bolivar Tarvis van den Berg Ariesen Kortsidakis Fiedler Barbero Lecourt De Billot
And as if 31 isn't enough: Anderberg Basso Neilands Goldstein De Bod Kaczmarek Rodriguez O'Shea
We're only ten kilometer into the stage, the attacks won't stop coming: Zhupa Roosen Schwarzmann
Let's add three more for good measure: Boonratanathanakorn Bernard Sanogo
Here is a full shot of the breakaway, which reaches its full tally of 45 riders! They lead by five minutes with 160 kilometer to go. For completeness, a list of names grouped by team: Anderberg Miller, O'Shea, Schreurs, Wohler Kaislavuo Ariesen, Goldstein, Lampaert, Roosen, Vermeltfoort Neilands, Oelerich Benoot, Bernard, Kaczmarek, Nechita, Sagan Kortsidakis, Per De Bod, Menten, van den Berg, Zhupa Bolivar, Bush Katrasnik, Kuznetsov, Tarvis Barbero, Basso, Insausti, Mas, Rodriguez Boonratanathanakorn, David, Marzuki Thomas Fiedler, Hamza, Lecourt De Billot, Sanogo, Schwarzmann Senechal, Sulimov
eBuddy, Fablok, Repsol and T-Mobile with five riders each. Some dangerous cobblers like Senechal, Bush, Thomas, David and Lampaert in the group, but Vermeltfoort is the highest ranked in the GC, 47th at 6 minutes.
Teams without people in the break leading the chase, Air France, Moser and Andorra most notably. The other teams without representation are Puma, Gazelle, Aegon, Generali, Grieg and Indosat. Either they have riders high up in the GC or favorites for the stage.
Hamza punctures at the start of the first cobbled sector in Saint Python, which means he is no longer part of the breakaway. Other riders which would lose contact with the break are De Bod, Rodriguez, O'Shea, Boonratanathanakorn, Miller and Wohler. The first three would eventually get back, while the latter three together with Hamza will be caught by the peloton on or shortly after the sector.
The peloton had closed in to three minutes. Kamyshev leads off it with a bit of a gap, but despite some small cracks, 130 riders leave the sector as peloton. Chernetskiy, the current number fifteen in the GC, was the highest ranked rider who was not present, but his team send back all its riders which were not in the break to bring him back. Only Aasvold and Cataldo are left to ride on their own ahead of the broom wagon.
A mountain sprint right after the cobble section, of the then 38 remaining riders only a few are interested. Sanogo, David and Anderberg take the five, three and one point, but they are of no threat to Summerhill's jersey. A little over 100 kilometer to go, 40 kilometer until Arenberg.
The peloton picks up the pace again and closes the gap to a minute at the start of the sector, which already caught some riders off guard! McCarthy is dropped from the peloton before the section even begins, and for an experienced rider like Burghardt you'd expect better positioning.
Oelerich, Roosen, Bolivar, Sulimov and Lecourt De Billot lead the break onto the section, Sakala and Turek do this for the peloton with Andorra and Moser trains up front. The breakaway, or at the very least a large part of it, will not survive this 2.5 kilometer, as the peloton has them in their sights already.
Puncture for former winner Boom halfway through the section. He was very well placed, but now he needs to go on a recovery ride. The peloton picks up riders falling from the break one by one. GC-leader Hadi manages to maintain a position relatively near the front, as do Bibby and De Bie.
Polanc also punctured at the same place, but he was much further down the group already.
Roosen is the first rider to leave the section, ahead of Sulimov and Lecourt De Billot and with him 28 more riders. Goldstein, Katrasnik and Kortsidakis just fell off in the final meters, while Barbero, Bernard, De Bod, Fiedler, Mas, O'Shea, Rodriguez, Sagan and Vermeltfoort were dropped earlier and already passed by the specialists.
Blythe is the first of the peloton, catching Goldstein et al. Wisniowski with Moulingui behind him followed by Dahl-Olsen, Polnicky, Oliveira, Eeckhout, Hnik and Edmondson. A gap occurring behind them a group including Bewley, Summerhill and also yellow jersey Hadi, De Bie and Bibby. Gerts and Theuns are a further group behind.
The next cobble section would be the end for Hadi, who has fifty kilometer to say his goodbyes to the yellow jersey. Bibby is right beside him while De Bie is still able to ride with the specialists. Going over the top of the GC, De Bie, Kruijswijk, Walsleben, Cataford and Kung in group Summerhill, Boom now down in group yellow jersey with Gastauer. The leaders with Blythe have gap of 40 seconds over Bewley, Wisniowski, Oliveira and Hnik, with group Summerhill at a minute which also includes cobblestone specialists Kamyshev, Teunissen, Trentin, Vanmarcke, Altur and Kristoff.
Sulimov picks up the points at the intermediate sprint ahead of Oelerich and Blythe, just before the sector towards Wandignies. Still fifty kilometer to the finish line, the cobblestone sections follow each other in rapid succession.
Bewley and company caught just before the sector by group Summerhill which has dropped De Bie along with a few others to reduce the size to 30. Trentin uses the opportunity to attack, with the gap exactly a minute. The group yellow jersey is a minute behind the favorites group.
Oelerich and Sulimov set the pace in the break on this sector but cannot prevent a partial melting of groups. Trentin made it to the front, but Bewley rode towards them together with Wisniowski, Summerhill, Vanmarcke and Kamyshev. Van Avermaet, Altur, Oliveira and Kristoff at a small gap behind, the others including Kruijswijk, Boom and Kung falling further behind.
Trentin with another attack on the asphalt. Four original breakaway riders in Schreurs, Lampaert, Oelerich and Insausti try to follow, then Benoot with Blythe and Kamyshev. Group Oliveira joins group Bewley, with another group including Boom, Theuns and Gerts now not far behind. Teunissen hanging around Kruijswijk at nearly two minutes, with group Hadi/Bibby/De Bie at five minutes already. The riders are heading to another cobblestone sector: Warlain to Brillon.
At the end of the section we have seven leaders, all attackers except Kamyshev. The next group is at 40 seconds, and includes the following 18 riders: Bewley Kamyshev Vanmarcke Pedersen Summerhill Wisniowski Senechal Neilands Ariesen Bolivar Sulimov Tarvis Kristoff Kuznetsov Van Avermaet Gerts David Bush
Yes, Gerts made a huge jump on the sector. Group Oliveira, Theuns, Boom and Altur at 40 seconds, Cataford not far behind that.
Tilloy à Sars-et-Rosières has the surprising effect that Trentin cannot follow Blythe while Oelerich, Lampaert and Insausti can despite them having spend more energy today. Bewley has increased the pace and has Wisniowski, Senechal and Summerhill with him, passing Schreurs. They are about to catch Trentin.
Bewley decides that this is not enough and upon catching group Blythe, attacks the group in its entire. Behind things have also split with Bolivar on his way to group Wisniowski with David, Neilands and Bush. The next group contains Kamyshev, Thomas, Vanmarcke and Ariesen, then Kristoff, Benoot, Zhupa and Pedersen, and many more smaller groups which will lose more and more time.
On the end of the next cobblestone section the gap is down to 15 seconds. The chasing group has been reduced to Wisniowski, Summerhill, Lampaert, Senechal and Bolivar. Blythe at a small gap and Trentin at an even bigger, with David and Insausti dropped altogether, riding together with Bush. Thomas, Vanmarcke, Kristoff, Pedersen and Kamyshev at two minutes from Bewley, Gerts and Theuns at four, Boom, Walsleben, Oliveira at five, Kruijswijk at six, Kung at seven, Cataford at eight, and everyone else at ten minutes or more.
The riders split over two sides: Bolivar, Lampaert and Bewley taking the left gutter, Summerhill, Wisniowski and Senechal in the right gutter. It seems Bewley is recuperating as he is in last position in his train. Blythe at 30 seconds, Trentin at a minute, so unless the front six decide to play games, they can be counted out for the victory.
But Bewley is strong on the asphalt, as he rejoins and takes the lead again. Lampaert at only 10 seconds and Blythe at only 20.
Bewley once again in trouble on the cobble. Summerhill, Bolivar, Wisniowski and Senechal are the four leaders with five kilometer to go, Bewley at a good twenty seconds.
But the four look at each other too much and guess who's back! These guys had the chance to beat Bewley, now he is the favorite in a sprint. Blythe at 45 seconds with three kilometer to go, Lampaert at 1'30, Trentin at 2 and the rest much much further behind, with many riders involved in a race against the time limit. The battle for yellow should be between Summerhill and Wisniowski, the former six seconds ahead but the bonus seconds can change all that.
Bewley lead the group into the final kilometer, but he has no energy left for a proper sprint. Wisniowski starts the sprint from his wheel with Bolivar behind him.
400 meters, Wisniowski still leading but Summerhill has more pace. Bolivar and Senechal battle for third.
Close to a photo finish but Lukasz Wisniowski wins the stage, and takes the jersey by two second over Summerhill who finishes second. Senechal beats Bolivar for the final spot on the podium.
Bewley is almost caught by Blythe, they finish fifth and sixth at 24 and 45 seconds respectively. The time limit is set at an hour and a bit.
Lampaert holds on to seventh at 1'18. Trentin eighth at 1'32, Bush ninth at 2'15.
The sprint for tenth place is won by Pedersen, who finishes at 2'55. Thomas, Neilands, Oelerich, Vanmarcke and David cross the line at 3'09.
Kamyshev and Insausti finish at 3'51, Kristoff at 4'08.
Ringheim and Machado complete the top twenty ahead of Theuns, Van Avermaet and Gerts. They finish at 4'35.
Boom and Oliveira finish at 6'21, together with a very anonymous Daniel. Despite losing some time, both should be able to hold on to their GC top ten as others lose way more time.
Walsleben and Kruijswijk in a larger group at 7'42. Kung finishing at ten minutes together with Bakari. Altur and Teunissen a very disappointing 84th and 85th at twelve minutes, wonder what happened to them on the final sections. Cataford lost 13'48. McCarthy in 102nd place at 17'12. De Bie 113th at 18'38. Bibby 123rd at twenty minutes.
And here are Hadi's final meters in the yellow jersey. He finishes alone in 128th place at 22 minutes and 22 seconds. White jersey Geoghegan Hart and Gastauer 152nd and 153th at 35 minutes, but at least they made the time limit, which cannot be said for 21 riders. Chernetskiy is the most notable rider who has to go home, as are a few riders who were in the breakaway at the beginning of the stage.
Now we know the differences, we can give a full overview of the situation heading into tomorrow's time trial: Wisniowski leads the general classification by two seconds over Summerhill, with Bewley third at 1'44. Boom moves up to fourth, but is already six minutes down. Oliveira is fifth at 6'50, Kruijswijk sixth at 7'03 and Theuns seventh at 7'11. Walsleben, Bolivar and Gerts complete the top ten and are the only other riders inside ten minutes, with Senechal, Pedersen, Trentin and Kung separated by twelve seconds in eleventh to fifteenth.
Summerhill remains leader in the points and mountain classification. Pedersen is the new leader in the youth classification by 51 seconds over Per, with Grieg leading the teams classification by only a single second over Evonik.
