There aren`t many flatter stages that are hill rated. Pan cake from Invercargill along the coast before entering the Bluff Hill peninsula with the 265m hill rise.
As last year has shown, the full peloton basically is expected to enter that short hill together, positioning is really key here as you must be in the first rows as the pace going up is incredibly fast.
Also dividing energy is important. Not many riders are capable to attack early on and still pull it until the line. Claeys actually did so last season showing pure strength, others have failed to do so.
He will be here again trying to repeat this being mainly challenged by Di Maggio and Schreurs.
6 riders in the break and for Oram it`s a good way to show his KoM jersey to the crowd, no matter if there aren`t any KoM points before the finish line. With him: Aaltio Ford Schultz Biermans Bush
With 25km to go the peloton made an early catch though. Not a lot happened today and all are just waiting to for Bluff Hill to start and having their leaders organized before the climb.
Duolingo (Borges), Popo4ever (Prevar), Campari (Di Maggio), GCN (Schreurs/Dowsett) the teams chasing right now.
Though Minions (Claeys) and MOL (Waeytens) did so as well before.
Popo4ever actually having two interesting riders here as next to Prevar also Ackermann could do well. Though he is missing the pure hill strength of the puncheurs and would need bonus seconds from the sprint, where he yesterday didn`t participate and also would miss the speed in such field on pan flat stages.
11km and 6 Popo4ever riders (all but Aniolkowski) now leading with Prevar sitting 3-4 spots behind them! He must feel really strong today or is it a bluff on Bluff hill? (damn, this was bad)...
Also Farfetch with 3 riders. Turgis might miss the strong punch from others but the full package makes him always one of the favourites on this level. Stronger on the flat, great fighting, decent sprint and also his resistance is giving him a big advantage over others.
There we are. Bluff Hill. Once passing the short road alongside the coast the riders are turning right to immediately start the climb. 2,6km in length, 230m height difference, which makes it an average of almost 8% with the first kilometer being the hardest.
As said, if you don`t have a good position when starting the climb, it will be extremely difficult to make ground.
Just after the right turn, the riders are already on the hardest part. 13% for a short moment.
We see lots of favourites in the very first rows.
Prevar
Claeys
Borges
Ackermann
Dowsett
Flügel
Gaviria
Kanerva
Di Maggio
Bettiol
Swift
Turgis
Teklit
Schreurs
Waeytens
-
Gautier
-
-
Betancourt
Prevar having moved to the middle and into the first position going for a long lead. He is ahead of Ackermann, but as the German has worked earlier, it`s likely no leadout but more trying to follow his leader.
On the other side Di Maggio also well placed and in fact with his team mate Mutsumine still ahead of him. Same with Schreurs + Landa right behind.
Then in the next rolw Gebrezgabihier, Claeys, Turgis, Dowsett, Borges, Flügel, Kanerva with Waeytens, Gautier, Gaviria following and Betancourt another row behind.
Under the Flamme Rouge no real gaps yet but they are slowly at least becoming kind of visible.
Prevar still leading right ahead of Di Maggio now with Schreurs next to the Italian.
Then all the others. Betancourt still having a bit to do, sittign right next of Gaviria and the dropping helpers Landa/Mutsumine now.
400m left and while Di Maggio struggles now having misjudged his energy, the others still going strong, in especially Prevar in the first position. Simply no one able to really attack him.
Turgis seems to be fastest behind right now, who is up to Schreurs. Also Waeytens flying now on the other side going past Borges, Dowsett and Kanerva.
Flügel, Teklit and also Le Gac still fighting for a decent GC as well.
But the clear winner is Prevar. He easily was the strongest today riding the final 1500m from the front but not giving anyone the chance to pass him.
And while it first didn`t look like it, you can see a small gap for him as well. It was enough to give him a 5s gap, which is the only one in between the favourites and putting him into a great position now of course.
Turgis being the best of the rest once again showing his great skills on hilly stages ahead of Waeytens, who must have one of his best days for couple years already as he used to underperform heavily in his Lierse days. The team change to MOL seems to work out well for him today.
Schreurs being 4th just outside the bonus seconds with Borges and Gebrezgabihier following, great day for MOL in general.
Di Maggio down to 7th, still okay but not a good sign ahead of the longer Coronet Peak with Flügel having a pretty good day here and Bettiol.
Dowsett 10th doing already, Kanerva 11th as best Valio rider and also new leader of the Youth Jersey.
Claeys 14th, Betancourt 15th, Gautier 17th all not with their best day but not having lost any time on most.
The first bigger gap for 20th Destribois at 29s which also goes for Gaviria as best sprinter with Swift at 48s. Both of them remain in the top5 GC though due to yesterdays sprinter gap, new leader though is Prevar.
