It's the final stage of the Barbados Cycling Festival. Whose sprint lottery numbers will come up today?
F
Sp
Acc
GC
Best Stage
Team
Manninen
74
81
80
1
1
Valio - Viking Genetics
Boeckmans
72
80
82
2
1
Swisslion Cycling Team
Vesely
73
81
80
3
3
Minions
Cavendish
71
81
78
4
4
Kraftwerk Man Machine
Avelino
70
82
77
5
4
Aramco DP
Swift
73
83
81
6
1
Berg Cycles
Lo Cicero
72
84
78
7
5
MOL
Ewan
75
83
81
8
2
Podium Ambition
Guerao
74
83
76
9
2
DK - SVA Zalgiris
Guarnieri
75
81
80
10
6
Bakkafrost
Gaviria
76
81
84
11
3
Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam
Reinhardt
71
79
84
12
7
Centovalli - Fiat
Rowe
78
79
80
13
7
Xero Racing
Van der Sande
75
79
79
21
13
Farfetch Pro Cycling
Keukeleire
72
80
79
22
14
Podium Ambition
Lay
73
79
81
23
12
Campari Asahi Procycling
Kupfernagel
74
80
80
45
17
Berg Cycles
We've yet to see a yellow jersey sprinting well in this race, so can Manninen buck the trend? Mathematically, he has very likely secured a Top 4 GC finish, but it's the win he wants now.
His battle with Boeckmans could be key, with only 3 seconds in it. At 16 and 17 seconds back, Vesely, Cavendish and Avelino need a Top 2 stage finish for a shot at the race overall.
For Swift, Lo Cicero, Ewan and Guerao, only a win will do. But for the latter three, that would also need to be paired with Manninen finishing outside the Top 10, and Boeckmans no better than 9th.
Given the stage profile, we should first have a think about the King of the Mountains competition though:
Standings
Mas
20
Richardson
16
Hindley
12
Soulious
8
Hamilton
2
Aular
2
12 points on offer today, so it is a strong position for Mas, he only has a few riders he needs to watch.
One of them is Hindley, who is the best hill rider of the bunch, and the immediate uphill opening could suit him if he goes for it.
He does go for it! Albeit, not quite amongst the first attackers.
It doesn't work out for the Aussie though.
Infact, Mas himself gets himself into the move of 8!
Florez Hamilton Kochetkov Mas Mullen Nooytens Nych Verona Wallays
However: the peloton catches them 2km from the top.
After that? Nothing. Nobody even tries to go for the points.
Welten rides over for 6, with 4 for Hussein, and 2 for Dulanjana.
Attacks go again after the descent, and a break of 6 makes it clear: Kochetkov Nych Gladysh Narvaez Soulious Yamamoto
Two riders here from Popo4Ever but the most interesting are Nych and Narvaez. Not only are both in the front GC group, but both are U25 riders as well - so the time bonuses are a big deal.
Kochetkov wins the first sprint, but there in 2nd is Narvaez. (Yamamoto 3rd)
This brings 2 bonus seconds to Narvaez. The Desigual rider is now just 1 second behind teammate and U25 leader Cherkasov!
Kochetkov wins the second sprint, it's tight behind!
Narvaez is 2nd again! That's two more time bonuses, he is moving into a provisional U25 lead - and an improved GC placing too. Nice work by Desigual.
No bonus luck for Nych, with Gladysh 3rd this time.
We're back into some hills now, and this could make things interesting, as the peloton is certainly in chase mode. Could we see riders getting dropped?
Aular is driving the pace for Berg Cycles, Kraftwerk are in line too and there has been a split!
50 in the first group. It does include all the riders who have been really contesting the sprints (at least once!) in the race so far. However, there are some riders with reasonable GC placings caught behind, including: Bille Brockhoff Eekhoff Kupfernagel Lay Mareczko Van der Sande
Without a big name caught out though, there's not such an incentive to try even harder than needed - and it does come back together.
The breakaway will get a go at the second climb. Soulious can move up from 4th to 3rd at best, while a win for any of the other riders will place them joint 5th.
Yamamoto attacked 5km out, followed by Nych and Soulious.
The Popo4Ever riders stayed calm, and brought it back, but the break continued to split up.
And just like on Stage 2, flat ability outweights climb ability. Nych may have missed out on a GC boost from time bonuses, but he does manage to earn some ranking points through the KoM competition instead. Narvaez 2nd again - that will see him in joint 7th.
The breakaway is closed down with 18km to go, we now look to the decisive sprint of the race.
Into the last 10 kilometres, Filutas is leading the race. The interesting thing though is that Lo Cicero is already on his wheel. Alaphilippe is 3rd in line, otherwise it's pretty much all the sprinters in the front positions.
Mudarra takes over the work for MOL, Lo Cicero now following him instead then. And there's been a fresh split! 30 riders in front.
Avelino Guarnieri Aular Kortsidakis Reckweg Swift Reinhardt Cherkasov Guerao Van der Sande Cavendish Mareczko Fedeli Gaviria Vesely Lo Cicero Mudarra Ewan Keukeleire Brockhoff Bernas Rodriguez Varga Boeckmans Christodoulos Aaltio J. Hänninen Manninen Omarsson Rowe
Again, the main sprinters who we would expect to see have made it - but not many with teammates. Four riders for Berg and Valio, but not with support riders who they would want to offer a leadout. Then it is Repsol on three - they won't be sprinting!
Lierse with three too - and we do see Gaviria firmly locked on the wheel of Mareczko. Hanging back though, behind most of the other sprinters.
Also to note - Desigual have got a lock on the U25 jersey. Narvaez has got the advantage if there are no gaps at the finish, but if there are, Cherkasov is right there in this group.
The teams classification could swing away from Podium Ambition too - they only have two.
We're so close now to seeing how this race will play out.
The patience doesn't hold long for Lierse though, and we do see the expected leadout. Mareczko makes his move - can anybody latch on?
Avelino, Lo Cicero and Reinhardt are trying.
And here comes the response, from the one other team capable of doing so. Keukeleire in the service of Ewan.
This is not looking good for Manninen, he has failed to catch on, and looks to be about 13th on the road. However - Boeckmans is also missing out. Swift too - the current and previous leaders of this race, suffering a yellow curse.
Brits Rowe and Cavendish are just ahead - they've not quite timed it right though, which is a repeat of yesterday for them.
But let's look at the three who are trying to get on to Ewan. Guerao is first, you fear he is turning himself into a leadout man in this position, while Guarnieri and Vesely follow.
Ten riders. Vesely, Avelino, Lo Cicero, Ewan and Guerao can all take the race overall with a stage win. Vesely and Avelino can do it with 2nd place too.
Mareczko is done. It's too early! Gaviria slows - only Avelino is trying to bridge to Ewan right now.
Keukeleire can't go forever. 1.2km to go, Ewan is going to have to go for a long one - but he had a good headstart.
Avelino is done, Gaviria chasing after Ewan now. Vesely is holding still in Guarnieri's wheel, while Rowe comes up from behind.
Ewan's head is down, but now so is his pace.
Was that a real bait and switch by Lierse? They've certainly forced Podium Ambition to go too early, now Gaviria takes the lead.
Manninen is sprinting well here, he is closing back in on a Top 10, and that could change the dynamics for what bonuses others need!
Here's the challenge coming up against Gaviria, and past Ewan. It's Reinhardt, Guarnieri, Vesely and Rowe.
It isn't going to be Gaviria's day. Guarnieri hits the front, but watch out for Vesely.
Watch out for him as he wins the race! The stage, the overall, Daniel Vesely triumphs!
2nd place for Guarnieri - his best of the race. It will lift him to 4th overall.
Gaviria is 3rd, and 6th overall.
4th place for Reinhardt, that will give him another HC Top 10 this season - exactly 10th.
Our of shot, a best of the race 5th for Rowe will only see him gain one spot to 12th.
Ewan a disappointed 6th - 9th overall, one second shy of 6th.
Swift recovered for 7th place on the day, holding on for 5th overall.
Boeckmans nips past Manninen on the line. That will only be a one second gain, so Manninen has 2nd overall, Boeckmans 3rd.
Final bonus second of the day for Guerao. 11th overall for him.
Cavendish missed out today in 11th, but has done enough to only fall 3 spots to 7th. A similar fall of 5th to 8th for Avelino, who blew up from 2nd to 18th in the final kilometre today.
12th for Van der Sande means he has failed to find a time bonus, and it's going to be 22nd overall for him - there are not going to be any time gaps behind today.
And that's because - well, it's because of the fading Rodriguez and Mareckzo in 19th and 20th, but also the sprint from behind led by Lay.
The biggest loser at the top of GC today is Lo Cicero - from 7th to 13th overall, after only taking 14th.
The biggest jump is Narvaez. From 47th to 15th, and the U25 jersey, thanks to those time bonuses earned. 1-2 for Desigual with Cherkasov. Eekhoff 3rd and even without the bonuses, Nych is 4th.
The points competition goes with the GC. Vesely taking the win on 58. Manninen 52, Boeckmans 51, Swift 43, Gaviria 42.
Mas wins the KoM from Richardson and Hindley.
It is the teams classification for Podium Ambition - they extended their advantage over 2nd placed MOL and 3rd placed Aramco today. Berg Cycles were best on the day, but remain 4th.
