And so they came to the end of their journey. The organizers saved the best (worst?) for last, 154km a cat 2, 2 cat 1’s and an HC climb to finish it off. If Madrazo is going to seize the overall victory this is the kind of stage he needs to close a gap of 1’05.
The stage favorites are exactly who we thought they would be:
Madrazo joins the jersey owners in the front row as they roll out for the last stage.
A lot of interest in the breakaway today. Puma not showing much sign of chasing and there are already have 16 riders off the front.
No more volunteers and with 130km to ride the front group is 6 strong and has 1’57 over the peloton. They are making it hard for the next 10 to catch them and they have been about 20 seconds back for a while.
The front 6 are: van Zyl Aru Vosekalns Iturria Bizkarra Abreu
Behind them are: Velits Foss Vangstad Kirsch Majka Sergis Bongiorno Zoidl Novikov Carapaz
A lot of strong climbers, so far the peloton hasn’t been willing to let them get above 2 minutes. Teams with riders in the bottom half of the top 10 are chasing – cycleYorkshire, King Power, Moser and Farfetch. Maybe because we have 14th, 15th and 17th in the breakaway.
No more than a kilometer into the first climb for the peloton and Reis decides he needs some quiet time with Leung. They are 2’35 behind the peloton with not even one of the Swisslion U23 Team behind them.
The rest of the King Power squad drop back to remind Reis he has other commitments. They have 2’27 to close, Generali is riding a solid pace on the front, the breaks still only has 2’19
A few kms later he is back in the pack but he has some hard work to do to get back to the front, only time will tell what that escapade will cost him.
With 1.5 km to the top Velits attacks. Vangstad has been dropped.
Velits drops the rest and take first at the top with a 40 second gap.
The full points are: Velits 16 (16) Kirsch 12 (17) Bizkarra 10 (10) Iturria 8 (8) Aru 6 (14) Sergis 4 (4) Majka 2 (2)
The KOM leader has 40 and there are still 46 points on the course. But the break will need to stay away to claim the HC points at the finish. Right now the break are spread out due to attacks at the KOM. The gap from Velits, who is first on the road, to the front to the peloton is 3’46 and Reis is safely mid-pack at the moment.
More problems for King Power as the pack splits over the top of the climb with 63 riders split off. The highest placed is Gidich (18th and White Jersey), who has to chase for himself.
Up front the breakaway has completed the descent and a 9-rider group has reformed at the front. Included are Velits , Kirsch, Bizkarra, Iturria, Aru, Abreu, Carapaz, Sergis, and Majka. 39 seconds behind is Novikov and 14 seconds behind him are the rest, except Vangstad who is another 1’16 behind. The pack is 2’07 behind that or 4’16 behind the front 9.
The Gidich group rejoins and the peloton is 113 riders strong. Highest placed rider dropped is 30th placed Kratochvila.
Vangstad’s day out front is over and as the peloton tackles the climb Fejes is on the front and the gap is down to 1’46.
In the break, with just under 2k to climb, Vosekalns forcing drops Aru, Majka, Novikov Foss, and Zoidl. van Zyl was dropped earlier in the climb and is almost back in the peloton.
Kangert has taken over on the front of the peloton and whittled it down to 46. Van Niekerk (22nd), the highest place rider dropped.
Velits again rides away solo to the KOM point.
In the peloton Kangert has dragged Madrazo a few seconds clear. We will see if that sticks.
At the KOM the points went to: Velits 10 (26) Carapaz 8 (8) Sergis 6 (10) Kirsch 4 (21) Bongiorno 2 (2)
The breakaway has again split into many pieces
Stüssi brings the Gazelle riders back as they near the top of the climb but Reis is dropped again.
Over the top Teklehaimanot and Gidich drop back to help Reis (although Gidich might just have cracked).
At the front Velits and Carapaz are starting a short steep uncategorized climb after which they have a long downhill followed by the last flat section before the final climbs. The have 11 seconds on Sergis, Kirsch, and Bongiorno. Bizkarra, Iturria, Abreu, and Vosekalns are a little further back and then Zoidl. The remainder are almost back into the peloton. The peloton is 28 riders strong and 2’21 behind the front of the race.
Kangert on the front again with 86km to go as the peloton tackles the unranked climb. All the breakaway in sight and the gap has come down quickly to 1’16.
Geoghegan Hart, Vervaeke, and Konrad also still in the group for Gazelle. Herklotz has Stüssi, Vasyliv, and Bevin for company. The Reis group has rejoined.
On the downhill Gazelle willing to let Puma set the pace.
The breakaway rolls through the sprint point with about half the flat stretch done. 64km to ride and their lead is back to 3’01 with the 2nd tier teams doing the work again. Iturria, Bizkarra and Zoidl never quite made it back and are now losing ground.
The 7 survivors at the front are: Vosekalns Abreu Velits Kirsch Sergis Bongiorno Carapaz
The slowing pace has swelled the peloton back to 57 and both Van Niekerk and Kratochvila have rejoined. Highest placed missing rider is Ludvigsson.
As they hit the climb Gazelle go back to the front and the lead is quickly down to 2’01. Kruijswijk has rejoined to add to their firepower.
5.5 km to the top and Abreu is dropped from the break.
4km to go on the climb for the peloton, the lead is down to 57 seconds and the peloton down to 42 riders but the Gazelle boys are all tired. Iturria (15th) has been dropped from the peloton, paying for his time in the breakaway. Kratochvila has also been dropped again as well as his teammate Oliveira (29th). With only 2 riders left up front Generali’s team lead could be under threat.
1100 meters to the KOM Point and Bongiorno attacks. If he wants to keep his teammate in the climber’s jersey he needs to stop Velits from taking maximum points.
He can’t do it and the Aegon rider takes maximum for the 3rd time, in style. He now has 42 points and is the virtual KOM leader.
The only problem for Velits is that Herklotz only needs to finish 5th or Madrazo 4th to overtake him.
The peloton has slowed down completely and now trail the front of the race by 2’36. Costagli decides to attack.
Teklehaimanot shuts down Costagli’s attack. Up front Velits and Carapaz have 40 seconds on the other 4 surviving breakaway riders and they have another 2’02 on the peloton.
The leaders have a short climb then a descent, a short flat and then the 20k climb to the finish. 37 km in all.
Stüssi and Bevin lead on the descent. 27km to go for the peloton now as they approach the bottom. The gap to the front 2 is 2’07 and the four chasers are 1’43 ahead.
With 23km to go and 3 km to the start of the climb the front 6 are reunited. Their lead is 2 minutes.
Gazelle put the hammer down on the flat section and as the peloton start the climb to Saas-Fee (20.3km at 5.5%) the lead is down to 1’24.
2 km into the climb and Reis is the first to be dropped. Gidich dropping back to help him, which also puts the White Jersey at risk as Roman is still in the pack.
As the peloton closes in Velits attacks. He has been the strongest rider but it seems unlikely he will be rewarded with a stage win.
15km to go and the situation has stabilized. Velits has 21 seconds on the rest of the break and they have 56 seconds on the chase group. Reis’ teammates have brough him back to the group but he needs to move forward before the attacks start. Madrazo has to go soon if he is going to make his team’s work meaningful.
Amazing riding by Teklehaimanot he was about 3rd wheel, dropped all the way back to help rescue Reis, dragged Reis to mid-pack and is now is back on the front taking over from Gazelle’s tired domestiques. Velits' lead over the peleton is back to 2’06, maybe he will be able to finish in glory.
Teklehaimanot leads to the 10km mark. Unfortunately the most notable rider dropped is his teammate Gidich. The white jersey at risk but Roman also struggling at the back of the group. Velits’ lead is 1’30, the rest of the break at 53 seconds.
One last push by Vervaeke and Madrazo attacks. Hirt and Herklotz quick to follow. 9.7 km to go.
The Madrazo group quickly bridge to the remnants of the break. Only Velits and Carapaz ahead now. 32 seconds behind is a group with Morton, Shikai, Carthy, and Meintjes. Another 52 seconds to the remaining peloton. Gidich is 1’09 further back, Roman in vitual white.
Keizer and Roglic attack out of the chasing group.
6 km to go, the Madrazo group has caught and dropped Velits. A brave ride by the Slovakian but his day will likely end without stage or KOM glory.
30 seconds to the Morton group and another 35 seconds to Keizer and Roglic. They have 48 seconds to the group with the remaining top riders. Further back Gidich is back in White as he has reduced his definite to 41 seconds.
4.5 kms to go, Herklotz is feeling good enough to go to the front. The gap to the group behind is down to 21 seconds.
3.0 km to go and Morton has closed the gap to 12 seconds.
Behind Talansky is losing touch with the other top 10 group which includes Berhane, Schleck, Reis, and Schelling. He is likely to be the big loser on the day.
Just as they were being caught the front group picked up the pace, their lead is 33 seconds with 2k to go.
In the picture above:
Front Group: Madrazo Hirt Herklotz
At 33 seconds: Morton Shikai Carthy Meintjes
At 1’37 (from the front): Keizer Roglic Velits
At 2’01 Carapaz Kirsch
At 2’08 (behind bushes) Berhane Schleck Reis Schelling Costagli Salinas
Talansky is at 2’25.
1km to go the lead is up to 1’04, pretty much status quo behind that. Gidich still holding white by a very thin margin. Herklotz is going to win the Tour de Suisse. The prizes left to play for are the stage and the KOM jersey.
500 meters Madrazo staying seated while Herklotz dances on the pedals. Hirt has conceded but he should get 3rd and a nice GC bump after a strong ride.
Herklotz bursts for home on the inside while Madrazo seems beaten.
Herklotz can celebrate a third stage win and a sweep of the jerseys (that he is eligible for).
Madrazo 2nd at 14 seconds and Hirt 3rd at 58 seconds.
Morton (+1’32) edges Meintjes (+1’38). That is good enough to preserve Morton’s 3rd place on GC and move Meintjes moves up to 4th with Talansky suffering badly.
Finishing next are Shikai (2’05) and Carthy (2’17). The gaps really opening in the last kilometers.
Gidich’s deficit is down to 27 seconds so he looks safe.
Keizer (+4’14) takes 8th and Roglic (+4’21) edges Velits (+4’21) who will settle for 10th after lighting up the stage. Keizer and Roglic both drop 1 spot in the GC and will regret missing the move ahead of them, a gap they never quite closed that turned into a 2 minute deficit.
Berhane, Schleck, and Reis all loses 4’53 and Schelling 5’02. They all drop 2 GC places. Reis can thank his teammates it wasn’t a lot worse. In other good news for King Power Gidich secures the White Jersey with a 15 second cushion ahead of Roman.
Talansky limps home 6’01 down dropping him from 4th to 8th.
Winners in the GC include Hirt who moves up from 9th to 5th, Shikai (16th to 11th) and Carthy (12th to 6th).
The only jersey not already mentioned is the team jersey, a bad day for Generali sees them lose 11 minutes and drop to 4th. So Herklotz will have to visit the podium one more time as Puma take the jersey ahead of Gazelle.
Tour de Suisse 
