Stage 5 in Tour de San Luis, the time-trial. 20.2 km long, there is a small rise in the middle where the time check comes, but for the most part the gradient doesn't really favour climbing ability. It's about limiting losses for the majority of the puncheurs here, while the specialist will of course be looking to score a stage victory.
The 3rd man off the starting ramp today is Sterbini. He was 3rd in the prologue and is one of the main favourites today. Lets see how his time holds up at the first time check.
11'57''
The next contender at the midway point is Sebright and he's not faster than Sterbini, 12'' slower for the American.
12'09''
Sterbini takes the lead at the finish. Early signs are it could be a good time, lets see.
23'54''
Another early favourite is Laizer. He's 8'' slower on the time check.
12'05''
Sebright is at the finish and he couldn't make up any time in the 2nd half of the course.
24'14''
Here we go! Now things are getting interesting. Quaade is just a fraction of a second off Sterbini's time at the time check.
11'57''
Laizer managed to limit his losses, losing a further 5''. It puts him 2nd for now.
24'07''
Quaade has made to the finish, it's going to be close. He lost another fraction in the 2nd half and is 1'' behind Sterbini. A valiant effort.
23'55''
Prologue winner Gretsch is at the time check and like his teammate Laizer, he is 8'' slower than Sterbini. We can now safely say the Italian's time is quite a good marker.
12'05''
Oram is someone who wasn't happy with his prologue performance. He's 4'' down at the time check. It's not bad, but it will prove difficult to pull that time back.
12'01''
Gretsch has made it to the finish. 15'' down on the best time, this puts him in 4th now.
24'09''
Hamza is another who underperformed in the prologue. He prefers the shorter events and his time shows that.
12'08''
Oram had a consistent tempo throughout. 4'' lost in each half of the course, this puts him in 3rd place now.
24'02''
Li is expecting big things today and he's doing well. Only a fraction slower than Sterbini.
11'57''
The photographer missed Hamza on the finish line, but we can tell you he was the slowest of the three Project: Africa riders. Only the 7th best time for now.
24'08''
But we have caught Li and it's a good thing we did. He set the new best time! 2'' faster than Sterbini.
23'52''
What can Dumoulin do today? He's 2'' off on the time check, this gives him a chance.
11'59''
Downey is at the time check and this is not his day today. 15'' behind already.
12'12''
Ghyselinck was very good in the prologue. Not today though 6'' down on the time check.
12'03''
Dumoulin is at the finish, his time is good, but not great. 4'' down on Li, puts him in 4th.
23'56''
Ghyselinck doubled his deficit in the 2nd half, 12'' slower enough for 6th place.
24'04''
We have a new best time at the time check! Cruz is a fraction of a second faster than Sterbini was. Can he hold this tempo till the end?
11'57''
Yes he can! Cruz is a fraction faster than Li at the finish. Talk about minimal margins.
23'51''
All the time-trial specialists are done now. Cruz looks favoured to win this, but now lets see what the GC men do. We start with Haas who was 18th and 1'04'' behind the leader will be our first marker.
GC: 12'42''
Next is Zordan. He is frankly terrible against the clock and it shows he is much slower than Haas.
GC to Hass: 1'23''
Malacarne is a decent time-trialist, but also slower than Hass.
GC to Hass: 5''
His team leader Meyer is next across the time check. He sets the best GC time now.
GC: 12'36''
Pernsteiner is another puncheur who doesn't like the TT bike. Only faster than Zordan out of the GC contenders.
GC to Meyer: 46''
Hagen is also not having a great time out on the course.
GC to Meyer: 22''
Haas has made it to the finish and it looks like a decent time. 1'16'' behind the stage winner, lets where it puts him in the GC battle.
GC: 27'07''
Reguigui has an excellent time at the checkpoint. Only 19'' behind the stage leader and 20'' faster than Meyer.
GC: 12'16''
Another Project: Africa rider Seibeb isn't as good.
GC to Reguigui: 42''
Malacarne is on the finish. Slower than Hass, but he will at least gain on Zordan who as we see he just passed.
GC to Hass: 10''
In 9th place before the stage started was De Vos. This is a solid time for him.
GC to Reguigui: 31''
Meyer is now the fastest GC rider at the finish, but I think he might have been hoping for a better time,
GC: 26'58''
Edmondson is struggling a bit as expected. He will lose some places today.
GC to Reguigui: 1'06''
Pernsteiner suffered a lot in the 2nd half of the time-trial. This is a considerable loss.
GC to Meyer: 1'23''
Eiking is another who was looking to limit his losses today, but he seems to be failing at that.
GC to Reguigui: 47''
Hagen's time in comparison might prove to be okay and could actually see him advance in the standings.
GC to Meyer: 39''
Craddock on the other hand was waiting for this stage and he's well underway to shooting up the GC ranks. Comfortably the new best time among the GC men.
GC: 12'06''
We missed Hoelgaard on the time check. He wasn't doing well then and the time on the finish is a bad one also.
GC to Meyer: 1'01''
Reguigui is having a real good day. The time check wasn't a fluke, he sets the new best GC time, 31'' faster than Meyer!
GC: 24'27''
At the same we have Durasek at the time check. He is good against the clock and he shows it. Only behind Craddock.
GC to Craddock: 9''
One of the surprises of this race so far is Ratiy and the time-trial is right up his alley. Another good time here.
GC to Craddock: 7''
Seibeb is not great, but this time is not terrible for him.
GC to Reguigui: 1'14''
Here we go, the top 3 are left. Juul-Jensen had a bit of a gap over the rest, but that gap has disappeared through the time check already.
GC to Craddock: 48''
De Vos has a decent 2nd half and does a nice job limiting his losses.
GC to Reguigui: 55''
Oh no! I think we might have spoken a bit too soon about Cruz winning this stage. We knew Novak was a very good time-trialist, but he just set the best time at the checkpoint.
GC: 11'55''
Edmondson had a rough time from start to finish today. That is a big gap to Reguigui.
GC to Reguigui: 1'58''
Race leader Kelderman is on the clock now. He's a good time-trialist for a puncheur, but this time is not good. He's probably heard about Novak in front of him and it's not doing him any good.
GC to Novak: 50''
Eiking doesn't really improve in the 2nd part of the course. This is going to be a big loss without counting Novak's performance right now.
GC to Reguigui: 1'23''
Craddock comes in shortly after. Whatever happens afterwards he is one of the winners today, as was expected.
GC: 24'11''
Durasek has another good performance today. He's another rider that will be looking up the standings.
GC to Craddock: 15''
Ratiy comes into the finish, 2'' faster that Durasek he will be keeping a high place in GC after today.
GC to Craddock: 13''
Juul-Jensen is fighting tooth and nail here, but it's just not working for him. This time will see him plummet in GC, as we see Novak breathing his neck.
GC to Craddock: 1'26''
Speaking of the "devil" he storms through the finish line. We know he has the GC today, has he taken the stage also? The answer is no. He is a 1'' slower, Cruz can finally celebrate.
GC: 23'52''
1
Commiserations to Kelderman today. It just wasn't his day today as it wasn't for any of the puncheurs. The Dutchman did have a better performance in the 2nd half, but the leader's jersey is lost, for now.
GC to Novak: 1'26''
Today was certainly a day for the time-trialists and the puncheurs have suffered badly. This is reflected in the GC, as the top 5 riders now are all better time-trialists. Kelderman is first puncheur in 6th, but already 1'17'' down on the lead.
As mentioned Jakub Novak takes over the leader's jersey. He was close to taking the points jersey also, but we tie for that with Gretsch and Li. The former wins the tiebreaker and will wear the jersey tomorrow. No changes of course in KOM ranking after today, Veber will wear the jersey tomorrow. But we do have a change in young riders competition with McNulty taking over that spot.
Tour de San Luis - Stage 5 
