Three podiums in a row awarded Gaviria the yellow jersey yesterday. Today’s stage should turn the GC upside down once again, as there are many KoM’s of first and second category, with the final KoM of first category only four km from the finish line. The break could definitely be successful today.
No time to enjoy the Luxembourg views for KoM-leader Caruso, who attacks right at the starts. The Italian wants to win that jersey, and makes it clear from the start.
He grabs the first six points of the day a few km further down the road. Le Court and Barthe take the other points. The Podium Ambition rider has 32 points less than the KoM-leader, but in a stage like today’s, it’s definitely possible to get those back.
The breakaway of the day is formed rather quickly. The other four names in the leading group are Thill, Knox, Stannard and Manfred. The Xero rider is the best placed in the GC, 33rd at six minutes, but Barthe is only a couple of seconds behind him in the GC.
Caruso wins the KoM-sprint of second category in Schoos ahead of Le Court and Barthe. 160 km to go and the peloton at 5’30”. The teams setting the pace there are Europcar, Minions and Campari.
Seems like nobody is able to stop Caruso’s thirst for the polka-dots. 115 km to go as he wins another KoM of second category quite easily. Interesting to see is that Manfred has not done any work at all in the leading group so far, just hiding behind teammate Knox. 115 km to go as in the peloton it’s still the same three teams doing the work. The maximum gap was seven minutes, but that’s already been reduced to five minutes again.
And the Italian also wins the next KoM-sprint with 100 km to go. Le Court in sixth this time, which means she might have given up on the KoM-jersey. 100 km to go, 2 KoMs of second category and five of first category. Peloton at four minutes.
Caruso starts the next KoM of first category in first position, and he is simply too strong for the others. Barthe in second and the others even further behind. The peloton passes the top 3’ later than the Italian, and we see our first victims over there. Nobody worth mentioning though.
The riders now enter the final 60 km of the day, including two intermediate sprints, four first category KoMs and two second category KoMs. Hard. We have four leaders: Caruso, Manfred, Barthe and Stannard. The other former breakaway riders are already a minute behind.
A first peloton of 36 reaches the same point exactly three minutes later. You read that right, only 36 riders! A lot of big names have missed the right boat, even though this might not be the final boat yet of course. The important names, stage and GC wise, that are on board of the Black Pearl, are Benoot, Kump, Debesay, Parra Bustamente, Kunshin, Houle, Novardianto, Olesen, Juul-Jensen, Molard, Roux, Summerhill, Gaviria, Bester, De Witte, Venter, Van Lerberghe, Selander and white jersey Garcia Cortina.
54 km to the finish line as we find the next KoM-sprint of first category, and once again Caruso leaves the others no chance.
What a slaughterhouse! The peloton now crossing the same point, and only fifteen riders left! Little reminder that there are still 54 km to go with almost no room to let the legs relax somewhere! This group is 2’45” behind Caruso, the fifteen names are Kunshin, Olesen, Benoot, Kump, Parra Bustamente, Martinez, Juul-Jensen, Molard, Zielinski, yellow jersey Gaviria, Roux, Debesay, Honkisz, Houle and Kalaba, who looks on the verge of breaking as well now!
What an unreal race situation with 45 km to go! Caruso hasn’t given another breakaway rider the opportunity to come closer since they last passed a KoM-summit 9 km ago. He now leads the race with 50 seconds over Manfred, 1’10” over Barthe and two minutes over Stannard! The Xero rider is almost caught by the peloton, although a group of nine riders can’t really be called a peloton! The nine riders right behind the Xero rider are Kunshin, Olesen, Benoot, Kump, Parra Bustamente, Martinez, Juul-Jensen, yellow jersey Gaviria and Debesay! Carlsberg therefore the only team with two riders still in that group! Houle the first rider behind that group of favourites, following at 30”!
Either Caruso is mainly thinking about the KoM and wants to collect as many points as possible quickly to be sure of the win there, or he just doesn’t feel his legs! At the top of the next KoM of second category, with 42 km to go, he leads by two minutes over Manfred and Barthe! Stannard has meanwhile been caught and already spit out by the nine favourites, who are 2’40” behind our race leader!
While the Italian Carrefour rider crosses the next KoM of first category in first, the group of nine favourites has caught the two chasers Manfred and Barthe, and are trailing the race leader by 2’20” with 36 km to the finish line! Molard and Zielinski are the first two riders behind this group, but they’re already looking at a 1’30” difference!
Caruso inside the final 25 km now, and his lead has grown up to three minutes!
The eleven riders behind him are looking at each other! This gives some riders an opportunity to come closer again, as Molard, Zielinski, Houle and Roux are now only 45 seconds behind the group of favourites!
Any neutral supporter now definitely cheering for Caruso! He reaches the top of yet another mountain of first category and has 22 km to go! Behind him there seems to be some action though, is that an attack we can see?!
It was an attack indeed! Zielinski was the only rider to be able to come back to the group of favourites and thought he could surprise the others with an attack. Olesen in the domestique role now, as he catches him quickly and reduces the gap to Caruso to 2’30”!
Caruso crosses another line in first, he’s definitely racked up a lot of prize money! In the background we see the group of favourites though, let’s take a look at how the situation is there.
We still have the same twelve riders, including former breakaway riders Manfred and Barthe! Yellow jersey Gaviria coming closer to a real stunt now, although there is still some climbing left to do of course! Carlsberg leaves the chasing to the other teams, which is interesting. 14 km to the finish line, the time difference now two minutes! Behind this group we have to wait another two minutes to see the next rider, which is Molard.
Parra Bustamente with an attack on the penultimate KoM of the day! Yellow jersey Gaviria can’t answer his attack, but as he is 27 minutes behind in the GC, that’s okay!
Caruso still has enough power in his legs to win the penultimate KoM as well! 10.5 km to go, including a first category KoM and a short uphill sector as well!
Parra Bustamente is 30” behind the Italian from Carrefour, while Olesen takes up his responsibility and leads the chase in the group of favourites, an additional 15” behind! Zielinski has been dropped, and former breakaway riders Manfred and Barthe now also suffering!
Caruso welcomes the small descent with open arms, as the race situation is the same with 7.5 km to go!
6 km to the finish line and 2 km to the top of the climb of first category as Parra Bustamente catches Caruso! The other ten riders 25” behind them!
The Europcar rider wants to drop the Italian immediately, but he doesn’t give up that quickly! 5.5 km to go and 1.5 km to climb!
Caruso cracks with 500 meters to climb! Sad, but understandable! Parra Bustamente now 4.5 km from glory, as the group of favourites is still looking at each other and losing time! Yellow jersey Gaviria is definitely liking this!
Parra Bustamente crosses the top with 4 km to the finish line, as Debesay now attacks and reduces the time difference to thirty seconds! Except for the former breakaway riders everyone seems able to respond to this attack!
Olesen and Martinez are dropped, which leaves these six chasers with only 3 km to go: Benoot, Debesay, Kunshin, Juul-Jensen, Kump and Gaviria! They seem to be looking at each other now, so that’s definitely good news for Parra Bustamente!
Oh they definitely are looking at each other, as Olesen even comes back! Parra Bustamente is 35” ahead with 1.5 km to go!
Oh no, the final km is uphill and the Europcar rider seems out of energy! 500 meters left as Kump is coming very quickly from behind! Gaviria can lose this stage and will be fine if the Slovenian wins the bonus seconds, as long as he manages to hold on to this group!
But the Nordstrom rider seems to have overestimated himself! Benoot and Debesay next to Parra Bustamente with 400 meters to go, as Kunshin is dropped!
Surely this isn’t going to happen?! Gaviria now advancing on the left side with 300 meters to go, what an incredible win would that be! Juul-Jensen also still trying to win it in fifth!
Final 200 meters! Benoot in the lead, but this definitely isn’t over yet!
Yellow jersey Gaviria returns back to earth and has to sit down, while Benoot is a bike ahead of the others inside the final 100 meters!
And the Fablok rider wins stage five of the Benelux Challenge!
Debesay then finishes second ahead of Juul-Jensen, while an amazing Gaviria beats Parra Bustamente for fourth and should win the Benelux Challenge tomorrow! Debesay now second in the GC as well.
Olesen’s astonishing sixth place and strong GC will make manager bbl a happy man, while Kunshin finishes seventh ahead of a disappointed Kump, who is third in the GC. Nevertheless, he could overtake Debesay with a good sprint tomorrow.
The rest of the riders cross the finish line either alone or in a very small group.
Looking at the GC, stage winner Benoot is in fourth ahead of the two Carlsberg riders, while places seven to ten are for Venturini, Molard, Houle and Novardianto. The KoM-leader is, not very surprisingly, Caruso with an astonishing 220 points. Three Polar youngsters on top of the U25 leaderboard, while Carlsberg leads the team’s classification.
