The 3rd week does not only have very tough GC stages on the list, where Nerz/Penasa can fight out the title or the rest of the top5-10 maybe give them a late challenge or fight for their spots.
It`s also the start of real mountain passes with multiple Cat.2,1,HC climbs in a row and this could see the KoM competition starting really as so far the breakaway riders got smaller points only, while Nerz/Penasa did go for the big finish points. From now on the break riders can not only start to score bigger, they finally might be able to challenge the GC riders properly.
11 riders including couple of decent climbers immediately do so. One of them is Mannion accompanied by team mate Stetina. He is sitting in 3rd at 38 points. Nerz at 48 and Penasa at 60 the leading duo so far.
The other riders are: Moschella (8pts) Krasnoperov McConvey (22pts) Cruz Lovik (28pts) Zielinski (6pts) Berard Van Poucke Eisenhart (9pts)
Mannion did collect 12 points with Lovik at 10 at the early Cat.1.
Though Zielinski decided to go for those as well and despite being a weaker climber was able to get the big 16 points.
McConvey, Berard, Eisenhart the next while the Nordica duo is not going for it, focussing on the stage only it seems.
Provisionally Mannion is passing Nerz now and only sitting 10 points behind Penasa.
Lovik then is getting the Cat.2 ahead of Mannion, Van Poucke, McConvey and Eisenhart. This time Zielinski decided to relax.
And while so far Mannion was having the advantage of being together with Stetina, who worked, he is now isolated just like all others!
Stetina actually already lost contact on top of the Cat.1, Krasnoperov dropped here at the Cat.2 and also Cruz is behind now.
The next Cat.1/2 duo climb sees Valio at the front. The gap is at around 5 min and while the break is no real danger, we have seen before, that the peloton is not allowing the stages to go to the break very often.
Plus Penasa just lost the GC lead to Nerz and clearly wants it back. So far in the mountains, the Valio leader was a little bit stronger and wants to show this again. Bonus seconds alone might be enough as the gap is just 6s.
Mannion not really getting the big points today.
This time McConvey taking 16 ahead of Moschella, Zielinski, Lovik and Mannion in 5th only. Berard still fighting for contact while Van Poucke and Eisenhart might be dropped as there is no real time to recover as it`s going further up towads the Cat.2.
Though it was enough for Mannion to take over the provisional KoM lead. 62 points now ahead of Penasa`s 60 and Lovik actually up to 3rd with 56!
Nerz at 48 ahead of McConvey 46 and Zielinski 32. The break riders indeed move up a lot today and there will be more opportunities for them in the 3rd week.
Berard indeed able to make contact again and the group of 6 reaching the top where Zielinski again takes the win. Mannion and Lovik next forming a 1-2 now with 70/62 points. So far not really save yet as the final climb might go to Penasa again.
Krasnoperov, 24th in GC and Stetina really struggle now. They are some of the very last riders on todays stage around the likes of Ford, Frame or as seen here even behind team mate and flat sprinter Ulanowski!
This will be a huge loss and actually a danger of time limit isssues today as it`s more than 20min by now!
The peloton not really going up that fast on the latest climb even though Valio and Kraftwerk showed numbers at the front.
Van Poucke and Eisenhart still in between but no chance to make it back.
With 14km to go and just ahead of the final climb, a trio attacks. Lovik, Moschella, Mannion just stronger than the others and trying to take the stage.
Though McConvey is a fighter and not letting them go. He solo jumps to them making it 4 again just at the first uphill sections. 10km to go, not yet on the real climb.
The gap to the peloton melts a bit but maybe they should cooperate a bit more instead of attacking each other.
Lovik again going solo with 9,5km to go.
Dulanjana leads the peloton into the climb. Not the steepest we had so far such as Mt.Washington or Mt.Equinox.
But still with a pretty steady 7% with only the final 1-2 kilometers a bit easier.
The pace at the top not really fast right now. Either totally exhausted or is it just the cooperation?
Lovik not far ahead but Zielinski back with them!
Berard 1min down, the peloton another 90s.
5km and they are all back together!
Berard still ahead of the peloton, but it`s less than 2min now for those in total.
3km and so far no GC attacks.
We see that Berard is caught and also the group is down to 4 as Moschella either was dropped or realized, they stand no chance and waited for the peloton.
25 s only!
And Lovik is the next to lose contact. He now has 3km left to fight to avoid a bigger time loss.
In the peloton of 30 riders one climber (again) not ideally placed. Garby at the very end and not looking really good.
Atapuma and Brandt though not far ahead of him!
In the first rows next to the typical Kraftwerk/Valio riders Burke and Liphongyu seem to be on a very good day riding without struggle in the first couple rows.
And with 2,6km to go Garby is indeed having a gap. Ahead of him Moschella, who was passed by the peloton quickly.
As much as Garby could fight for a top5 as inconsistent his performances are that even make a top10 a big challenge.
With 2km to go finally some action behind.
Kiserlovski is taking over and Nerz right behind him clearly upping the pace.
Penasa behind Gebremedhin on the other side.
Burke actually following immedately and so is Jones. Desigual with strong support today!
Kuss, Duarte, Abal, Atapuma, Brandt, Liphongyu, Raileanu, Chhetri, Sortveit the riders in the mix while Fraile and Denz seem to get dropped.
Zielinski might have been the smartest today from the break, not attacking again and again and keeping his steady pace. Though with 1,7km he also seems to be caught soon. Once again no chance for the break but at least the KoM fight lives up.
This attack was well prepared by Kiserlovski`s acceleration.
Nerz attacks with 1,5km to go and just when passing Zielinski and McConvey as last riders.
Penasa in the KoM shirt immediately reacts. Too close the fight, too close their skills.
Abal was the first to react and with him Raileanu, Kuss and Atapuma.
Sortveit a bit behind which means Duarte, Brandt, Liphongyu struggle.
600m and it`s still Nerz vs. Penasa. The gap behind not really big. Jut 14s and more and more riders re-join the Abal quartet.
200m and Penasa goes into the lead. As said, just 6s seperates them and bonus seconds might be key in the GC fight. And maybe a small gap still opens?
Well no gap, and actually no Penasa neither.
Nerz was just saving his energy a bit better being able to re-take the lead on the line. Big win for Nerz, lead defended and time gap even extended! One more for Kraftwerk!
Kuss the best of the rest. Just 16s down in the end but some gaps behind him.
Raileanu with a strong climbing performance today in 4th at 28s while Abal for the first time maybe was not the best of all others and down to 5th today but still at 35s far from any danger to lose his podium.
Atapuma lost contact in the end coming in as 6th and +50, which is 9s ahead of the first group around Duarte, Kiserlovski, Lihongyu, Brandt, Burke, Geniet, Sortveit etc.
Fraile at 2'19 limiting his loss as good as possible. With him Denz or Lovik.
Garby then losing far more than hoped. 2'40 in the end, big blow in the top5-10 fight, actually losing ground and down to 11th overall now with Liphongyu climbing to 9th and Fraile at 10th.
Moschella right behind him today.
Ford might be the very last also today, just at the start of the final climb.
But it`s Stetina and Krasnoperov that are next, behind Frame, Cruz, Kelemen and co. Shocking performance and huge amount of tiredness it seems.
They lose almost 1h today, which sees them drop like 30 spots in the GC but they are allowed to go on, just like Ford half an hour later!
KoM wise unfortunate for Mannion as Penasa due to his 2nd today back in the lead. Just 2 points ahead!
