The first stage has a lot of up and down on the 2nd half of the race and could lead to big damage. For the better time trialists it`s about reducing damage, for weaker ones, they need to gain time today and on stage 3 to save any chance of a good GC as they clearly lose time tomorrow.
Looking at the favourites the officials rate the hybrids pretty high here named Kwiatkowski, Beltran or Spilak. They clearly need to gain time on Bobridge, biggest favourite due to dominant hill skills as also time trialing.
Lots of riders try to join the break of the day with the early KoM being on the way as well. Some big names already in there! Pernsteiner Ivanov Vink
to take the KoM.
12 riders in total are ahead of the break. Additional to the 3 mentioned also Eiking Watson Le Roux Hacecky Molard Vogt Schmid Hansen Andersen
In especially Eiking is very surprising seeing he is one of the better puncheurs and Gjensidige`s leader here. His bad time trialing though might see him choose this tactic today.
Lots of teams aren`t that happy with such strong break and decide to chase. They pick up the pace starting with the 2nd third of the stage. UBS, Popo4ever, Los Pollos, Bralirwa, Sauber, Aramco, Aker, Cedevita are all seen working at times and from the maximum gap of 3'30 only 2'30 is left with still 100km to go.
Going onto the Cat.1, still 72km to go but already down to 1'45 now. Some big names line up in the first rows such as
Spilak, Slagter, Beltran, Kwiatkowski, Keizer, Poljanski, Masnada. Lots of hybrids indeed.
But also Ackermann, Craddock, Brändle, Zoidl, Bobridge, Warbasse following just behind them.
On the top Ivanov is solo and takes the big points. Behind him Eiking also attacked for the next with Le Roux, Hacecky, Molard, Watson, Vogt and Hansen with him.
This means, some riders have dropped and surprisingly both Jura Fiat riders including Pernsteiner! Maybe they wanted him back to support Masnada, now that the gap doesn`t look like the stage win is realistic?
Ivanov then also takes the following Cat.2 with Hacecky and Eiking behind. This moves him into 34 points already ahead of 18/16 for the others. Watson at 14 in total.
Cedevita really pushing now. But also Popo4ever, who surprisingly used Prevar himself on the latest uphill.
This led to a split in the peloton and just 69 riders in the first chasing group 1'10 behind the break.
Riders being surprised and behind are Aru, Müller, Juul-Jensen, Dees, Bystrom, Calmejane. Trans in especially not happy there but having 2 more helpers and working, so it should lead to a fusion again.
The Cat.3 then goes to Molard. The French has a notable gap and apparently has saved most energy so far.
Only Eiking, Ivanov, Watson and Hacecky are 40s behind, then another 40s to the peloton.
42 riders left after the last climb there. Most notable names missing are
Prevar! Either it`s more difficult as expected for pure puncheurs or his work early for Ackermann? paid back now.
Bystrom, Felline, Aru, Teklehaimanot, Müller are other big names.
Ackermann though still in the first 2-3 rows, which shows that pure puncheurs should still be up there really and also GC time trialists such as Brändle or Goncalves are still there as also Calmejane or Juul-Jensen this time.
The penultimate Cat.3 almost sees the catch of the break. First Molard couldn`t solo despite his bigger gap but also the group of 42 behind is just 25s back where Vliegen and Siskevicius basically work for their leaders.
Good news for some riders as Prevar or Teklehaimanot made it back here but now must take care a lot better.
Ivanov, Eiking and Hacecky remain in the front for the KoM points while Molard/Watson are caught.
Those three though also get caught just afterwards.
It`s the moment where some riders attack. Slagter initiates it with Spilak just behind. Then Beltran, Kwiatkowski and Laengen.
Also Ackermann, Bobridge, Brändle, Keizer, Reichenbach, Warbasse, Poljanski, Goncalves, Craddock, Zoidl, Uran, Kelderman, Masnada well placed though.
Prevar, Dees, Bystrom, Juul-Jensen a bit behind then.
Slagter`s move really was powerful and no one can follow immediately. Spilak right behind not having the energy and the others likely waited.
In especially Aker as Kwiatkowski still has strong support by Laengen.
In the end though mainly Spilak and Beltran himself forced the catch again just under the 10km banner. All this pace led to more riders dropping making it a group of 35 only.
Biggest names behind are Prevar again, Frankiny, Vysna, Dees, Ahmad Zamri, Bystrom in A1 and some outside favourites such as Haga, Teklehaimanot, Juul Jensen in A2.
The three strongest so far seem to be Slagter, Spilak and Beltran.
Together they attack over the small bump just before the final Cat.3 and create a gap.
No leader wants to chase himself at the moment and so it`s Basso for Masnada, who luckily is still with him as also Thill, one of the weakest "leaders" actually, who is still there and doesn`t want to give up just yet, when clearly on a good day.
Going up the Cat.3, Spilak also can`t follow and drops back. Beltran now clearly has accelerated but Slagter still able to keep contact.
Spilak meanwhile is dropping back into the "peloton" of just 18 now.
Rossknopf, Eiking, Ackermann the most notable riders losing contact as also Calmejane, Aranburu or Reichenbach. UBS clearly playing the time trial card today as Goncalves is the one being worked for but also now having lost contact.
The gap extends and it`s almost 50s now at the top where Slagter takes the lead. Just 4km left and mainly downhill.
Masnada has a decent time trial and belongs to the hybrid/timetrial riders, who are expected to show up here in this race. And he already doing so today by attacking for the final descent.
Bobrdige, Thill, Roe now working behind. Carlsberg still having 2 nice options here as both Warbasse and Roe could do well in such hybrid TT race.
Beltran playing or struggling? Slagter easily the strongest today it seems and he has a small gap under the Flamme Rouge.
But the Colombian is gaining ground again on the 5% finish sprint. 400m left and just 1 bike length.
And he is passing the Dutch in hte very end for a big win. Hopefully for him a good sign of things to come this season after a rather weak season to forget.
Same goes for Slagter, who also had more off days than strong performances.
Most important for them though the notable gap behind as both aren`t the best time trialists.
Masnada able to keep a small gap till the end. 53s in the end though for the winning duo.
And just 7s for the Italian ahead of Bobridge, who leads in the first peloton of favourites followed by Paez, Thill, Kwiatkowski, who was very anonymous today, Spilak, Roe and Poljanski. Some decent time trialists still in there really such as Keizer, Brändle but also pure puncheurs such as Kelderman or hybrids.
While Rosskopf was able to make contact in the end for a high GC chance, UBS might have gone for the wrong leader here as Goncalves is losing 3min, which is 2min on the big group. Reichenbach with him.
Even worse for riders such as Dees, Prevar another 21s later.
