While the CT teams battle it out in Costa Rica the PTHC peloton is in Gabon for the Fanceville Classiques. Assuming they can shut down the breakaway many of the top cobbled riders in the world will battle it out today. They face 28.5km of cobbles over 18 sectors, the last one ending just before the flamme rouge.
The race favorites show up as:
As we roll out of Franceville, the first attackers are El Sabbahi, Barthe, and Stavrakakis. 6.1 km to the first cobble sector and then there are 5 in quick succession.
2 km to the first cobbled sector and the lead group is up to 8 but many more trying to get across.
The first cobbled sector is reached, it is 1 km at 1 star.
The front group is up to 11 and includes: El Sabbahi Barthe Stavrakakis Doull Campbell Vahtra Menicucci Laizer Baterdene Rowe Silva
Rowe somehow finished 3rd last year and is looking to do it again. There are another 9 riders trying to come across and it looks like the peloton is going to let them go.
185km to go and the break is up to 14 riders as they tackle the 4th of the first 5 sectors. The last one is the hardest at 4 stars then the cobbles are done for a while. But some of these same sectors feature again later in the race.
Added to the break are Dunne, Van Aert, and Nych. Rowe already looks to be struggling. Behind Icelandic strongman Gunnlaugsson is trying to bring the last 6 across, they are 45 seconds behind the front and 50 seconds ahead of the Tinkoff-led peleton.
In the peloton Anacona is the first rider dropped.
With 170km to go the front 20 come together but Tinkoff and Grieg seem to think a 20-rider break is a bad idea and are still chasing. Joining the break in addition to Gunnlaugsson are Lampawog, Hennessy, Farantakis, Park, and Ruiz. 26 riders have been dropped by the peloton.
Gunnlaugsson is not only one of two former McCormick riders in the break, with Menicucci, but also one of two national champions, along with Los Pollos’ Peruvian champion Ruiz.
155km to go, Tinkoff, Minions, Grieg and Mapei on the front and the lead is down to 36 seconds.
150km to go and the catch is made. Laizer immediately starts round 2.
139km to go and there are 6 riders up front. In addition to Laizer it is Barthe, Rowe, Stavrakakis, Rutsch and Hungarian champion Palyi. The peloton is 2’13 behind and there are 5 more riders in between. About 7k to the next cobbled sector.
The next sector is 3.5 km at 3 stars. It is quickly followed by a similar section. The break has swelled to 8 adding Verwilst and another national champion in Cyprus’ Miltiadis.
Behind, three riders are still trying to make it across: Gayral, Putti, and Steimle. The peloton is at 3 minutes with most of the dropped riders rejoining.
Altur is the first big name to puncture but he is able to stay in the peloton.
The breakaway is in the next sector of cobbles (3 stars, 3.3 km). Putti has been unable to join while Miltiadis is dropped. After this a long break before the next cobbles. The peloton has closed to 2’44.
As he drops back to the peloton Putti is joined by some counter-attackers, including last year’s winner Havik. The others are Moulingui, Gaday, Menten, and Insausti. All strong cobblers, they have 39 seconds. Wolverine had a go for Podium Ambition but the peloton shut him down. 115km to ride.
100km to go for the break and the counter attackers, having picked up Miltiadis, are now just 39 seconds behind them. Another 1’43 to the peloton.
Karatzios and Centrone having been trying to attack out of the peloton but haven’t been allowed to escape. Grieg, Tinkoff and Minions doing the work in the peloton. About 7km to the first of the next group of cobbles sectors (sectors 9 to 11).
As they enter sector 11 (3.9km, 2 stars) the front group is just 22 seconds ahead of the counter-attackers.
Meanwhile Karatzios and Centrone have eeked out a 28 second gap. The Festina rider was in the break here last year and finished 10th.
92km to go, the 110-rider peloton is on sector 11 and has reduced the gap to the leaders, who have all come together, to 2.14. The latest attackers are about half-way across but fresh attacks from Manamalage and Gamper have been shut down. The same 3 teams on the front but Bralirwa have a significant presence now.
The breakaway reaches sector 10 with a 2’09 lead. This sector is 1.9k and 3 stars. Sector 9 is 3k at 2 stars.
As the breakaway completes sector 10 the peloton is visible in the background. The gap is 1’48. The other two attackers are struggling in between and look doomed. There is 73 km to go. About 25km before the next cobbles, then 5 sectors in quick succession, including some of the hardest cobbles in the race.
60km to go for the peloton, the lead is 1’17. Same teams working, now 98 riders in the peloton.
The two Generali riders lead the break onto sector 8, 1.5km at 3 stars. Th lead is holding at around 1’20. Sector 8 is repeated 3 times while Sector 7 is repeated twice, in between.
46km to go as the break reaches sector 7 (1.4k 3 stars). The peloton has the lead down to 1’12 as Minions and Grieg add more riders to the chase. The chasers are: Zubov Andersen Nechita Resell Marcos Laporte
Sector 6 is sector 8 again. We will ride it one more time as sector 4. The lead is 1’06 with 43km to ride.
The breakaway are getting desperate, with 39k to go and the lead under a minute the Hungarian champion attacks.
As the riders finish sector 5 he is joined by Laizer, Barthe, and Stavrakakis. The rest of the breakaway not far back, the gap to the peleton has opened a little. Still 38km to ride.
And now the race is really kicking off Pedersen attacks with Senechal on his wheel. Blythe trying to follow. Only Minions still working in the pack.
At the front, on sector 4, Barthe pulls clear. He has 20 seconds on his 3 former companions, 33 seconds on the rest of the break, 53 seconds on Pedersen, Senechal and Blythe, and 1’14 on the Minions led peloton. Which is down to 66 riders. Merlier the biggest name dropped.
32k to go for the leader and the whole of the race fits in one image. In the distance, Barthe and the original attackers have a very slim lead over the remnants of the break. The remnants of the break have been joined by the three attacking leaders and as a result Blythe’s teammates, Rutsch and Insausti have been driving it forward. They have opened up 40 seconds on the Minions led peloton which in turn has split leaving 21 riders on the front and 44 riders dropped (nearest group), including Debesay, Fenn, Baugnies, Bush, Owen and Zhupa.
With 27km to go, fine team work by the Minions with a little help from Lierse and Bralirwa, pays off, and the breakaway, except Barthe, who has just 8 seconds, is caught. The 44-rider chase group is 56 seconds back being led by cycleYorkshire.
A counter attack led by Senechal is shut down and with 23 km left the front 60 or so are almost back together. 3 short cobble sectors to go.
Grieg are using their depth now as Ringheim is the next attacker.
He gets a small gap and 6 chasers, including some of the biggest names go off in pursuit. They include Blythe, Senechal, Zepuntke, Stallaert, Bewley, and Vanbilsen. Pedersen knows he has to be in that move and is chasing them. Gayral and Rowe chasing him. Great ride by the veteran.
Pedersen shuts down the attack by the big guns and Garcia Cortina is the next rider to set off after Ringheim. They are on sector 3 which is just 1 star and 0.5km. They are on the final circuit now, the last two sectors are just a repeat of Sector 3. Skill on the cobbles won’t decide this race.
Ringheim is brought back and with 15km to go the next attack comes from Blythe, Debesay Senechal, Bewley, and Vanbilsen. They have a small gap, Wisniowski now near the front of the chasing group.
Blythe gets a gap over the other attackers as Pedersen now leads the chase for the pack behind with Stallaert on his wheel. This is turning into a battle of the leaders now.
11km to go as they complete Sector 2 of the cobbles. Blythe, Debesay and Bewley left out front as now Eyob chases but Wisniowski looks to be winding up for an attack on the inside.
8.5km to go and Wisniowski makes his move. Altur, who has kept his powder dry until now, on his wheel, with Stallaert.
But Kamyshev closes them down and we have a 41-rider front group together including all the top riders.
5km banner and Wisniowski attacks again, he has Bewley and Stallaert for a company. The chase hesitates and the gap goes to 20 seconds. Is this the move? Debesay and Kamyshev on the front for the chase.
Last sector of cobbles, Wisniowski doing all the work and the gap is up to 29 seconds. But these aren’t two riders he wants to take to the finish. He has 4k to get rid of them.
3k to go and the lead is 32 seconds and now Stallaert is working with Wisniowski. Zhupa has come to the front of the chase.
1.7k for the leaders, Stallaert has been stuck on the front. The riders behind now launching attacks.
900 meters to go as Bewley hits the front, he is the best sprinter of the 3 and has done the least work over the last few kilometers but does the veteran have enough in the tank to hold off the other two all the way to the line (riders up the road are lapped traffic). The chasers are still 28 seconds back and look to be fighting for 4th.
500 meters and the positions are about the same. Somebody probably should have pulled those lapped riders to the side.
200 meters and Stallaert (the Bralirwa rider on the right) is closing. The chasers are still about 30 seconds behind.
100 meters and it looks like the old dog on a new team still has what it takes.
Bewley adds a new cobbled classic to his palmares.
Stallaert second, Wisniowski third. Great team riding by Grieg but perhaps the roles of Wisniowski and Pedersen should have been reversed.
300 meters left in the fight for 4th. Pedersen could still get a great placing as he is about to overhaul Debesay. Blythe and Steimle behind him. Puma will be thrilled no matter how this sprint turns out.
100 meters Pedersen should give Grieg a 3-4 finish and they look to have 4 riders in the top 10. Fight is still on for 5th.
Debesay holds on for 5th ahead of Steimle and Blythe.
Laporte and Ringheim make it 4 in the top 9 for Grieg and Fenn takes 10th ahead of Altur and Zepuntke.
Kamyshev, Edmondson and Senechal round out the top 15. Disappointment for Minions and Tinkoff as their efforts don’t yield even a top 10.
Franceville Classique 
