Gerts is considered the top favourite because of his hill stat, but we dare to assume that won’t come in handy near the end of this race.
Not a bad place to start a race. I just hope nobody punctures in the first five meters.
The break of the day existed out of twelve riders, but at the top of the first 12km long mountain of the day only six remain: Zakarin, Chokri, Omarsson, Lampawog, McLay and Villella are 3’ ahead of the peloton led by Amaysim, Grieg, Carlsberg, Huski, King Power, Tinkoff and MOL.
At the top of the second climb the leading group has four more riders joining them: Valter, Geniets, Furdi and Milano – San Remo’s seventh Russo. Stannard trying to join them again as well, while Steimle has been caught again by the peloton. Six climbs left until we go to the cobbles, 180 km to the finish line.
Stannard makes it back after a long chase, and after topping three out of the remaining six climbs we still have eleven leaders. 127 km to go now, as three riders decide to go on an interesting adventure with an attack from the peloton: Ferreira, Per and Karatzios.
The three musketeers make it to the front, and so do Boros, van der Poel, Moulingui and Centrone. The peloton at less than a minute with 100 km to go though, and don’t forget to take a look at Sulvaran’s sexy nc jersey.
But with 67 km left, just before the top of the final real climb of the day, it all comes back together thanks to some good domestique work from Filutas.
After a long descent a peloton of 120 made it to the first cobbled sector. Weaker climbing cobblers such as Moulingui, Sulimov, Chatarunga and Rowe have been dropped, as Per attacks again at the start of the first cobbled sector! Potts following the Isostar rider, while the monumental Summerhill wants to join them as well! 49 km to go! At the same time we hear radio Tour shouting that Bewley has punctured and fell back to the back of the peloton!
Potts caught by the peloton again quickly, as Per and Summerhill have a 40” gap over a group of favourites of 28 riders, led by Van Baarle. Still 45 km to the finish line.
At the end of the first cobbled sector and with 38 km to go, the two leaders have a gap of 1’10” over the following 18 riders: Gaday, Hofstetter, Theuns, Gerts, Pedersen, Van Hooydonck, Wisniowski, Trentin, Sinkeldam, Senechal, Kamyshev, Kasperkiewicz, Polanc, Laporte, Debesay, Blythe, Teunissen and Vanthourenhout. The biggest victim obviously Bewley, another 45” behind these riders.
You would think Summerhill would like some Per company on the flat section towards the second and last cobbled sector of the day, but no! He wants to go solo with 35 km to go! Behind these two, an attack by Pedersen and Theuns has seen the gap shrink to 45”!
Bewley, Tiller, Benoot and some others make it back now, mostly because of the Mapei rider, as we’re back to a peloton of 30 riders! Summerhill and Per leading with 30 k to go, then the trio of Pedersen, Theuns and also Debesay at 25”, and this peloton of 30 riders at an additional 45”. Benoot immediately to the front on domestique duties.
The chasing three catch the leading duo, and Pedersen immediately attacks with only Debesay able to follow him. In the small peloton, which has been reduced to 23 riders again, the domestiques do what they can but still follow by a minute.
Summerhill, Theuns and Per are caught with 21.5 km to go, but the leading duo still has a 50” lead over the group of 26 favourites. Kamyshev has been working hard, so Tinkoff clearly going all in for Senechal.
And we’re onto the 10.5 km long cobbled sector for the last time! Debesay left Pedersen behind with an attack on the flat, but the Dane should be the better cobbler! The surprising Polnicky attacked from the little peloton behind and is currently third, with Senechal right behind him in fourth!
Debesay losing a bit of his lead on the cobbles! 13 km left as he is 15” ahead of Pedersen and Senechal! Then we see Polnicky at an additional 20” and the rest of the favourites at yet another 20”!
The Generali rider refuses to give up and holds onto his lead with 11 km to the finish line! Pedersen and Senechal seem to be done, here comes the Wisniowski train! Only riders able to follow him at the moment are Trentin, Polanc, Van Hooydonck and Theuns, with then a small gap over Kasperkiewicz, Gerts and Polnicky!
Nobody able to follow the former world champion! He is close to catching Senechal, who on his turn is on the verge of catching leader Debesay with 10 km to the finish line!
And he overtakes them both! Senechal trying to hold on as he know the end of the cobbles is coming closer! It’s currently Pedersen in fourth at 20” and the rest of the favourites at 40”! 8 km left!
Senechal 15” behind at the end of the cobbled sector with 5.5 km to go! Debesay and Pedersen together at an additional 10”! The other favourites now at almost a minute!
Get the champagne ready! Wisniowski has a 30” lead with 3 km to the finish line! At an additional fifteen seconds of the Tinkoff rider we find the other two chasers, with fourteen other riders at twenty extra seconds.
As Wisniowski remains 30” ahead of Senechal under the red kite, Debesay and Pedersen have been caught by the other favourites, 20” behind the Tinkoff rider!
Senechal seems to be getting caught by a group of sprinting favourites in the background, but nobody was able to do anything against this guy today: Wisniowski wins the Strada Appia Antica 2021!
Theuns (2nd) and a strong Polanc (3rd) finish on the podium ahead of Debesay (4th), who also finishes a strong race with a nice position.
The top-10 gets completed by Van Hooydonck (5th), Senechal (6th), Blythe (7th), Per (8th), Tiller (9th) and Pedersen (10th).
Trentin then eleventh ahead of Kasperkiewicz (12th) and the Dutchies Teunissen (13th) and Gerts (14th). An unlucky Bewley in fifteenth then ahead of Kamyshev (16th), while Summerhill (17th) has been brought back to reality and Polnicky is an interesting 18th after his cheeky attack near the end of the race.
