A PTHC classic where many PCT teams aim to score big. Let’s find out who succeeds.
The break of the day is formed by seventeen riders: Poljanec (Cedevita), Budyak (Popo), Kastrantas (Festina), Konig (Assa Abloy), Kämna (Puma), Zoidl (Philips), Suter (Carlsberg), Foss (Aker), Cort Nielsen (Farfetch), Quintana (Mapei), Phodingam (Indosat), Lafay (Philips), Zimmermann (Puma), Forssell (Carlsberg), Juodvalkis (Red Bull), Kaislavuo (Aker) and Geniets (Farfetch). The teams chasing are Evonik, Voyagin, Moser, UBS, Isostar, Zwift and Tryg.
The long flat parts made it rather easy for the peloton to keep the break under control. 40 km to go as we are nearing the final and a succession of steep climbs, as the difference between the leading group and the peloton is 1’10”.
Poljanec, Kastrantas and Phodingam seem to be the strongest breakaway riders on the top of the Côte d’Ermeton with 35 km to go. In the peloton, a group of 55 manages to get a gap over the rest. The most important riders currently in the second peloton are Müller, Buchmann and Betancourt!
25 km left, as we are about to start the first of the final three climbs in four km! Still - Poljanec, Kastrantas and Phodingam with a small lead over the rest of the breakaway riders, as a peloton of 61 is an additional 40” behind! Buchmann has been brought back by his teammates!
The breakaway riders are out of energy though, as the peloton makes the catch on the Côte du Lustin. 18 km to go at the top of the climb, as Lutsenko is showing some goods legs in the fourth position.
15 km and two climbs to go. Schönberger setting the pace for Sagan, as the peloton of 69 will start the Tienne Aux Pierres climb in 2 km. The climb is 3 km at 5.4%, with a max percentage of 10.2.
Around half the climb Koretzky attacks! Domestique Luchshenko tries to keep up with him!
Good work by the Indosat rider, he doesn’t let go! Kelderman is the next to try something just before the top of the penultimate climb!
Ackermann unable to follow him, the Philips rider has a small gap over Koretzky and the rest of the peloton entering the final ten km!
The Dutchman doing what he can, but domestique Reichenbach keeps the gap at five seconds with 6 km to the finish line! We start the ascent of the Citadelle de Namur in 3.5 km!
Yates doesn’t feel like waiting and attacks with 3.5 km left and 1 km before we start the final climb of the day! Massive acceleration by the Zwift rider!
And he starts his ascent of the Citadel with a 15” lead over the peloton of 30 riders led by Jensen and Gaudu! Around 2 km of climbing with an average gradient of 6%!
1.5 km to the finish line as Jensen reduces the gap to six seconds! Most of the leaders not yet in the top-10, they need to make a move soon!
There we have a leader making a move! Formolo with the attack just before the red kite, as Gaudu tries to keep him close for leader Beltran!
800 meters to go and the Gazelle rider still in the lead, followed by domestique Gaudu! Yates now trying to use his sprint capacities, as the other surprising names at the first row are Bettiol, Luchshenko and Goncalves! Beltran and Sagan in 7th and 8th!
Gaudu and Yates losing some terrain now, whereas Formolo still has another acceleration in him! Final 500 meters!
He gets a nice gap, but seems to be falling still with 300 meters left! Favourites Lutsenko, Sagan and Koretzky coming closer quickly!
Lutsenko close to overtaking the Gazelle rider with 150 meters to go!
And that’s another win for Isostar to add to their impressive palmares! Formolo with a strong second place!
Sagan on the podium as well ahead of Koretzky in fourth. Skujins the first PCT rider in fifth ahead of Lopez, with Buchmann in seventh after being in trouble with 30 km to go. Gaudu’s eighth place is quite impressive, as the rest of the top-10 gets completed by Bettiol (9th) and an also very surprising Luchshenko (10th). Top 15 then: Ackermann (11th), Beltran (12th), Ponzi (13th), Yates (14th) and Kinoshita (15th).
