Here we go then! 219 tricky kilometers with 14 climbs including 11 kilometers up the Feldberg await the 107 riders, and a great many of them have hopes for a result today - sprinters, rouleurs and puncheurs.
Still in the streets of Frankfurt, a group quickly forms without much resistance from the peloton. Even with 8 riders, we only have 5 teams present: Moreno Hernandez and Savini, Orosco and Morales Ortega, as well as Ulysbayev and Martin form duos of teammates. Tediashvili and Seigle complement them.
It has started to rain, but the group is working well. Up the Saalbergpass, the first climb of the day, they have 4 minutes on the peloton. Ulysbayev leads them up this 7.5% slope, but he’s not the best puncheur here. That role goes to Seigle, with Martin probably second. Those two are the strongest riders in general here.
The climb up the Kleiner Feldberg is both the steepest and highest point of the first third of this race. Many teams share responsibilities at the head of the peloton, with Trans Looney Tunes and Crabbe-CC Chevigny commiting multiple riders. The gap remains stable at around 4 minutes.
The breakaway has reached the halfway point of the race on the climb up the Feldberg. At an average slope of 4.5%, it’s not a huge challenge despite its length, but the group is struggling to keep its lead. With the same couple of teams still heading the chase, the peloton has cut the lead to just around two and a half minutes. The roads are dry again, but it’s still cold and humid, with fog clouding the view.
Following the descent from the Feldberg and the short but very steep climb up the Ruppertshain, we see the first splits in the peloton. Borisavljevic, who’s been working in the wind all day, has pulled a group of 21 with him. Crabbe-CC Chevigny is pacing at the front of the second group as Naesen, Liepins and Vanderbiest have fallen behind.
Other notable absentees include Habtom and Stocker, Selig and Kreder, but this is likely to come back together again soon. Once again though, the weather has shifted and the rain will not make it any easier, especially on the upcoming descents.
While that previous split was indeed closed on the following flat-ish stretch, we now have a more serious selection. On the penultimate climb of the day, the first of two ascents up the Königstein, a group of 54 riders break free from the rest of the peloton. Ciolek is the first of the big name sprinters to fall behind, the others are still safe.
A few of the more prominent puncheurs are missing though, including Boswell, Chaves and Skjerping. This surely comes down to positioning rather than strength, but all of those guys still have teammates in the group ahead. Meanwhile, the breakaway is now around 2 minutes up the road.
On the following descent, Liepins falls behind as well. Declerq, Naesen and Vanderbiest are the Crabbe riders left in the main group, which is now down to 48. Avelino is struggling at the backend, but his teammate Skjerping is back in there.
On the final climb of the day, we have the first casualty in the breakaway: Ulysbayev can’t keep up anymore, making it 7 riders left that have 1’40 on the peloton.
Speaking of: Quite a few riders made it back to the peloton in the early stretches of the climb, but towards the top, it splits again. This time, we have Habtom and Kreder on the wrong side, along with Selig, Redecker, Colbrelli and Bolor-Erdene. Stocker remains in the front group for Jura - Fiat, where Boswell and Chaves have returned as well.
Nelson and Tivani lose contact just as they reach the summit. There are still 48 kilometers to go, how many of these riders will make it back?
Savini was dropped from the breakaway and is about to be swept up by the main group which by now includes only 29 riders, who have a gap of 1’30 to the next big chasing group including all the riders mentioned above. We’ll check back in a few kilometers and take a closer look if that gap holds.
But first, we have to return to the front, where the first attacks come flying with still over 35 kilometers to go! Martin accelerates with Moreno Hernandez on his wheel!
Those two get a small gap over their rivals and have just a minute on what you still might call a peloton, but which is getting smaller, too! De Vos sets an unrelenting pace for Kump, and a bunch of riders are dropped from the back, reducing this group to 20 riders. With the next group almost 2 minutes behind, here’s the promised detailed look at the riders present:
Paez
Borisavljevic
Mas
Fernandez
Calmejane
Geniez
McEvoy
Vanspreybrouck
Kump
Kumara
De Vos
Declerq
Naesen
Vanderbiest
Chaves
Barbero
Mudarra
Lavery
Weiss
Hansen
Boswell
As you can see, few true sprinters remain. Vanderbiest, Naesen and Kump are still in here, but faster puncheurs like McEvoy, Weiss, Calmejane or Paez will fancy their chances. But first, they still need to make it 33 kilometers without the bigger groups behind catching up.
At least those riders who had been dropped just a few minutes ago make it back. They include Gogl, Paulus, Alexander, De Tier, Stocker, Wibisono, Yudha, Roson and former breakaway riders Savini and Ulysbayev. The next group is 1’38 behind.
Orosco will soon join the peloton from the front, while the other 5 have reunited, now some 55 seconds ahead of the peloton.
Further down the road, this group led by Kreder and including Bolor-Erdene, Nelson and Habtom is trying their best to return to the front, but they’re struggling to make headway.
A group around Selig and Redecker is another 1’20 behind, then a dozen or so riders around Colbrelli, Avelino and Tivani another 40 seconds. It seems unlikely that those guys will be able to get any type of good result at the finish in Frankfurt.
Kumara leads the peloton as they catch Morales Ortega, and Seigle, Tediashvili and Martin will soon follow, while Moreno Hernandez has bought himself some time with another attack.
Yudha, Ulysbayev and Savini have been dropped again, the Kreder group is now almost 2 minutes behind - today’s winner will likely come from these 35 or so guys!
Under the 10 kilometers banner, Moreno Hernandez still holds a lead of 30 seconds. The pace behind has stalled a bit, with most domestiques in really rough shape. It’s a group that looks vulnerable to attacks …
… and so Gogl attacks! Paez follows, trying to get away from the sprinters!
Barbero joins them and they quickly reach Moreno Hernandez. With hardly any domestique firepower left, Kump is forced to lead the chase himself!
Moreno Hernandez is back in the peloton where Kump manages to keep the trio close - but at what cost? Vanderbiest is right in his slipstream, Calmejane is lurking around fifth position followed by Haas and Boswell. Naesen is trailing at the very end of the group, having done a lot of work, it looks like he’s out of contention. But if Swiss Champ Stocker still has some energy left, he’s among the top favorites now.
With 3,5 kilometers to go, Kump catches the attackers and the pace comes to a screeching halt. No one wants to make the first move it seems, and there’s no energy left for coordinated sprint preparations.
With 2,7 kilometers to go, Kumara launches an attack, perhaps to give his leader some breathing room! Paez, Moreno Hernandez, Calmejane and Barbero are still closest to the front, Kump and Vanderbiest now a bit more sheltered on the left side of the screen.
That attack was short-lived with Paez quickly chasing it down. Behind him on the left, we have many of the quicker remaining riders: Haas followed by Barbero, Stocker, Calmejane, Kump, Hansen and Vanderbiest. 1,5 kilometers to go!
Kump comes to the front with almost taunting ease inside the final kilometer. Vanderbiest, Haas, De Vos and Paez are closest, while Naesen comes out of nowhere on the left. Stocker and especially Barbero and Calmejane have been boxed in a bit on the right.
Vanderbiest tries to attack Kump with 600 meters to go! Paez and Haas are doing well, but Naesen and De Vos are already fading in the middle. Mas, Gogl and Boswell are currently the fastest guys in the next bunch.
But none of them will touch these four! Kump still has the lead, can Vanderbiest overtake him?
No! The top favorite delivers, what a convincing and thouroughly deserved victory for Marko Kump! Vanderbiest takes second place, which might be considered a surprise giving his lack of puncheur skills, but Crabbe was one of the strongest teams all day and protected him extremely well.
Paez completes the podium, a great sprint despite an earlier attack. Haas finishes fourth, a very solid result for him, too!
Boswell wins the sprint for fifth, besting Gogl and Stocker, who similar to Vanderbiest managed the hills very well, even without that terrific team support.
Hansen just barely beats Mas to take 8th, a decent consolation result for Strava after Colbrelli and Kreder couldn’t hang on. Calmejane might be slightly disappointed with this 10th place, he had great speed in the end, but came from too far behind. Fernandez makes it three for Aramco in the Top 12, sandwiched between De Tier in 11th and a terrific Moreno Hernandez in 13th, a solid depth result for Eddie Stobart as well.
Barbero finishes 15th, he too could have hoped for more in this finale but maybe spent too much energy on the attack. Meanwhile, Declerq (14th) and Naesen (17th), as well as Paulus (19th) and Lavery (20th) give both of their teams three guys in the Top 20, while Borisavljevic (16th) even makes it four for Aramco.
Roson is Gjensidige’s best finisher in 18th, while Alexander and Wibisono sneak into the Top 25 to maybe surprise their managers with at least a point or two.
We wondered beforehand whether we’d see this end in a bunch sprint or with a successful late attack and in the end we got … neither? Both? In any case, the rider most people thought would win, did just that after terrific work from his team. And thus ends another edition of this very entertaining race. Hope you enjoyed!
Frankfurt - Eschborn 
