Hello to all and welcome to the Apex Mountain Classic. A 230 km mountain classic with some nice names on its victory list. 6 smaller mountains before the riders head onto the Apex Mountain, and if nobody can get away uphill, they could still try to sneak away in the final downhill section.
Quite a large group, of fifteen riders, forming the break of the day. We have Lietaer, O'Loughlin, Leemreize, Noppe, Rutsch, Rajapakshage, Bohli, Jurado, Potocki, Malacarne, Charmig, Landa, Rivera, Hellemose and Covi.
Second climb of the day, as the domestiques of Jura, Carlsberg, Aker, Tryg and some others keep the gap at less than 4’ wth 170 km to the finish line.
Right before reaching the top of the fourth climb of the day and with less than 100 km to go, domestique Potocki is the first to be dropped in the leading group. The leading group won’t get too far though, as a peloton of 128 riders is already at less than a minute!
The peloton doesn't want to make the catch too soon either. The gap stays around a minute, as the leading group of now ten riders reaches the penultimate top of the day before starting their ascent of the Apex Mountain. As can be seen on the profile, there is also a smaller uphill section before the climb really starts. Most of the work in the peloton meanwhile being done by cycleYokshire, Carlsberg and Jura.
The break stood no chance, as Polar’s Carpenter makes the catch with 40 km to go, only a couple of km before a peloton of 85 heads onto the mythical Apex Mountain!
36 km to go, as we are on the Apex Mountain! Nerz has an early flight to catch, and immediately attacks! Carapaz tries to follow!
None of the domestiques was able to close the gap, so it’s Guldhammer now with the counter, he seems to be closing the gap towards the Kraftwerk leader in no time!
He does indeed, and so do Padun and Penasa! In the group of 17 behind them, Quintana attacks in the hope of joining the leading group as well!
Nerz feeling good, he attacks again! Only the Carlsberg rider currently able to follow him!
We’re around halfway the Apex Mountain as the two chasers become nine! The nine with a 30” gap to bridge over our two leaders are Padun, Penasa, Quintana, Shikai, Denifl, Carapaz, Schelling, Wellens and Carthy! At an additional 40” we find Galta and Latour.
A strong Wellens brings everyone except Carthy to the head of the race, but Nerz immediately accelerates again!
Right before the final part of the climb there is a small descent, and it’s enough to see the first ten split into two groups of five riders! The first group exists out of Nerz, Guldhammer, Wellens, Shikai and Quintana!
Everybody is too tired or scared to try and get away or bridge the gap! The two groups of five reach the top with a gap of 25”! A long descent to go now, around 20 km, as it looks like a sprint of five will decide the winner of the 2021 Apex Mountain Classic!
The gap remained the same for over 10 km, but as soon as Quintana takes the lead in the descent, the five chasers are able to come back! 6.5 km to go and still ten riders able to win the Apex Mountain Classic!
1.5 km left and the riders can see the finish line in the distance! Quintana in the lead, Wellens and Shikai the first riders behind him!
The sprint starting with 700 meters to go, as Guldhammer seems to be making the most speed!
The Dane builds himself a nice gap, but here comes Padun!
The Ukrainian is no match for the Carlsberg rider though! Guldhammer wins the Apex Mountain Classic ahead of Padun (2nd), Nerz (3rd) and Wellens (4th)!
The rest of the top-10 is completed by Schelling (5th), Shikai (6th), Quintana (7th), Penasa (8th), Carapaz (9th) and Denifl (10th).
Latour then eleventh ahead of Galta (12th), Carthy (13th), Aru (14th) and Arndt (15th).
