Welcome to Georgia, the country, for a rather long race with a lot of climbing, but a rather easy final. The PCT teams feel like they could score today, and rightfully so, as several PCT climbers are on the favourites list.
A group of fourteen quickly forms the breakaway of the day. Up front we have Nur Hasan (Indosat), Pushpakumara (Eddie Stobart), Tesson (Jura), Richardson (BWT Hyundai), Hansen (Strava), Januskevicius (McCormick), Hvideberg (Tafjord Kraft), Turner (cycleYorkshire), home rider Nareklishivli (Crabbe), Gani (Indosat), Blouwe (Crabbe), Schunk (McCormick), other home rider Tediashvili (Jura) and Thill (BWT Hyundai). The teams working in the peloton are Gjensidige, Glanbia, Volcanica, HelloFresh, Aramco and Cedevita, which means all teams are active somewhere.
We have three big climbs today. The fourteen leaders get a maximum gap of 4’50”, but at the top of the first climb, with 150 km to go, it has been reduced to 3’45” by the peloton domestiques. So far, nobody has been dropped anywhere, except for a certain Slovenian Gavenda who is racing for the local team Control.
The second big climb, Fuji Sanroku, is 14.6 km long and has an average gradient of 6%. It seems like only eight riders are able to survive in the leading group: Pushpakumara, Hansen, Gani, Tediashvili, Schunk, Thill, Blouwe and Hvideberg, but the Tafjord rider is close to getting dropped right at the top! Will he be able to hold on? No more couples in the front group, as a peloton of +-75 riders crosses the top at 2’30”, with the pace on the climb mainly being set by Volcanica and Glanbia. 95 km to the finish line!
At the end of the descent the peloton breaks into two pieces, with names such as Sakalou, Robov, Moreno Hernandez, Van Poucke, Umerbekov, Medvedev, Vysna, Serry, Heymes, Blikra, Herrada, Martin, Herrera and Aasvold all in the second split. Who is going to close it?!
No one so far! The first part of the peloton crosses the finish line a first time with 62 km to the finish line. The eight leaders are 1’30” ahead, as the second peloton is still 50” behind. All big names there trying to help in the chase, but so far they haven’t come a second closer!
It really looks like it’s game over for that second peloton now, and even if they come back they shouldn’t be too big of a help for their leader or a possible result for themselves anymore. The leaders start Mikuni Pass (7km at almost 10% average), and Gani attacks, as he knows he is far from the best climber among the eight leaders. The peloton of 43 is currently at 55”.
He quickly gets caught again, and with 5 km to climb we now see an attack from home rider Tediashvili, great moment for the Georgian fans! The peloton has come another 10” closer, and still exists out of 42 riders.
He has to sit down rather quickly as well though, but those five seconds of fame must have felt great! Hansen and Thill our two leaders with 4 km to climb, with the other six breakaway riders and the peloton of still around 40 right behind them!
3 km to the top as Thill has a small gap over Hansen now! Behind them, Aramco and Gjensidige set the pace in a peloton of still 38 riders!
At the end of the steepest part of the climb, with 35 km to the finish line and 2 km to the top, we see all former breakaway riders vanishing in thin air! Manfredi attacks, the closest riders are Atapuma, Brenes, Salinas, domestiques Fernandez, Gaspar and Schmid!
The first four names get a 30” gap with 1 km to climb , behind them favourite Mas is relying on domestique Borisavljevic to close it!
Salinas can’t follow the other three, as at the top we see Mas now 15” behind the leading trio, trying to close the gap himself! Right behind the Aramco rider are Kennaugh and then Salinas, with at 50” of the race lead Martin, Kozhatayev, Borisavljevic and Henao! At an additional 20” we find Gilanipoor, Jaramillo and Fernandez!
25 km to go! Now the three leaders head onto a small climb, then a long descent followed by another easy climb, and then another tiny bump before a flat finish! Has Mas waited a bit too long with his move? He has lost some time and is now at 28” of the race lead! At an additional 12” is Kennaugh, then at an additional 12" are Salinas, Martin, Kozhatayev and Borisavljevic, and at an additional 15" Henao, Gilanipoor and Jaramillo!
The leading trio now with one minute over Mas and the others at the top, the winner should be one of these three! A long descent and one and a half climb to go for them! Behind the Aramco riders the gap stay more or less the same.
Manfredi is the best downhill rider up front and is putting the others under pressure! He has a small gap, will it get bigger?!
It was definitely a noteworthy try. The Jura rider got up to twelve seconds, but the two others worked well together to make it three at the front again with 7 km to go! Anyone with the power and courage to accelerate on the little tunnel climb?!
No acceleration, but Atapuma’s out of energy after 228 km of racing, he has to let the other two go! Manfredi versus Brenes for the win!
The final bump with 3 km to the finish line is quite meaningless, looks like we will get a sprint a deux for the victory! Manfredi the favourite now!
The riders are now under the flamme rouge, right before the final corner! Manfredi leads the way!
Manfredi starts his sprint with 600 meters to go, is Brenes able to overtake him?!
No, the Jura rider is simply too strong! He was the first to attack among the favourites, and the first to cross the finish line! Still a nice second place for Brenes as well!
Atapuma a deserved third at 50”. A group of six riders now coming to sprint for fourth place.
Mas looked to be the winner here, but Salinas (4th) just beat him on the line. Also in this group are Kozhatayev (6th), Martin (8th), Borisavljevic (8th) and Kennaugh (9th).
At 2’30” of the winner, Jaramillo completes the top-10 ahead of Gilanipoor and Henao.
Then we see a little sprint for thirteenth in a group of fourteen. Youngster Schmid will make his manager a happy man with a thirteenth place ahead of Serry (14th) and Arifin (15th).
