The PTHC Rheden GP brings the cobblers back for some fun in the fall. The race is 185k and rated flat but it has a good supply of cobbles and a number of significant bumps on the route. Probably not a bunch sprint. Although last year Halvorsen won it and he is more of a sprinter than a cobbler. He is back to defend his crown. The race has had 7 different winners in its 7 years, the only other one back to try and be the first one to two is Bewley. He probably considers the fact he only one it once as a black mark on his record so he will be hungry today.
The stage favorites include all the big cobblers present
Just 4 kilometers gone and already 22 riders on the move. The front 3 are Nareklishvili, Brunel, and Stoltz.
As they cross the first very short section of cobbles all 22 come together. They have 2’40 over the peloton with 10k gone. The full list is: Gonzalez Salas, Konychev Foss Cannister Antonijevic Stoltz Geniets, Wouters Verschaeve Riabushenko, Scully, Villella Brunel Cink, Osorio Kooistra Baterdene, Weinstein Nareklishvili Pedersen Barbier, Liu
15 teams represented, quite a few good sprinters but not a cobbler among them.
The lead peaks at about 4 minutes but with 120k to go the peloton have begun to reel them in, Amaysim, UBS, Gazelle, Lierse and Mapei working. All 22 riders still together in the break.
With 96k to go and the lead down to 2’24, De Gendt launches an attack out of the peloton.
85k to go and the first splits occur in the peloton. No team racing to close it but Saber is in the 2nd group so Cedevita might want this closed down.
Soon after the gap is closed by Aker, Festina and Cedevita but the warning is there. De Gendt is stuck about halfway between the peloton and the leaders who still have about 2’15.
With 65k to go De Gendt’s solo adventure is ended. The breakaway is still 22 riders strong and leads by 1’51. No further splits in the peloton. Same teams chasing.
43k to go and with the lead down to 1’12 the peloton has their prey in sight. About 40 riders dropped from the peloton now, Howard the most notable name.
35k and with the lead down to 48 seconds, Verschaeve decides to liven things up in the breakaway. In the peloton the Howard group was able to rejoin.
At first Verschaeve doesn’t get much daylight but on cobbles section 17, which is 2.4k long, he Stoltz and Nareklishvili are able to prise open a small gap.
With 29k to go all the breakaway except the 3 attackers are caught by the peloton. The peloton is currently split in half with Howard, Saber and Halvorsen all in the wrong half.
25k to go as Chatarunga launches the first attack from the peloton. The peloton has regrouped a little with only Howard still out the back.
The Amaysim rider is shut down and up front Nareklishvili attacks with Stoltz on his wheel, they have 48 seconds on the peloton.
Another attack in the peloton features Teunissen, Polanc, Nolf, and Van der Haar
That doesn’t work so Boutopoulos has a go with Polanc once again following. Still 120 riders in the peloton so not surprising it is hard to get a gap.
Kortsidakis bridges across but then Polnicky closes down the move while also catching Verschaeve. The other 2 have just 18 seconds. 19k to go.
None of the attacks are working but they do cause more significant splits. 24 riders have a gap at the front, with 6 more trying to join them and the peloton of 101 riders behind that. Many of the big names are in the first group.
The race continues to split, Polanc and Breen get away from the front group and catch the last 2 from the breakaway. This foursome has 20 seconds over a 13-rider group.
The full situation looks like this (the 13th rider in the first chase group is Verschaeve):
Summerhill leads the first chase group up to the 4 leaders and then sets off on his own.
Summerhill leads on to the 2nd to last cobbles sector. The last cobble sector comes at the finish. His lead is 16 seconds, Karatzios is attacking behind. 13k to go.
The Festina rider doesn’t get anywhere but with 10k to go Polanc and Daniel are able to bridge across to Summerhill. Behind the chase groups have all merged and it is now a 69-rider group. The 3 leaders have 29 seconds.
5.5k to go, the front 3 have 13 seconds on Breen who is trying to come across on his own. The main chase group just 7 seconds behind. Bewley hovering at the front as FarFetch and Voyagin lead the chase.
With 3.5k to go Breen makes it across but almost immediately Liu shuts them down and we have 53 riders together at the front.
Teunissen is the next to attack. Karatzios, Spengler and Vanbilsen on his wheel.
Teunissen’s attack just turns in to a lead out and he is on the front with 1.6k to go they are on the last cobbled section; it is 3 stars and 2.4k long. Mostly riders already mentioned up front. Also Tiller, Anderberg, Neilands, Nolf, Jansen and Lander are well placed and might have a part to play.
800 meters. Teunissen and Spengler on the front. Then Karatzios, Vanbilsen and Daniel. Just behind them Polanc and Bewley followed by Breen and Liu. Then Summerhill and Tiller. These riders have a little gap over everyone else.
They are off the cobbles and turn for home. The second line is the finish.
200 meters, Karatzios hits the front.
100 meters, Bewley is moving fastest but the Festina man has a gap.
He wouldn’t have bet on himself in a bunch sprint from this group but that doesn’t stop him celebrating.
Bewley showed admirable patience throughout the race but he waited a little too long at the end and has to settle for 2nd. Spengler just holds off Daniel for the last podium spot.
Then Teunissen, Liu, Polanc, and Vanbilsen.
Summerhill gets 9th and Tiller completes the top 10.
Rheden GP 
