It’s flat, it’s cobbled, and it’s in the North. Welcome to the GP Herning. Last year PCT outfit Aker-MOT won it, this time Cedevita might hope for the same with Siric.
We quickly get twelve leaders with a maximum gap of 4’15”. By the time they reach the first cobbled sector out of eighteen (this one being almost 11 km long), Colombini, Hyundai and BNZ brought the difference back to 1’40”. 132 km left as the twelve names up front are Johansen, Barbero, Kielich, Renard, Perez, Bayer, Feiereisen, Hollmann, Eislers, Jarc, Redy and Talacka. Soon, Manakov is the first rider to puncture today.
Really not his day so far, the Russian with another puncture on the second cobbled sector out of 17, as Vermeersch and Kaislavuo also have to change a tyre.
Poljanec, Ariesen, Rathe and Matthews bridge the gap to the leading group then making it sixteen at the front with less than 100 km to the finish line. Merlier currently in no one’s land between this group and the peloton, which is at 2’30”.
More attacks coming from the peloton, as after chasing for over 20 km’s four more riders almost join the leading group of 17 now (including Merlier). Those are Siric, Declerq, Vermeersch and Kaislavuo. 65 km left and the peloton, led by Colombini, BNZ and Hyundai, at two minutes of the big leading group.
Puncture for Ariesen in the leading group! Whereas Edmondson has joined the big leading group in no time, Kaislavuo has a hard time holding on here now. A peloton of 45 riders at 1’30” with 55 km left.
Talacka also dropped after puncturing, leaving us with twenty leaders at the end of the tenth cobbled sector. They have a 1’15” lead over the peloton of 43, with 48 km and 7 cobbled sectors to go!
Cobbled sector 12 is 3 km long and ends at 40 km from the finish line. Six riders get dropped in the leading group: Redy, Kielich, Merlier, Renard, Johansen and Perez. A peloton of 40 riders now at 1’10”.
Bayer, Feiereisen, Hollmann and Eislers attack in the leading group on the next cobbled sector with 35 km and have a small gap, and meanwhile Hnik attacks in the peloton as well!
But it’s a man in orange, Poljanec, who powers away from everybody here. He has 30” over the first chasers, who are right ahead of the peloton, with 33 km and four cobbled sectors left!
Saber on domestique duty for Lampaert! The Moroccan chases his former teammate now, with 31 others in the peloton!
The Slovenian rouleur is far from an easy prey on the flat, but on the cobbles the chasers manage to almost close the gap! The group behind is breaking apart though, with currently only nineteen other right behind the Cedevita man! Most of the guys going for the early attack strategy now breaking.
Chatarunga attacking now, as there are 21 km left! The Sri Lankan immediately drops Poljanec, as Vanmarcke is trying to follow! Orue has to let go at the back of this group, which is surprising!
The Belgian closes the gap on cobbled sector 15, causing more splits to appear! Only eleven leaders left now with 17.5 km and two cobbled sectors to go! Those are Chatarunga, Vanmarcke, Lampaert, Fenn, Taubel, Sinkeldam, Dakteris, Manakov, Domene, Richardson and Silva, with those two final names struggling to hold on as well!
Pas Normal wants to do well in their home race, Taubel with the acceleration now!
Lampaert closes the gap, causing more names to come back. Back to nine leaders, as Hnik tries to make it four Bianchi riders in the top-10 right behind this group!
On the penultimate cobbled sector now, which is 3 km long! Dakteris, has to let the other eight leaders go with 10.5 km to ride!
No attacks, so now they are onto the final cobbled sector, 2.4 km long! 6.5 km to the finish now, anyone able to make a move still?!
Chatarunga takes the lead, but doesn’t drop anyone! 4 km left and a sprint is becoming very likely! Domene the favourite now?!
Everybody looking at each other a bit with 2 km until the finish line! Who will go first?!
It’s the Russian champion, Manakov, accelerating under the flamme rouge! He had Taubel in his wheel, but the Austrian is a terrible sprinter and has to leave a gap! 700 metres remaining!
The Russian falling still with only 300 metres left, as it’s his teammate Chatarunga overtaking him! A win for Bianchi and Sri Lanka, or is one of the Caja Rural boys strong enough to overtake him in the end?!
Domene comes closest, but has to be content with second as Chatarunga finishes it! Top favourite Fenn finishes third ahead of Sinkeldam (4th), Taubel (5th), Lampaert (6th), Manakov (7th) and Vanmarcke (8th). A bit later Dakteris comes over the line in ninth.
Super performance by Bianchi here, as Dakteris is the fourth name in the top-10, finishing ahead of Richardson (11th) and Poljanec (12th).
Places 13 to 16 go to Saber, Konwa, Silva and Insausti.
