Welcom to Torshavn for its eponymous Gran Prix. 174k, one little climb. The top 4 favorites are the big sprinting names but organizers believe Dzamastagic could disrupt the sprint.
The breakaway gets a gap pretty quickly, just over 10k gone and they have 3’12. We will see if 13 works out as a lucky number for the break. They are: Savini Colleoni Eggenberg Debesay Uhiriwe Ahmad Rubio Besada Price-Pejtersen Shapira Iversen Sleen Vandevelde
As the peloton crosses the finish line with 94k to go they trail by 2’15. The lead having maxed at 3’30. Teams working include Red Bull Zalgiris (Affonso), Popo4ever (Parashchak), Volcanica (Montenegro and Chumil), Hello Fresh (Gaspar), Crabbe (Bonneu) and Minions (Tikhonin)
With 2.5 laps and 35k to go the lead is down to 50 seconds. Same teams working, no attacks yet from either the break or the peloton and nobody dropped.
The first attack in the break comes soon after. It is Besada, Uhiriwe and Ahmad try to respond.
Besada’s gap never gets above 12 seconds and with 25 k to go the break reel him back in. The peloton just 32 seconds behind with Minions driving the pace and some splits beginning.
22k to go and Manamalage closes down the break. All 134 riders in one group right now.
15k to go. Minions (English) leading with help from Crabbe and Red Bull Zalgiris. Many of the sprinters already up front. Vesely 2nd wheel, Saber 4th wheel and Silvestre in 5th wheel.
13k and the first attacks are launched, it is Varga and Dzamastagic. Van der Haar De Bondt, Breen, and Veyhe trying to join them.
10k to go, the 6 attackers opened up almost a minute but the cooperation not looking so good now. Girmay leading the chase behind.
The slower pace allows the peloton to get back within 15 seconds but a hesitation in the chase by Carlsberg results in the lead going back to 28 seconds with 6.6k to ride. Veyhe working in the break now as Assa Abloy have two riders up front. Peloton still has 122 riders so they should have the firepower to catch them but only Carlsberg and Minions taking responsibility at the moment.
3.5k to go, Varga takes a turn on the front. The lead is still 31 seconds and they are done with the climbing. Stuyven was unable to close them down and now it is Kuboki chasing for the peloton.
2k to go for the escapees. Minions have sacrificed Hodeg and he has the lead down to 16 seconds. Behind him all sprinters: Vesely, Halvorsen, Ahlstrand, Kragh Andersen, Saber, Howard, Reinhardt, Jakobsen, and Silvestre. The second Carlsberg rider in the line is Forssell, who is dropping back.
As they reach the 1k banner Hodeg closes down the attack. Coutinho, Kennaugh, and Kanter are at the back of the line of sprinters described above. The rest are out of it.
Hodeg leads to 700 meters and turns it over to Vesely. The attackers and the sprinters all mixed together. In addition to Vesely the front row includes Kragh Andersen, Halvorsen, Breen, and De Bondt.
400 meters. Kragh Andersen with the lead on the rail. Halvorsen next to him. Saber and Ahlstrand just behind looking for room.
200 meters, Kragh Andersen fading, Saber caught behind him. Halvorsen now leads. Ahlstrand and Dzamastagic trying to come around him. Vesely, Varga and Breen the three to the right.
But they can’t get around him and Halvorsen wins the 3rd edition of the Torshavn GP. Ahlstrand 2nd, Dzamastagic 3rd and a fast finishing Howard is 4th.
Breen holds on well for 5th ahead of Varga and Silvestre. Then Saber and Jakobsen. Reinhardt completes the top 10.
Tough on Minions as Vesely collapses to 17th, they did much of the work to close down the attack but that left their leader in the wind too early.
Torshavn GP 
