Stage 5 of the Benelux Challenge takes the riders 175k from Tielt to Oudenaarde. It is rated flat but once again it is by no means simple. Multiple cobbled sections and 8 KOM points (5 Cat 3 and 2 Cat 2). The KOM jersey will be decided today. There are also 3 sprint points, the last one coming relatively late, might be in play for the GC.
So far this has been a race of attrition with a different group of riders suffering each stage. The cobblers top the favorites list today, this seems like their best chance to cause some suffering among the non-specialists.
10k into the race, 8 riders already have 2’18, another 7 trying to bridge up and the peloton doesn’t seem too worried.
8k later they are all together. The 15 are: Pushpakumara Rodriguez Sinkeldam Christodoulos Stuyven Stoltz Grossschartner Januskevicius Schönberger Tediashvili Rossi Plapp Kaislavuo Lindau Van Niekerk
Over half the Zalgiris team in the break. Best on GC is Rossi at 6’49 so another breakaway win seems like a possibility. None of them have any KOM points.
133k to go. The break is on the Taaienberg (2 Star cobbles, 800 meters at 5.3%), Their lead has settled at around 4 minutes. Kraftwerk, Carlsberg, Colombini, Trans and Bralirwa all contributing to the pacesetting in the peloton.
As they approach the first climb, the Kanarienberg (1.1k at 10%) Sinkeldam makes his intentions clear and attacks. Only Pushpakumara follows initially.
Sinkeldam just holds off the Eddie Stobart man to take maximum points. Three of the Zalgiris riders and Lindau are distanced further back on the climb. Peloton at 3’27.
The remaining points go to Stuyven, Van Niekerk and Plapp.
The break reaches the 2nd climb, the Cat 3 Hotond with a led of 4’13. The 4 dropped riders haven’t quite rejoined. This climb also includes a 300 meter 3-star cobbled section.
Van Niekerk starts the attacks this time but Rossi (6 points) proves strongest. Sinkeldam follows (4+10=14) and Stuyven is third (2 + 6 = 8). Vanspeybrouck leads the KOM right now with 22 points so Sinkeldam already within striking distance. Christodoulos has been dropped and is back with the 4 chasers.
Rodriguez is the first attacker on the next climb. It is the Cat 2 Mont Saint-Laurent, 1.3k at 7.1% with a 200 meter 2-star cobbled section. The 5 dropped riders are still a little behind. A handful of riders have been dropped from the peloton which closed to 3’15 in the last flat section. The peloton has 100km left to ride.
Rodriguez’ early attack just leads to him cracking early. Instead Sinkeldam takes 10 more points giving him 24 and the virtual KOM.
The rest of the points go to: Rossi: 8+6=14 Kaislavuo: 4 Pushpakumara: 4+8=12 Stuyven: 2+8=10
Over the top of the climb the peloton splits for the first time with 57 riders in the front group which is being led by Kraftwerk, Bralirwa Trans and Carlsberg. The break is back to 12 riders with Christodoulos, Grossschartner, and Schönberger missing. Tediashvili was the third Zalgiris rider dropped but he was able to bridge back up on the climb.
It is Plapp, Van Niekerk and Rossi who go first on the next climb. The climb is Plachettes (1.1k at 6.1%). The three dropped riders are just catching back on. The peloton is 2’48 behind and is back to 130 riders.
Those three hold on to take the points – Plapp 1st (6+2=8), then Van Niekerk (4+4=8) and Rossi (2+14=16). Tediashvili is dropped again.
Big crowds greet the break on the famous Muur Van Geraardsbergen which is 1.9k of 5-star cobbles at a 7.5% gradient. Pushpakumara attacks first but on the climb Sinkeldam look strongest. 76k to go.
By the top only Kaislavuo and Rossi are close to him. The rest are almost a minute back. 10 more points for Sinkeldam give him a commanding lead in the KOM. Rossi tied for 2nd.
The virtual KOM standings look like this:
Behind on the climb the peloton begins to swamp the remnants of the break. Stallaert sits 3rd wheel behind Abraha and Schlechter.
Over the top an 11-rider group breaks clear. It includes the top cobblers but only two rider from the GC top 10, both from Amaysim, Bewley (2nd) and McCarthy (10th). Race leader Kung is in the next group with no teammates, but Hello Fresh and Carlsberg are well represented and may help him out. The next 12k or so is flat with no cobbles so some regrouping seems likely. But after that it gets tough.
The first 6 groups on the road:
A few k later the front two groups merge mostly thanks to McLay and Stoltz working for Van Asbroeck (17th on GC) and Benoot (18th). The other top 20 GC riders in this first chase group are Bewley, McCarthy, Kung, Saber (6th), Kurianov (8th), Riesebeek (4th), Lander (11th), Rowe (15th) and Daniel (20th). 3rd on GC Kireva is in the next group on the road which is 1’13 behind. Lecourt de Billot working to bring them back. Vliegen (9th) is also in that group. 5th on GC Senni’s dreams of a repeat win seem to be dead, he is much further back. 7th on GC Eriksson is also well back although he has multiple teammates with him. 70k to go for the now 29-rider Yellow Jersey group and they trail the front 3 in the breakaway by 3’09.
56k to go, having passed the second sprint point with no action, the front three attack the Valkenberg (Cat 3, 600 meters, 7%). Their lead over the Yellow Jersey group is now 2’16. The Kireva group has swelled to 31 riders and is 55 seconds behind the Yellow Jersey group. That group also includes Stannard who is now in virtual white as Evenepoel is with Eriksson another 1’21 behind. Senni is already over 5 minutes down.
Sinkeldam loses a little bit of his KOM lead as he is third behind Kaislavuo and Rossi. Van Niekerk, Stuyven and Pushpakumara are still between the front three and the Yellow Jersey group but it is just a matter of time until they are caught.
The front two chase groups combine over the Valkenberg and a 59-rider group hits the 4-star cobbles of Haaghoek (1.9k). This means the Yellow Jersey has some helpers again (Ariesen, Tsatevich). They trail the front three by 2’31 with 52k to go. The riders in between have been caught.
The cobbles reduce the Yellow Jersey group to 47 with Stannard the most notable victim. He is on his own and looks like he might get caught by the group with Evenepoel
Kaislavuo goes hard on the 2-star cobbles of the Eikenberg but is unable to drop the other two. He does take first place on the Cat 3 KOM, ahead of Sinkeldam and Rossi. Their lead is 2’13. Sinkeldam has 40 points to 28 for Rossi and 26 for Kaislavuo. With only 1 Cat 3 climb left today and no points tomorrow Caja Rural look to have the KOM jersey secure.
With 31k to go the front three complete the Molenberg with a lead of 2’40 over the Yellow Jersey group which hasn’t been chasing that hard. Nevertheless, it is down to 40 riders with a number of domestiques dropped. There are multiple short climbs and one major section of cobbles still to come.
27k for the peloton. The lead is down to 1’24 thanks to work from De Buyst, Okbamariam, and Girmay. The group is down to 38 with Guldhammer (16th on GC) among those dropped.
The last Cat 3 climb is the Berendries. 800 meters at 8.4%. As they start it the break has a lead of 1’08.
Kaislavuo takes the points ahead of Rossi meaning they are tied for 2nd in the KOM. Sinkeldam is gapped.
Behind the peloton eases off on the climb and the gap goes back out.
Sinkeldam takes the last of the points at the final sprint (the Amaysim rider is lapped). He trails the front two by 48 seconds and leads the peloton by 1’32. He will have to settle for the KOM jersey, the stage win looks to be in play for the leaders but he isn’t going to be able to contest that. The peloton is down to 32 riders.
The first attack in the peloton comes from Zhupa and Centrone. Their teams have been working all day to set this up. Centrone laying the ground work for a Vanbilsen attack perhaps. Neither is a GC threat so not clear how the peloton will react.
Kaislavuo and Rossi are on to the final flat cobbled section, it is the Haaghoek again, 4-star (although there is still the final cobbled climb, the Eikenberg). They have 1’03 on Zhupa who has dropped Centrone. He has 36 seconds on the peloton where Okbamariam is chasing.
Zhupa catches Sinkeldam on the Haaghoek. He is 40 seconds behind Kaislavuo who has dropped Rossi. The peloton is 43 seconds behind but coming hard now.
Just off the Haaghoek Zhupa catches Rossi but Kaislavou still has 53 seconds. The Finnish champion might pull this off. Behind the peloton have caught Centrone and trail Zhupa by 27 seconds. Most of them survived the cobbles with just 8 riders dropped most notably Vliegen.
In the young rider competition Stannard is still one group ahead of Evenepoel and looks to be taking that jersey. Although Rossi could be a threat if he maintains a good gap.
Stallaert and Vanbilsen attack and bridge up to Zhupa and Rossi. Lander leading the peleton behind. The gap is just 21 seconds. Neither of these two is a big threat on the GC either, all about the stage win for them.
8.5k to go Vanbilsen attacks the attackers. Lander has dragged Saber clear of the chase which has drawn a response from McCarthy as Saber is just 35 second down on GC. Kaislavou’s advantage is holding at just over a 1 minute.
5.4k to go. Kaislavuo is on the Eikenberg. Behind Zhupa is coming into view. He counter attacked after his group brough back Vanbilsen. He trails the Finn by 44 seconds and has 12 seconds on the chasers where Lander and Saber have bridged across. The peloton is another 16 seconds back and being led by Benoot. There are about 5k of flat to the finish after the Eikenberg.
The whole race is on the Eikenberg. Kung closed down the gap to Saber himself. Vanbilsen and Stallaert have gone again and are 17 seconds behind Zhupa who is 24 seconds behind the leader.
5k banner. Stallaert and Vanbilsen sweep by Zhupa and catch Kaislavuo. An outstanding effort from him but it is going to come up just short. With these riders not a GC threat the peloton has eased off and their lead is already a minute.
Zhupa and Kaislavuo are just able to catch back on to Vanbilsen and Stallaert and with 2k to go their lead is down to 32 seconds as the front four look at each other. Hello Fresh leading the peloton. Saber and Bewley would love a chance to sprint for bonus seconds for the GC.
1.3k to go and a 30 rider group is going to contest the stage win.
A technical section near the finish slows them down and the four escapees are still on the front as they open the sprint with 500 meters to go. Bewley and Rowe are in 5th and 6th position.
200 meters. Rowe burst between riders and into 2nd on the road, Stallaert still leading. Saber (in Green) and Bewley both moving up.
Rowe wins stage 5. Hello Fresh having a great race with multiple riders high on the GC and now a stage win. Stallaert settles for 2nd, not such a great race for Brarlirwa. Bewley has the edge for 3rd.
Bewley grabs 3rd and his GC deficit is down to 2 seconds. Kaislavuo’s consolation is 4th place. Saber 5th, he would have liked some bonus seconds but a if he is still in a great position on the GC and can move up with a top 3 finish tomorrow. Zhupa 6th.
Thwaites makes it two in the top 10 for Hello Fresh with Vanbilsen, Lander, and Trentin rounding out the top 10.
Mareczko, Wohler, Haavardsholm, Joeaar, and Hamza miss the time cut.
Not big changes in the GC but Bewley can steal it from Kung if he takes bonus seconds tomorrow. Vliegen, Senni, and Eriksson drop out of the top 10 moving Saber into the top 5 and Lander, Rowe and Van Asbroeck into the top 10.
Saber has a 4-point lead over Bewley in the points competition, that will be decided tomorrow as well. Rossi holds on to the lead group and gains more than 5 minutes on Stannard, giving him a 28 second lead in the young rider competition.
Amaysim keep the team jersey, ahead of Hello Fresh.
Benelux Challenge 
