We're here in Frankfurt on a bright and warm August day for the fourth running of the Frnakfurt Eschborn one day classic. Some of the best sprinters from both the PCT and the CT have made the trip for this challenging race. At nearly 220 kilometers, and with a fair amount of climbing on the course, this race provides a unique challenge to the riders which traditional 'flat' races do not. Having said all this, let's get right down to the start line where the riders are ready to go.
Favourites
FLA
HIL
STA
RES
SPR
ACC
Houle
78
75
76
71
79
78
Ahlstrand
74
67
74
73
83
82
Vesely
73
68
74
68
81
80
Aregger
73
71
72
71
78
77
Howard
75
67
74
69
81
78
Borges
70
80
75
73
71
81
Riabushenko
76
68
71
74
79
77
Silvestre
78
67
70
71
80
81
Halvorsen
76
65
74
71
81
80
Redecker
73
72
74
67
77
78
Kanter
75
67
75
73
79
80
Altanzul
72
69
68
73
78
75
Silva
68
75
75
70
74
79
McCormick
70
76
74
71
73
73
Weiss
70
76
75
70
73
74
Lienhard
73
75
77
72
73
76
Kennaugh
76
64
73
70
81
80
Kennett
75
65
73
76
79
78
Siric
76
70
75
78
75
71
Almost right off the flag, eight riders get away and after a bit of chasing down, are eventually allowed to form the break of the day.
Three teams have put more than one rider into the break, with Bralirwa and Staffbase actually having sprinters who should be contesting for top honours. Very interesting from them here. I wonder if this means they don't quite trust their sprinters to get over the various climbs on the route!
140 kilometers to go. Indosat, Octal Pharma, Xero, Minion, Volcanica, Popo4Ever, HelloFresh and Red Bull are all sharing the pace-making. Looks like the teams with sprinters who put their riders in the break did so to not have to chase. Again, very interesting!
100 kilometers to go. We're with the break on the descent of the highest climb of the race. They lead by 2'46".
Lipowitz was dropped from the break with 70 km to go. He was caught 5 kilometers later.
Adriamihajanarivo and Mennicucci are dropped with 60 kilometers remaining.
41 riders are simultaneously dropped from the pack as well including Colbrelli, Bouhanni, Thwaites, Page, Willwohl, Aregger and Bogdanovics.
More riders are further behind but no more favourites are there.
Adriamihajanarivo and Mennicucci are caught with 51 km left.
40 kilometers. Matsangos is dropped from the break next.
Here's the situation behind Matsongos, with multiple favourites having been dropped in recent splits:
The riders dropped earlier were even further back.
Uhiriwe and Konwa attack with 38 kilometers to ride. Hollmann and Debesay are in chase.
Matsongos is caught with 36 kilometers to go. Debesay was caught two kilometers later. Hollmann was also caught with 31 km to go.
Up ahead, Konwa has dropped Uhiriwe.
Uhiriwe is caught with 27 km left.
Houle, Katrasnik and Varga attack from the pack, with Tesfaye Heyi trying to catch up. 18 km to go.
All of the attackers were caught two kilometers, including Konwa, the lone surviving breakaway rider.
Varga, Houle and Lienhard attack now.
The dropped groups with sprinters have not made it back and it is looking more and more unlikely that they will.
10 kilometers left. The three attackers have 12 seconds over the reduced peloton. Just 31 riders remain in the latter.
Houle attacks the attackers a kilometer later.
Varga and Lienhard are caught a kilometer later. Houle has increased his lead to 25 seconds.
3 kilometers to go. Houle is still holding an 18 second lead.
Surprisingly, it's Kanter who does not wait for the sprint but has attacked and nearly caught Houle. 2 kilometers remain.
Hagen also attacks 500 meters later and catches the leaders. Kennaugh is also attacking now. No one wants to wait for the final sprint it seems!
The attackers are caught under the Red Kite. Kennett is at the front, and the fastest at the moment.
There's a split in the pack from the latest acceleration to catch the attackers. Gaudu, Borges and Prevar are the big names who are on the wrong side of it.
Kennett still leads with 600 meters to go. Howard is coming up fast on the left. Kanter is holding on to 3rd. Houle, Hagen and Varga are next.
Howard is tiring with 300 meters to go. Kanter looks to have found a second wind and is sprinting again.
Kanter goes into the lead with 200 meters to go! Where is he finding this from?! Katrasnik and Stuyven are finishing fast.
Kanter takes a comfortable win. No celebrations, all business from him.
Kennett takes 2nd with Varga continuing his great season by completing the podium.
Katrasnik is 4th, followed by Stuyven and Tefaye Heyi, who has come out of nowhere in the closing meters!
Hagen is 7th, with Affonso, Howard and Dayer Quintana completing the Top 10.
Quicibal is 11th. Houle pays for his earlier efforts and finishes 12th.
Groselj pips Kennaugh for 13th.
Poljanec, Ahlstrand, Manamalage and Lienhard finish in positions 15th through 18th.
Lindau and Kaczmarek take 19th and 20th from the crowd.
Today's winner - Max Kanter.
A very strong end to the race from Kanter gives him a deserved win. Kennett played his cards a little too early and didn't have the legs in the end. As already mentioned, Varga continues to defy the odds with another great result.
