We're in Riga for the start of the only Latvian race on the calendar. The weather is clear and the riders will be looking forward to a great day's racing. So are we! Let's get right to it then.
Favourites
FLA
HIL
RES
SPR
ACC
Coquard
73
67
74
84
83
Gaviria
76
72
76
83
84
Grosu
73
73
70
83
80
Demare
73
80
72
82
81
Eislers
78
66
76
81
76
Kragh Andersen
77
64
74
81
77
Bonifazio
79
66
75
80
80
Samolenkov
74
64
71
81
79
Howard
75
67
69
81
78
Silvestre
78
67
71
80
81
Bol
76
70
77
79
77
Houle
78
75
71
79
78
Kennett
75
65
76
79
78
Lo Cicero
70
62
60
82
75
Pedersen
77
69
80
78
77
Banaszek
74
65
73
79
81
Bewley
74
67
70
79
77
Five riders make the move for the break of the day:
Grand Affini Verwilst Krasts Donovan
Grand stands out in the sea of yellow in the breakaway!
100 km to go. Indosat, Tinkoff, Aker, Huski, Gazelle, Cedevita, Puma, Isostar and Aegon are all helping out with the chase.
50 kilometers to go and the breaks lead is down to less than a minute. The peloton is stretched out behind them.
The break is caught with 23 kilometers to go. 65 riders remain in the pack.
Eislers, Houle, Bonifazio, Silvestre, A. Kragh Andersen, Bol and Page are the big names in the later group.
More riders are dropped and caught by the next group. The peloton is down to 40.
Pedersen attacks with 10 kilometers remaining. The pack has lost a couple more riders.
Pedersen is caught two kilometers later. The peloton is down to 30. Kennett, Bewley and Simon Yates are dropped.
Konychev attacks a kilometer later. Wohler is in chase.
The pack has swelled to 68. The favourites from the Houle/ Eislers group have made it back.
5 kilometers to go. De Gendt, Kortsidakis and O' Brien were chasing so far but have tired. The two leaders have a 27 second lead.
The attackers are caught with 3 kilometers remaining. The pack is down to 57.
Katrasnik looks to take advantage of the pack slowing down and attacks with just 2 kilometers left. The peloton has swelled again to 90 riders.
12 second lead for Katrasnik as he reaches the final kilometer. Teunissen on the left and the trio of Grosu, Gaviria and Coquard are not waiting for trains and are sprinting. There's not much left in support for them anyway!
500 meters. Looking ahead from Demare. Katrasnik is still holding on to a 5 second lead but the sprinter trio are closing in fast.
300 meters to go. Katrasnik's lead is an agonizing 3 seconds! Can he really hold against three of the fastest men in the world?
Its between these four for the win now! 200 meters remain.
The sad answer is No! Katrasnik is overwhelmed by the speed of the sprinters as he loses the lead. In the pack, Demare leads, with Samolenkov coming through fast. Bonifazio, Howard, Silvestre and Houle are in the next positions.
Grosu is tiring with 50 meters left.
Coquard takes the win ahead of Gaviria. The former took the lead early in the sprint and held on to it firmly.
Grosu pips a brave Katrasnik to 3rd. Still, it's a great result for the latter.
Demare is 5th, followed by Bonifazio and Samolenkov.
Howard, Silvestre and Houle make up the last spot of the Top 10.
Vanbilsen is 11th. Bagioli pips Eislers to 12th.
Konychev and S. Kragh Andersen make it two in a row in the Top 15 for Aker.
Pedersen, Tesfaye Heyi, Van den Berg, Steimle and A. Kragh Andersen complete the Top 20.
Today's winner - Bryan Coquard.
Three of the favourites make up the podium with Coquard, Gaviria and Grosu taking the honours. However, Katrasnik is surely the rider of the day even though he couldn't hold it till the end. Demare finished a good 5th.
