At long last the sprint teams will be given the opportunity to rest, as this stage ends in a spectularly steep climb up from the Rio Dorados to El Ceibal farm on the slopes of Cerro El Tessoro. The official numbers put it at just over 5 kilometres with an average gradient of 11.5%; the riders will need to be at their very best if they are to keep their GC hopes alive. There's a decent distance before they reach the base of that final climb however. The peloton again departs from outside Táchira, this time heading south from Suripá in the state of Barinas, through the intermediate sprint at Abejales, before entering a circuit around the southern end of Parque Nacional Juan Pablo Peñaloza. Although the riders will tackle the third-category climb to the Politécnico Santiago Mariño campus, they'll only be awarded points on the first and third occasion. We aren't expecting any big attacks as the favourites need to save their energy for the final ascent; it is hard enough by itself that we'll be expecting whoever wins the stage to also take the maillot amarillo off of Marildo Yzeiraj's back.
Evidently William Chiarello is feeling good because Crabbe CC-Chevigny were out in force, controlling the numbers that are entering the breakaway. They decided that they are happy with seven, Mikel Demiri being the unfortunate sod who missed out. Instead the breakaway would consist of repeat offenders Jakub Skala and Alessandro Verre being joined by Axel Laurance and Alessio Martinelli; this lot had already been in indirect competition when the latter were chasing down the former at the front of the peloton. Three new names were present in Pierre-Pascal Keup, Tyle Cole and, the big time favourite to take the provisional polkadots, Adam Phelan. Cole took the intermediate sprint ahead of Laurance and Phelan.
The cameras come on as the breakaway is tackling the circuit for the first time. Laurance leads them in but it is Martinelli who launches first, Phelan right on his wheel. Keup and Verre intercede in front of the Australian, but he has the strength to surge around everybody to take the maximum points. A much more tactical ride by Laurance secures him second while Verre holds on for third.
We didn't get to see any images of it, but Jenno Berckmoes put in an insane shift at the head of peloton. With his teammates trailing behind him, he was in the wind for about 80 kilometres before Benat Intxausti, Gabriel Marin and Zhihui Jiang came through to relieve him. Now, as the peloton follows the break over this summit, Aurelian Paret-Peintre is positioned at the front with three domestiques wrapped around him.
Approaching the second KOM, Martinelli is again the first to attack. Cole slots on to his wheel with Phelan and Verre behind him. Martinelli cracks about 400 metres out, leaving the latter trio to duke it out. This time Phelan mistimes his move and doesn't quite have the acceleration to make his way past Cole. The sharp gradients of these climbs and desents is taking its toll on the peloton, although no serious contender has been caught out in the splits as of yet.
In the final stretch of flat kilometres the peloton ups the pace. Kevin Granados, Reuben Thompson and Raul Garcia Pierna all take to the front. They are joined by the Simba Cement - Tanga Fresh duo of Quinten Hermans and Michael Gogl but it is Panagiotis Karatsivis who eventually makes the catch.
The high pace at the front has finally caught a big name out. Gavin Mannion is not part of the select group of 36 making its way down from the Politécnico Santiago Mariño. There is just one short unclassified bump and then the final climb and, try as he might, Mannion doesn't have the strength to close the gap.
On to the final climb then. You can see how steep it is, the riders have slowed right down. There won't be any slipstreaming here; just raw power, straight up the slope. Aurelian Paret-Peintre is not waiting around, as he launches right from base.
The Frenchman has the strength to gap Joao Gaspar and it is instead Tsgabu Grmay who is assigned to chase him down. Mikel Iturria, Sindre Skjostad Lunke and Gonzalo Serrano are all right there as well.
Grmay does well to bring back Paret-Peintre but as soon as he does it is Serrano who goes on to the attack with Daniel Alexander Jaramillo trying to follow.
Jaramillo is forced to relent. Serrano is not. He has managed to secure himself a favourable position as he passes under the red kite. William Chiarello and Natnael Berhane are beginning to make their way up on the far side.
He is more of a puncheur than a climber, Caja Rural's Gonzalo Serrano. His pace slows whilst Chiarello's only increases. The line behind, from nearest to farthest, consists of Natnael Berhane, Sindre Skjostad Lunke, Tsgabu Grmay, Daniel Alexander Jaramillo and Remy Rochas. Paret-Peintre is slightly outside the mould although, despite the camera angle, he is only abreast with Berhane.
Several big names look like they are out of the contest. Timofey Kritskiy and Fabio Aru have teamates up at the front but Íñigo Elosegui being dropped is devastating for his team. That is Gavin Mannion in the background, continuing to fight his way back up towards the front.
As they enter the barriers it looks like this one will come down to Chiarello and Berhane. Serrano is only going backwards and Paret-Pientre doesn't seem capable of finding that extra gear that he would need. It isn't all doom and gloom for Caja Rural though, as Daniel Munoz is pulling level with Lunke and Grmay. Chiarello is in the driver's seat here, but the gap to Berhane is closing, it now sits at just more than a wheel-length.
This ramp just seems to get continually steeper and the riders' legs must be getting heavier with every pedalstroke, nobody can make any progress. The only question is whether everybody can endure to the end. For just one rider, the answer is no. Grmay gives in with the end in sight and starts weaving across the road. Chiarello thinks he has this one in the bag and somehow finds the energy to celebrate early. He has the right of it; he takes first, Berhane second and Paret-Pientre third. The three favourites snatching up the podium positions. Behind them come Lunke, Serrano and Munoz, Ciccone. Piter Campero, Lemus Davila and Grmay. Without any clear gaps, the ajudicators can't award a time gap to the likes of Elosegui; instead the biggest name missing out is Yzeiraj, who won't spend another day in yellow, that honour instead goes to the man from Brazil: William Chiarello.
