It’s another trip around Belgium for the best PCT cobblers as they tackle Le Samyn.
There are 185 riders on the start line with hopes of making it over the cobbles unscathed. Hayter and McKenna are the first riders to push away without any contest from the group. Drouin and Hamza also try to escape. With numerous others chasing behind to find the move, it’s tough to know just how many would be let away. Some furious attacks and subsequent chases from Fastned and Team UBS - Tissot mean that it takes a long time to finally establish. Even 25km into the race and attacks continue furiously without ability for a break. Los Pollos Hermanos and Bralirwa-Stevens also contribute to the chase.
The final attack from the main group occurs with 166km to go when the peloton finally allows a huge group to escape. Overall, it is 16 men who find their way up front: Eaton, Mohammad, Matsumoto, Drouin, Hamza, Diaz Suarez, Mudgway, Hayter, McKenna, Varga, Jarc, Pluchkin, Canal, Medvedev, Mathis, Bakke Christophersen. At 150km to go, the gap is exactly 5:00. The teams who controlled break formation still lead the peloton, with the addition of Tryg-Gobyk. Things stay settled through 100km to go although the gap does descend to 4:00 by 120km and 2:15 at 100km.
It’s the predictable names leading the peloton as no one has volunteered their services to those five teams who have lead most of the day. They are furiously pacing though as the first set of cobbles arrives. Theuns has a puncture on the first pave sector but easily recovers without losing contact. The first group of weaker cobble riders have already fallen off the back leaving the peloton at 131. With 93km, the breakaway has just 1:24.
With about 1 trip around the finishing circuit complete, the attacks begin! Kosic is the first to test the group with Centrone following close behind. Neither is their team’s leader, but their strength should push the other controlling teams to utilize their better riders. De Buyst is also interested in the move. They gain 45 seconds over the peloton quickly and the breakaway-peloton gap balloons to 2:15. Lecourt De Billot, Girmay, and Thwaites also make a counter move and bridge to the other 3 attackets. The peloton seems to allow this to go and the breakaway is now 21 strong - Lecourt De Billot just doesn’t have the strength to connect fully. 60km to go and the gap is 2:00.
The town seems to be the biggest opportunity to attack as the previous lap also had their break go then. 3 more attackers think that the best option is up the road. Muhindo, Schoonbroodt and Naud now make a break for it. Los Pollos Hermanos and Bralirwa are the primary chasers now. The three attackers grab Lecourt De Billot as they try to bridge. Under the 50km to go marker, group 1 has 0:45 on the chasers. It’s 2:00 back to the peloton. Pluchkin and McKenna falter on the short cobble section here and are back to the 4 chasers and quickly dropped.
Now it’s time for the favorites to make their moves and it is Summerhill making the attempt. 48km to go and he shows that he’s not willing to wait any longer. Fastned is the team least interested in seeing him extend a gap, but he has 36 seconds quickly. Meanwhile, the 4 chasers have now joined the front group making it 22 up front. Summerhill has McKenna and Pluchkin waiting to be dropped by the cobbles. Team UBS - Tissot is back leading the peloton now and alternating with Fastned.
With 35km to go, Summerhill is caught by an attack from Erdenesuren, who brings the entire peloton with him. The front 22 still have 1:22 but they are much less excited than the peloton who is pushing hard. Fastned have paced relentlessly all day so they must be banking on Van Hooydonck.
Over the cobble sector at 25km to go, a few of the breakaway riders fall back, but Varga is pushing on up front with 18 riders still there. Girmay and Eaton have also been active near the front of that group but they only have 40 seconds to the peloton.
Debesay is the next favorite to try an attack and he’s marked by Blythe and Saya Kuroeda. They stay in front for 3 km but at 20km they’re caught. The breakaway however still has 36 seconds and hasn’t been caught yet. It will be interesting to see who might still have energy there.
A catch is made by the peloton leaving the cobble sector with 16.5km to go, but it breaks apart. Ulloa, Ringheim, Kooistra, Shiki Kuroeda, Bohli, Havik, Stallaert, Daniel, Debesay, Theuns, and Van Hooydonck have joined those originally in the breakaway off the front 49 seconds ahead. Now the gap between the back of that 30 person group and Nareklishvili who is pacing the rest is minimal, but the gap does exist. Quickly, everyone comes back together and there’s 63 men now together up front. No major favorites are found behind.
6 favorites all jump together after the 63 man group stops working. Theuns jumps followed by Van Hooydonck, Daniel, Stallaert, Debesay, and Ringheim while Summerhill realizes he has to jump now or the race will be gone.
Summerhill does make contact with the front and other everyone else realizes they have to go too. Blythe, Zepuntke, Spengler, Naud, Moulingui, and Gamper all jump away as well as they chase the front 7. There’s 11.9km to go as they traverse the most challenging cobbles remaining.
10km to go and Summerhill is looking to struggle on the back of the front group. Naud in a similar position in group 2. De Buyst is leading the peloton while Team UBS-Tissot seems to be pushing as well even though Spengler is up front.
Summerhill has fallen off the front 6 and is now in the 2nd group as Naud is back in the peloton who is close behind. 6.6km and all 12 are together!
Gamper now leads the front 12 as almost everyone has tried an unsuccessful attack in the last 3km. It’s unclear who is attacking and who is just trying to follow, but everyone is pushing hard. As its been a bit hectic, here’s a reminder on that group: Gamper, Van Hooydonck, Theuns, Daniel, Ringheim, Spengler, Zepuntke, Moulingui, Stallaert, Blythe, Debesay, and Summerhill. The peloton seems deadlocked at 35 seconds back so they should be sprinting for 13th.
3.1km to go and Theuns attacks! One of the favorites if the race came down to a sprint from this 12, it’s surprising to see him go out for a longer range effort. Ringheim is quick to follow as they head into the final cobble sector and up the slight incline to the line.
The cobbles are done and Theuns is out front alone. Ringheim couldn’t hold on but he’s still in front of the rest, but looking very tired. Van Hooydonck and Zepuntke lead the rest here while the peloton is just out of picture and could sprint past the others depending on how tired they are. Summerhill is clearly struggling to hold onto the front group.
Theuns gets into a sprint with a major gap. It should be his race unless he absolutely falls apart. Ringheim is struggling but the group behind aren’t moving quickly yet either. He may be able to hold onto a top 5. Debesay has shown the fastest effort of the rest as he makes a last ditch effort. Zepuntke and Daniel are the other ones already sprinting at 1km to go while the rest aren’t opening up yet.
It’s not a done deal! Stallaert is flying up the curb as the strongest sprinter with Theuns just out front. Ringheim still holds 2nd for now, but that’s no guarantee. Debesay and Daniel are still in with a shout too.
Stallaert is stalling with 300m to go as he and Ringheim are side-by-side for 2nd with Theuns struggling up front. Blythe is one of the most active for the remaining places as the others are managing to hold their positions. Zepuntke also looks poised to try to get 4th.
Theuns grabs the victory! A fantastic effort to hold on with the late attack.
Ringheim holds off Stallaert for 3rd. Stallaert could’ve made a difference if he’d had better positioning coming out of the final cobble sector, but these are still good results for both.
Zepuntke takes 4th, followed by Debesay and Daniel. Spengler grabs 7th
To close out the top 10 are Moulingui 8th, Van Hooydonck 9th and Blythe 10th. Gamper loses out on that distinction in 11th.
Closing out the rest of the top 15 are David, Fenn, Van Keirsbulck and Manamalage.
We’ve seen this man on the podium once this season already and he’s back up there again. Congrats to Theuns for a fantastic race.
