After yesterday’s amuse bouche today is the first of the main courses. 144k finishing with a climb somewhere in Colombia that looks a lot like the famous Angliru. The finishing climb is immediately preceded by a Cat 1 climb and there is an additional cat 2 climb peaking at the 76k mark. Two sprint points along the way which are probably totally irrelevant.
The stage favorites are the race favorites. With no gaps after yesterday’s flat stage, it seems like today will be a GC showdown.
122k to go and 5 riders have an edge: Papanov, Zumer, Miller, Roson, and Jele. Roson by far the best climber in the group. More riders have been trying to join the break but Lierse are riding hard on the front to bring back additional attackers. They are determined to honor the leader’s jersey it would seem. Evonik also strongly represented at the front of the peloton.
33k gone in the stage and 4 more attackers have been able to bridge up, including, Cahyadi, Ho, Antonelli, Frankiny. Frankiny the only one in the same class as Roson. Lierse are still chasing behind and the lead is just 51 seconds. The break about to hit an uncategorized climb of about 5k at 5.4%.
As they reach the top of the uncategorized climb, with 100k to go, the two Kraftwerk breakaway men are alone at the front. Frankiny the closest to them at 29 seconds. The rest further back or already caught. Calzoni on the front for Lierse now but he is not that strong and the front two are 2’22 ahead.
Ho wins the first sprint ahead of Frankiny, who was able to rejoin the leading duo. Antonelli and Papanov are at 1’49, the peloton, now led by Covi, at 2’10. The rest of the original breakaway have been caught.
The front three have 1’57 as they start the Cat 2 climb. It is 5.3k at 6.4%. They are the only riders left out front. Lierse still chasing, now with Piccolo, although they did get a little help from Evonik.
Ho takes the points by leading his teammate over the top. Frankiny dropped early in the climb is 1’12 down. The peloton at 3’22. By having one rider in each of the original breakaway groups the Kraftwerk riders were both able to stay much fresher.
Katrasnik jumps out of the peloton to take 4th on the climb but Ho’s first place points give him the virtual KOM lead with 14 points. The stage winner will earn 20 points, so Ho will need to score on the Cat 1 climb to keep that lead.
Mas, a key lieutenant for Wellens punctures, but is able to stay in touch with the peloton.
Ho also wins the second sprint. Frankiny has been caught by the peloton which is at 1’54 with Evonik now on the front. The peloton is down to 97 riders with Mas and Taaramäe the biggest names not in the front group. 40k to go.
Ho starts the Cat 1 climb alone. He dropped his teammate at the sprint point and didn’t wait for him. Peloton at 1’51. The climb is 7.3k at 6.8%. While things are good for Kraftwerk at the front of the race the rest of their team missed the split and are now trying to close the gap.
5k to climb for the pelotn. The gap 2’05 as Evonik aren’t going hard. Krasts on the front. The split has been closed and the peloton is almost back in 1 piece. Only Weemaes off the back.
Ho takes maximum points on the Cat 1, he will wear the KOM jersey tomorrow, a deserved reward for a strong ride. Roson is 34 seconds behind and should hold off the peloton for 2nd. Kurianov leads the peleton now, they are 1’34 down, only 1 more rider dropped ( Phonarjthan). After about 6k of descending the riders will start the final climb.
Eenkhoorn on the front as the peloton starts the final climb. They are 1’03 behind the leader. The climb is 12.8k at 9.7%, the stage finish is about 800 meters beyond the peak so KOM points are awarded at the finish not at the peak. Dombrowski, near the bottom of the picture, is a long way back.
The other riders seem to want to test Evonik and the first attack comes with 12k still to climb. It is Padun followed by Olivier and Barguil.
Novak also joins the attack and they quickly wipe out the remnants of the breakaway. But first Eenkhoorn and then Battistella keep things under control and with 10k left in the stage their lead is just 24 seconds. The peloton is still together but cracks are beginning to appear. Foss appears to be losing Dombrowski’s wheel near the front of the peloton.
Battistella closes down the attack and splits a 36-rider group off the front, but the gaps are still fluid. Meanwhile the yellow jersey, Mareczko, has been dropped at the back of the peloton.
8k to climb as Olivier attacks again. The 36-rider group has 1’26 over the next group. All the major names are in the front group. Fouche is probably the biggest name missing.
Padun and Barguil try to follow Olivier but can’t quite close the gap. Eenkhoorn back to the front of the chase which contains 30 riders. Still 6.6k to go.
A short while later Lecuisinier himself shuts down the attack.
Immediately afterwards he launches an attack. Tenorio the first to respond. Dombrowski doesn’t seem to be feeling good today he is once again poorly positioned about 10 riders back.
Tenorio can’t bridge across and Lecuisinier moves clear, after hesitation from the others Dombrowski finally comes to the front, but with 4.9k to go PHL already has 48 seconds on the rest. The chase group is still 30-strong.
3.5k to go. Stalemate as Dombrowski keeps the gap to Lecuisinier constant but can’t close it. He does rip apart the chase group. Just 9 riders left with him now. They are the big names in the race: Wellens Padun Tenorio Bennett Barguil Olivier Choi Reis Novak
Min is 34 seconds down (on the Dombrowski group), Almeida and Mas at 55 seconds.
2.5k to go for Lecuisinier, Dombrowski has edged slightly closer to 44 seconds and dropped everyone except Wellens.
Dombrowski’s puts in a brief burst and closes to within 23 seconds of the leader, dropping Wellens but it doesn’t look like he has much left.
1k banner for Lecuisinier, he looks strong than Wellens but the American is holding his lead to 20 seconds. He is over the top and on to the downhill now. Choi is the next man on the road behind Wellens and then a group with Tenorio, Barguil, Olivier and Reis.
Lecuisinier drives all the way to the line and takes stage 2 of the Vuelta a Colombia in solo fashion. He has staked his claim as top dog at this race.
Dombrowski is a clear second, he was asleep when his rival attacked but proved by far the strongest of the rest and in the end limits his losses to 22 second (+8 seconds in time bonuses). Wellens takes 3rd, 58 down on the winner.
Choi take 4th on +1’38. He will be pleased to be the best of the rest. He also gets a clear win over this TOA rival Bennett who is much further back. Barguil edges Olivier and Tenorio for 5th. All of them on + 1’47. Reis takes 8th and is awarded the same time.
There is a big gap back to Padun who outsprints Bennett for 9th at 2’29 behind the winner. Novak takes 11th on +2’38
The GC standings are identical to the stage standings.
Mareczko holds on to the points jersey thanks to his sprint point efforts yesterday. Almeida didn’t have a great stage today but still takes the best young rider lead by 1’13 over Fouche,
Vuelta a Colombia 
