With most of the biggest guns on cobbles in Rheden, the list of favourites here is not quite as impressive. But maybe that’s the chance for the likes of Gerts or Per to shine today.
With about 20 km into the race there has been a short-lived break of 9, but with the first cobbled sectors already done this attempt is already history. Right now the first group is down to 73 riders, but probably the bigger splits won’t last. It will be a long (and probably lonely) day for the weakest cobblers nonetheless.
30 km later we have a group of 10 more than 5 minutes in front of the peloton. The escapees are Stewart, Giulietti, Frankovic, Silva, Bush, Buttigieg, Colombo, Palyi, Salazar and Jurado. Manamalage and Nych tried to bridge to the front but ultimately didn’t make it.
Bush is the strongest cobbler in the break, but he had a puncture and it took him some time to get back to the front.
Halfway through the race the gap is down to 3’20. The chase and the cobbles are taking their toll and the peloton is down to 92 riders.
The break crumbled in the next cobbled sector and now it’s only the Binance duo in front. But they won’t make it as the reduced peloton of 45 is already in sight. All the favourites are still there though.
The break is caught with 65 km to go. Moulingui uses the moment to attack, but it leads to nothing.
Lecourt De Billot and De Buyst are the next to attack and they get a gap for the moment.
With 40 km to go Lecourt De Billot was dropped by his companion. Sanogo is on the hunt on his own, but Boros, Marzuki and Menten are only a couple of seconds behind him.
With 32 km to go the attackers are all brought back and now it’s Resell and Debesay on the attack. The peloton is down to 41 riders.
The attack leads to nothing, but shortly afterwards the big guns are on the move for the first time. It doesn’t seem to be successful, but at least Ferreira has been dropped.
A counter attack by Siric, Vanbilsen and Vermeersch gets a gap of about 30’’. Per tried to bring them back on his own but finally gave in. Now the chase doesn’t seem very organized. It’s still 14 km to go and there’s a steep cobbled climb and the final cobbled hill to go, so nothing’s lost yet for the favourites.
When the three enter the second to last climb their lead is up to 43’’.
And this lead is pulverized when the favourites finally get started. Gerts is the leader now with Per his only chaser. Summerhill and Benoot are the next on the road, behind them are two bigger groups. The climb’s not over yet, so we’ll see how the gaps are on top.
With 6 km to go Gerts is still solo at the front. Per and Benoot are 11’’ behind. Another 29’’ behind is Kasperkiewicz, followed by Summerhill 16’’ later.
With only 1.5 km to go the situation is still the same though the gaps are rather increasing.
But right under the red kite Per is flying and has already overtaken Gerts with 800 m to go.
And Per takes the win! Gerts comes in second. Benoot takes the final podium spot.
Behind them the riders come in one by one with Kasperkiewicz in 4th, Summerhill in 5th and Salzmann in 6th. Debesay, Zepuntke, David and Garcia Cortina complete the top 10.
Meanwhile a certain Schomber is last with still 49 km to go and 1h38 left to get to the finish line. In the end he’s one of three riders to miss the time limit.
[PTHC] Tour of the Battenkill 
