Well, no Aker on the favourite list. That`s a new and that said, the stage doesn`t even look that much different to those that Domen Novak kind of likes. Just saying.
Though the climbs are a bit harder than for the stronger hybrids, and this means the top 4 here are Haig, Phinney, Pogacar and Eastman. First two best climbers, Pogacar best hybrid, Eastman lacking a bit on the shorter hills. So a mix of everything here.
Two riders in the break and that`s some big names. Ranaweera would have been a potential top10 rider here but lost a bit already before. Mas is another tier down strength wise but showed nice activity already on day 4 in especially, which results in a 10th spot in GC so far. Surprising early move here, which results in both Aker and Fastned chasing with quite a few riders.
As the gap was kept rather small, more riders attack on the first Cat.3 of the day trying to bridge. Williams Leknessund Cort Nielsen
All just like Ranaweera already lost a bit GC wise.
Going up the Plan du Faz, the Cat.1 of the day with 8 km of almost 10 % in average.
Cort Nielsen adn Leknessund leading, then Williams with Mas.
Ranaweera realized early that the attempt wasn`t working well and dropped back to the peloton.
Cort Nielsen takes the big points ahead of Leknessund. They have a 2min gap to the next duo, which still is heavily chased by the peloton due to Mas` GC position mainly.
One rider that surprisingly is dropped early today is Foss for no reason really. He lost when riders such as Hoole and Veyhe chased.
Other riders that are again badly placed but not yet fully dropped are Rodrigues and Kirsch.
57 km to go and after Mas/Williams also Leknessund is caught again. This makes it a single leader in Cort Nielsen with almost 2 min.
The group slowly getting smaller as Fastned did send both their climbing support in Cras and Schelling.
And while Cort Nielsen still made it over the second Cat.1 and the descent, he is quickly caught on the Cat.2. He collected 35 points today, which results in 4th in the KoM ranking.
20 km to go at this point and things should start to pace up quickly.
Phinney already in the first position. All the GC riders are basically in the top10-15.
Eastman a bit behind them in 25th spot, apparently struggling on those shorter hills right now. Similar with Hirt a little behind him. But also Warchol and Haig are there in 35th only.
Struggling riders earlier such as Rodrigues or Kirsch are around those and still there, while Foss is far behind.
And also a rider dropped right now, which is a surprise: Novak. Aker Game Over it seems. And right now not even sure it`s a strenght issue. Groenewegen is with him and also Johannessen. Do they really wait for the GC leader, which after all those gigantic tactics would be a disaster for them.
Attack? Or just moving to the front?
Galta at least takes the KoM with Pogacar behind.
The Cat.3 just after then definitely sees an attack.
It`s Latour and again Pogacar behind.
Then a bit behind McNulty and Phinney, then Galta, then the others.
Those 5 riders quickly join each other on the descent but with just under 10 km to go it`s quite a bit of a flat section where the group of 17 riders is chasing them down.
In there Haig, Eastman, Hirt, Inkelaar, Warchol, Faglum Karlsson, Cras, Stüssi, Lopez Nolasco, Carboni, Senni, Brozyna and some more.
Group 3 is another 40s down including Novak, who no longer waits for Groenewegen, but might have missed the jump to group 2 due to this...
With him Rodrigues as next big name. Also Ranaweera, Leknessund, Darbellay, Eg, Elissonde in this group.
Kirsch even another group behind.
Mol did well in bringing Haig and the group back to the top5. Brozyna was a solid support here in the flat chasing.
Now going up the final climb, Le Venon, 4,4 km and 8,8 % in average the three teams with a mountain support are seen in the front.
Cras for Phinney, Habtemichel for Pogacar and Inkelaar for Latour.
Those three team leaders sit right behind in the positions 4-6 as well.
Then 7 onwards for Stüssi, Prado, Faglum Karlsson, Carboni, Galta, Kämna, Eastman, Girdlestone, Hirt, Lopez Nolasco, Senni, Brozyna, Chaiyasombat and in the last 3 positions the big names of Haig, McNulty and Warchol.
Group 2 is chasing 44s later. Rodrigues doing most effort himself there and most other riders have their leaders up front, so he can`t get much support really.
1,9 km left. 10,2 %. About time to make your move if you want to open gaps and one rider is doing so: Pogacar has come to the front and highering his pace. Not a real powerful attack but a pace others first need to match.
Next in the line are Latour, Hirt, Phinney, Haig, Eastman, Stüssi, McNulty.
Then Girdlestone, Warchol, Galta, Faglum Karlsson, Inkelaar, Kämna and Senni.
And a bit later Cras, Chaiyasombat and Habtemichel.
This means Prado, Carboni or Lopez Nolasco are dropped.
And more riders are dropped.
Kämna, Inkelaar, Senni have a gap already and further up Girdlestone as last EA Vesuvio rider is done.
Now Faglum Karlsson, Galta and Warchol in the last positions of the 11 rider group, where Pogacar still keeping the high pace.
Not high enough yet it seems.
700 m and Pogacar accelerates another time. Not many riders are able to hold on it seems.
Latour is one rider, the French looking really strong today. Next are the best climbers in Phinney and Haig.
Eastman and McNulty already with a small gap, then all others: Galta, Hirt, Warchol, Faglum Karlsson and Stüssi.
Latour has found his hammer time as well now. From looking very strong to having overestimated himself. He is already passed by McNulty, who has good legs. In fact the US rider might even pass his country man Phinney soon. The veteran also looking kind of done, which means only Haig is able to match Pogacar, who is in his own league though.
Eastman slowly dropping back to the Warchol/Galta/Faglum group. Those three apparently have saved their energy a bit better as the gap to others is melting.
Pogacar though the best today. He initiated all this selection and still was able to attack and open a gap. Maybe even the GC lead for him?
Haig is next and is given a 8s gap.
Another 10s for McNulty today, who indeed is best of the 3 top US GC riders.
Another 10s, 28s in total then for Phinney, who did not have it in the end. He is same time as Latour, but also the trio of Warchol, Galta and Faglum Karlsson, who likely are a lot more happy with that finish.
And then Eastman is losing another 14s, he really cracked in the end but he should like tomorrows stage a bit more anyway.
Stüssi doing decent as 10th and +1'15, same time as Hirt and then a bigger gap of more than 1 min until Girdlestone finishes and even more for Kämna.
Novak even losing 3'34 today and the team must check their tactics I guess.
GC wise indeed todays results basically match the new GC and Pogacar is the leader.
