Stage 7 is the second chance for the punchy riders to reach the top of the GC. Less up and down today, instead the main obstacle is 5 climbs of the Côte de Boursheid, the first 3 up the main road and the last two via a steeper side road with the last one being the stage finish. Each ascent except the stage finish carries Cat 2 KOM points, so that jersey could change hands. There are also two smaller Cat 3 climbs earlier in the stage but most of the climbing comes in the 2nd half of the 168k stage.
GC leader Gerts makes the favorite list, most of the rest are the riders who contested the stage yesterday.
14k gone and 5 riders have 1’06 over the peloton. There have been additional attacks but they aren’t getting much traction. The five out front are Stedman, Potts, Redy, Van Niekerk, and Zakarin. KOM leader Sheehan not here but the good news for him is none of the breakaway riders have any points, while he has 46 in the bank, so with 52 on offer catching him is possible, but will require one of these guys to be dominant. None of these 5 are a GC threat, closest is Potts who is 15 minutes down.
The break roll through the sprint with 150k to go and a lead of 1’18, the attacks are still coming in the peloton and still failing.
The peloton finally decides that 3 more riders in the break isn’t a big deal and Swift, Zegklis, and Sweeny bridge across. None of them have any KOM points either but they are a bit closer on GC with Sweeny at 9’31 the best of them. Gap is 2’37 with 134k to go.
At the first Cat 3 Redy comes around Sweeny at the last minute to take maximum points. Nice work from him on behalf of his teammate’s KOM jersey. Gap is 3’49.
Swift takes the second Cat 3 ahead of Redy and Potts. Peloton at 4’05 with 104k to go.
Swift (6) can tie Sheehan in the KOM if he wins every remaining climb. The only man who can catch Sheehan is his teammate Redy (10).
84k to go, all the teams of the top puncheurs contributing to the chase and the lead is 2’43. Ahead the break is about to start the Côte de Boursheid for the first time. The climb is 2.1k at 7.9% with the steepest section at the top.
Redy goes a little early this time and Stedman takes maximum points ahead of Sweeny and Zegklis. Redy is 4th. Nobody can catch Sheehan now. The breaks lead back to over 3 minutes
When the break start the 2nd ascent their lead is down to 2’19.
This time Zegklis edges Redy and Sweeny. Lead is 2’24.
Kelly leads the peloton over the KOM line 3’02 later. Note the 1k banner ahead, the finish comes further up the climb, although at the finish the riders will come up the steeper road that joins this road just ahead to the right. A few riders have been dropped from the peloton and Van Niekerk has been dropped from the break.
As the break start the climb for the third time their lead is down to 1’32 (Van Niekerk was able to rejoin). In the peloton about 30 riders dropped, biggest surprise is Skujins, this race has taken a bad turn for Tinkoff. Anderberg and Van Baarle also dropped but both of them also struggled yesterday.
Sweeny attacks near the top to take maximum points and draw Swift and Zegklis clear. Peloton not slowing on the climb this time and they are 1’19 back.
Sweeny up to third in the KOM with 28 points. Zegklis up to 5th on 22. 10 more points available if they can survive to the last KOM climb which is up the alternative, steeper, face of the climb.
24k to go, the chase has stalled a little and Schmid has gone to the front. Potts and Van Niekerk have been caught but the other 6 still have 1’19. Peloton down to 57 riders with yesterday’s winner Geniets (20th) and Senechal (14th), the only two missing from the GC top 20.
Schmid gets help from Lidl (Bettiol) and Fastned (Bax) and as the break turns onto the final climb before the finish their lead is 44 seconds. This route via the village of Feischterbierg is a little shorter at 1.9k but steeper at 9.4% with sections about 14%. Then the riders will descend via the main road and complete this ascent a second time to decide the stage and maybe the race.
Hoelgaard launches the first attack. Barthe following. The peloton is back to 117, Skujins has made it back into this group, none of the others mentioned have.
Higuita follows the attack but a counter from Ardila pulls the attacks and the breakaway back into the peloton.
Higuita, Ardila and Vansevenant are on the front as they reach the KOM point. Sheehan will win the KOM competition. Officially the peloton is back to 163 riders but expect the gaps to reappear over the top. 13k to go.
Stannard, Pidcock and Vansevenant get a small gap on the descent. The groups behind are fluid, right now the first chase group has 35 riders strong. All the top GC guys are present in that group, Skujins recovering very well to be present. Kung (16th) is the top placed rider missing along with Senechal and Geniets. Van der Poel (19th) with Kung in the 2nd chase group. About 11k left.
After almost bringing the 3 leaders back earlier Malecki succeeds in shutting them down with 5.5k to ride. De Bie also contributing. The group down to 21. Skujins dropped again. Surprisingly, Schmid (12th) has just been dropped, he did a huge turn on the last lap for no clear reason and now seems to be paying. JURA still have Theuns in this group but he started the day 4 minutes behind Schmid, there will be consternation in the JURA team car right now.
The pace slows and the group grows back to 46 as they turn onto the final climb. Rejoining are Schmid, Skujins, Geniets and Van der Poel. 3.4k left, about 1.5k of false flat after the climb. Gerts well positioned; he is very close to banishing his demons in this race.
Ardila attacks, Vansevenant and Stannard follow then Higuita and Per. The Carlsberg man decides the best defense is attack.
Inside 1k in the climb. Vansevenant to the front. The group has spit in two but all the main names up front. Schmid surviving for now.
Vansevenant and Stannard draw clear. Then Higuita and Ardila then a group of 20. Schmid and Pedersen at the back but the Dane looks to have more left.
A few hundred meters left for the leaders. They have 10 seconds on the two Colombians and 27 seconds on a group of 16 led by Malecki. Schmid has officially been dropped again.
As the leaders reach the top the main chase group is down to 7, they trail by 31 seconds. Gerts is there; he looks to have this race won. With him are Pidcock, De Bie, Per, Malecki, Wirtgen and Storer. Pedersen is in the next group of 8, they are 24 seconds behind the Yellow Jersey group, Pedersen started the day with 1’01 on Per and 2’04 on Vansevenant. Girmay, 13th on GC, has been dropped from the Pedersen group.
1k banner, they are on the false flat. Stannard has been letting Vansevenant do all the work and he looks primed to win another stage. Ardila and Higuita just 8 seconds back and then another 18 seconds to a group with Pidcock, De Bie, Gerts and Wirtgen. Malecki seems to have dropped back to help Aleotti who is in the Pedersen group.
400 meters, Stanndard comes off Vansevenant’s wheel. Higuita and Ardila are 20 seconds down and Pidcock has joined them but Gerts, Wirtgen and De Bie are right behind. Riders spread out over the road behind them with lots of small gaps.
Stannard wins again. Vansevenant second.
Higuita third, then Ardila and Pidcock. Pidcock will win the Point jersey scoring more than enough to pass Gross and just enough to hold off Stanndard. But the gap is 23 seconds which means Vansevenant take the young rider jersey off his shoulders in the last 2k of the race.
Wirtgen is 6th, then De Bie and Gerts at 33 seconds. A great GC victory by the Dutchman, his lead never really seemed under threat after stage 3.
Per with a brave ride for 9th another 9 seconds down (42 seconds behind the winner, he holds on to his podium spot by 9 seconds) then Malecki at 52 seconds and Aleotti at 1’01. Tinkoff may have had better stage results but Gazelle have much stronger GC positions. Theuns and Pedersen next, they get the same time as Aleotti. Good news for Grieg as that is good enough to protect Pedersen’s GC second but bad news for JURA as that really should have been Schmid.
Vansevenant also makes gains in the GC moving past Pidcock and Wirtgen into 4th. Stannard moves up to 7th knocking Aleotti and Cosnefroy (who finished 16th on the stage) down a spot. De Bie 10th by 1 second, Wisniowski fades a little to 11th. Schmid’s misadventures only cost him 1 spot, as he had a big lead, he drops behind Ardila.
Tour of Northern Europe 
