Here we are in the Pyrénées, where the riders will finally be asked to tackle some actual mountains. For the past four days all that has separated the overall favourites was that brief foray through the Petite Couronne. We did see some sorting yesterday, when the Ardennes created quite a narrow selection. Kevin VAUQUELIN sits in the drivers seat coming in to today, although with 20 bonus seconds on offer at today's finish it won't be enough for him to just hold on to the others coattails.
Favourites
3
Kevin VAUQUELIN
18h24'57
5
Leo HAYTER
+ 3"
10
Alekss KRASTS
+ 14"
13
Carlos RODRIGUEZ
+ 18"
20
Panagiotis KARATSIVIS
+ 24"
23
Lennert VAN EETVELT
+ 34"
Fortunately for him, he won't need to worry about the intermediate sprint in Laruns. Today's breakaway of 12 devoured the available bonus seconds as they came rolling through it. They are a relatively strong group; even though Husein SELIMOVIC (+ 2'04") and Carlos CANAL (+ 3'21") are probably the best climbers, they face stiff competition in the form of Pedro SILVA (+ 1'21") and Henrik Teslo FJELLHEIM (+ 1'12"). The presence of Indy VAN VLIET (+ 6'24") will elevate Ilham Sultansyah HEFNAR's (+ 1'43") performance. Aivaras MIKUTIS (+ 36") is the best-placed overall, but isn't known for his abilities at altitude. Fredy Domingo BULUX (+ 6'01") and Bredio RUIZ (+ 6'23") will be able to lean on each other; while Victor Grue ENGGAARD (+ 5'55"), Gonzalo SERRANO (+ 6'07"), and Lucas BOURGOYNE (+ 6'26") are here making up the numbers.
We have had a beautiful stretch of some sixty-odd kilometres working our way west to Louvie-Juzon and then south from there, into the Pyrénées. The directeur sportif at Bralirwa wants us to have an exciting day today and the team around VAN EETVELT have been riding the front hard from the word "go". They know that their main man needs to pad out a lead in the mountains, given just how much time he is set to lose come the penultimate stage. Our television coverage starts early today, at the base of the Col d'Aubisque, with the breakaway less than a minute up the road. It is an absolute monster of a climb: a full 17.1km @ 7%, it is more than deserving of its HC designation.
Well, the breakaway certainly didn't last long today. We are still in the lesser gradients of this first climb and already they've been reeled back in. It isn't like Bralirwa have endless reserves though; they have already burned through four domestiques and, as such, have dropped away from the front. Instead it is Popo4Ever who have formed a mountain train, likely for the last time given the recent refusal of the MGUCI to extend their licence. Nika SITCHINAVA, Thomas GLOAG and Maksym BILYI are leading out KRASTS. Their pace has already reduced the peloton to just 61 riders: Nicolo BURATTI is the highest-placed rider dropped, Walter CALZONI the most surprising.
Reuben THOMPSON was sent up to share duties with the Popo4Eever lads; it seems there are multiple teams confident in their leader's legs. HAYTER was momentarily isolated until Alejandro FRANCO could make his way forward but it was VAN EETVELT who really suffered, his support cast having been eviscerated. As GLOAG pulls off about halfway up the climb, we get our first real attack of the tour! ELCO - ABEA aren't confident in their ability to challenge the better equipped teams mano a mano so instead have opted to send Edoardo ZAMBANINI up the road. He is just 8" down on VAUQUELIN so somebody is going to have to respond; the problem is they've all already run out of domestiques.
KRASTS is demanding more from GLOAG. He is screaming and gesticulating at the poor lad, but I think he may have already have given all that he had to give. The gap is very rapidly ballooning out. I should note that Jago WILLEMS has been dropped, so we will be seeing someone else in yellow tonight. Once FRANCO lends his aid the chase finally stabilises with ZAMBANINI nearly a minute up the road. As he summits the Col d'Aubisque solo, the peloton has grown to 41 members, with the group around CALZONI having made it back on.
That's interesting. The descent down to the Arriou de l'Escala is not the most technical in the world but we still see Thibau NYS (+ 28") and Laurence PITHIE (+ 28") fighting their way to the front. The latter at least makes sense, given LAURENCE's apparent interest in bringing back the attack. Perhaps NYS and Kevin GRANADOS (+ 46"), who has also moved forwards, are looking to go for themselves? Well, they will need to be more awake in that case, as instead CANAL has slipped off the front again as they climb the uncategorised Col du Soulor.
ZAMBANINI was nice and cautious throughout the descent to Ferrières, which has allowed CANAL to bridge across to him. It has also meant that GRANADOS was able to draw the peloton within 25" of the pair. That isn't necessarily a sign that things are over though. The Col de Spandelles (10.2km @ 8.3%), despite only being a first category climb, has a harsh enough gradient that the potential gains from aerodynamic efficiency are limited.
THOMPSON does manage to bring them back without too much of a fight. Perhaps they sensed the futility of their endeavour, or perhaps they had started thinking about just how they were going to cross the valley between the Col de Spandelles and the Hautacam. Either way, they sat up and were absorbed back into the peloton. That doesn't mean the pace was allowed to slow. No, KRASTS and RODRIGUEZ are eager to make this stage a decisive one. The peloton is being slowly whittled down again, we are down to 26 as BILYI brings them rolling through the mountain sprint. Gian Carlos HERNANDEZ MORAN still holds on to his lead in that classification for now but, with KRASTS currently sitting on 22 provisional points, that isn't likely to last.
The group slows as we head down to Argelès-Gazost and through to Ayros-Arbouix. There isn't much riding hard on the descent; you are more liable to crash out than to put any pins in your competitors legs. This is it then. The Hautacam (13.5km @ 7.9%). There are sections above 10% about five kilometres out from the finish which are perfect for launching a decisive attack. KRASTS has four teammates with him, RODRIGUEZ three. All the other favourites - bar VAN EETVELT, who has been suffering for a long time - have at least one domestique present to protect them.
Again we start with the mountain trains, working themselves into a frenzy in order to put the first pins in to the legs. The are tired though, they have done a lot of work by this point, so it is slow going trying to pry things apart. That simply won't do for VAN EETVELT, he is betting everything on this, he is all in on the attack! Archie RYAN and Michel HESSMANN are able to follow the move as it happens. Antonio TIBERI tried, and failed, to bridge across before GLOAG returned to lead the chase.
HESSMANN is the first to crack. He is swept back into the peloton as they hit the harshest slopes under the 5 kilometre banner. The other two follow not long after, which prompts HAYTER to attack over the top of them. He is closely marked though, so can only file down the leading group to RYAN and the rest of the pre-race favourites. It is constant movement today though, no sooner does HAYTER sit down than does KARATSIVIS try his luck! With just over 2½ km remaining he has slipped away off the front. The favourites are within touching distance; all except for VAUQUELIN, who has cracked.
HAYTER isn't eager to give up anything, even though he is likely to make time back on the TT-bike. He is steadily pacing the chasers back up to the front. VAN EETVELT can't stay with it; he can see l'Avenir slipping from between his fingers! KARATSIVIS is caught before we even reach the flamme rouge, and he doesn't have anything more to give. Neither does KRASTS; this one will be between HAYTER and RODRIGUEZ. It is the latter who raises his arms in celebration, though I'm not sure where he found the energy for it.
HAYTER is the only one awarded the same time as RODRIGUEZ which, after calculating the bonus seconds, puts him in the overall lead by 7". If he can realise his potential in the penultimate day's timetrial, he should be able to hold on to yellow all the way through the Kandelpass. KRASTS and KARATSIVIS both lose a little bit of time, but are still within touching distance of the front at ~½ minute down. VAN EETVELT and VAUQUELIN though? They may have to wait until l'avenir for their palmarès to begin.