This is a stage for the sprinters on paper, provided those teams can control the breakaway over the rolling terrain.
We have some familiar names going into the breakaway on a stage like this:
Fraile Le Huitouze Royan Gudmestad Tuyizere
A few more riders try to go in the breakaway, but the peloton prevents more than the first five from going up the road. Interestingly it's IESE, the team that is controlling things.
Gudmestad wins the KOM, but that classification has no meaning for any of these riders. More importantly the gap between the peloton is a whooping 12 minutes. None of these riders are a threat in the GC and if the other teams don't get to work ASAP this stage will go to the breakaway.
80 km to go, the gap hasn't really changed at all.
So the stage will go to one of these five riders, but who and how? With 13 km left Fraile launches an attack. He's easily the worst sprinter here so this move makes sense.
Royan counters! He's probably the 2nd best sprinter here and best one on paper Gudmestad has been doing most of the chasing right now.
These riders are rolling attacks one after the other, this time it's Tuyizere. Can anyone make their move stick?
Tuyizere is hanging on. The two Euskotren riders are working to close the gap. This looks perfect for Gudmestad right now. Fraile looks to be out of contention for the win.
Le Huitouze has done the work for Royan who's at the front now. 2.5 km left.
Flamme rouge. Gudmestad is on Royan's wheel. These two are the on paper favourites in the sprint.
Tord Gudmestad edges out Royan to win the stage! He played this perfectly. Tuyizere is 3rd, Le Huitouze is 4th then there is a gap to Fraile.
It's a messy sprint in the peloton for 6th place with Afewerki coming out on top.
As Gudmestad celebrates his win as you can imagine there are no changes at the top of any of the classifications. The most notable change is that Gibbons moves into 3rd in the points standings. We're back with a mountain stage tomorrow.
Tour of America - Stage 9 
