Welcome to Flanders where today we see a fight of the cobblers against the sprinters – and of everyone against the ever lurking echelons. The organizers think it will go to the cobblers.
There was quite some interest in the break and so the peloton had to let go a big group of 16 riders:
Mostov (hidden behind the house) and Stolic Dobre and Escajadillo Rangel and Van Aert Ndungu and Tuyizere Maccagli and Menicucci Baksaas Rogers Toneatti Van Mechelen Wai Chu Yzeiraj
As the windmills are indicating there might be some strong wind in this part of the race, and so the next 80 km might be a rough ride despite being pan flat as echelons are a constant danger. The leaders are 5 minutes in front of the peloton, but the gap could evaporate if some teams try to make use of the crosswinds.
The only victims of this long crosswinds section were the domestiques in the break where Mostov, Escajadillo, Van Aert, Tuyizere and Maccagli were dropped. The peloton is still more than 3 minutes behind the break.
The peloton is stretched though and some of the second-tier cobblers and sprinters have to pay for their bad positioning by fighting against splits or already undoing them.
With 82 km to go the leaders have to climb the Kemmelberg for the first time. A peloton of 63 riders is 3 minutes behind.
Baksaas and Stolic were dropped there, but they still have the remaining break in view. Wai Chu is a bit further behind and on his own.
The peloton is also down to 42 riders, but it seems none of the major players has been inattentive so far.
Menicucci has dropped his companions in the next cobbled sector and is now in front on his own with a chasing group of 6 behind him.
But in the background you can already see riders dropped from the peloton (including the likes of Orue and Mestric) as the peloton is closing in fast – and thinning out even faster! Only 16 riders are left there with 64 km to go.
But this also meant that the race favourites went out of domestiques and so the remnants of the break enter the Kemmelberg for the second time with a lead of nearly 4 minutes to a peloton of now 35 riders. Menicucci has been re-joined by Yzeiraj, Toneatti, Dobre, Van Mechelen, Ndungu and Rangel.
The leaders make it over the climb together, but behind them the attacks have begun. Serrano was the first to try his luck (without success) and now Sommer and Vangheluwe have a small gap.
The attackers (and the break) are caught just at the foot of the Kemmelberg. It’s the last ride up there today for the leading group of now 24 riders. Neilands is probably the biggest name missing there.
Sommer attacked once again over the top of the climb, but for once his manager might be happy about this, because despite 29 km still to go he pulls a group of 8 riders clear of the rest and they not only have a nice gap, but the chasers are also pretty much scattered all about the place! This might be the decisive move today. Mayrhofer, De Gendt, Vangheluwe, Giulietti, Serrano, Berckmoes and Ariesen are the other riders who made it to this group.
With 17 km to go it’s hard to see anyone coming back to the front. Owen as their first chaser is 1’33 behind and on his own, the next group is another minute behind. We probably won’t see any attacks in the leading group soon as they enter the last crosswinds sector – and with a wind speed of around 40 km/h everyone will be thankful for someone else to hide behind.
There really weren’t any attacks, but Ariesen and Mayrhofer just couldn’t follow any more and are already back with Owen, more than 2 minutes behind the 6 leaders. They probably won’t mind too much as both still have a teammate in front. The leaders only have 3 km to go.
Sommer is the strongest sprinter of the group (at least on paper), so the others happily let lead him the way to the sprint.
With 700 m to go De Gendt tries to take the Swiss by surprise, but Sommer chooses the same moment for his acceleration.
And the Swiss is just the fastest and takes the win! De Gendt and Vangheluwe complete the podium with Giulietti, Berckmoes and Serrano in 4th to 6th.
Mayrhofer wins the sprint for 7th against Ariesen and Owen.
Noppe completes the top 10 from the next big group.
Congratulations to Sommer who was just the strongest today!
[C2] Gent - Wevelgem 
