16/5 Stage 10/21 Campi Bisenzio – Sestola 215.3 km
It is partly clouded does not look like rain and with very little wind.
A huge breakaway of 17 riders form at the early km’s of the stage, with Cannondale looking at a long hard defence of the “pink”, they don’t want to chase this early.
The strongest rider in the breakaway is clearly Mikel Nieve (Sky) but he is 29’04” behind the leader in the GC.
Cannondale does not have to worry about the workload in the peloton, because as soon as they start the climb to Passo della Collina (13.4 km at 5.2%) Astana starts working with Tanel Kangert up front, seems they have decided to make this as hard as possible for anyone sitting with the bunch.
Nieve win’s the KoM with about 2’30” to the peloton.
The high pace in the peloton forces the riders in front to speed up, on Pietracolora (8.7 km at 6.1%) the group explodes, only 5 riders make it to the top together, it is Nieve (Sky), Fraile (Dimension), Gavazzi (Androni), Txurruka (Orica), and Kadri (Ag2r).
Nieve wins the KoM in front of Gavazzi, they got 2’21” to a peloton of 96 riders.
On the descent we got the first crash, 12 riders down amongst them we can spot Pantano, Reichenbach, Kelderman, Caruso, Serry, De Clercq and Cataldo
Astana slow’s down a little to save some energy waiting for Cataldo to get back.
Then on the uncategorized but rather hard climb mid stage another important attack gets away and join the riders in front.
There are now 30 km to the top of Pian del Falco (14.1 km at 5.5%) and 44 to the finish. In front we now got, Jungels, Nieve, Ulissi, Van den Broeck, Betancur and Kruijswijk.
At 44” Fraile, Gavazzi, Txurruka, and Kadri.
At 3’05 the peloton now 78 riders.
From the bottom of Pian del Falco Astana is now pushing very hard, Scarponi, López , Aru all in front of Nibali, after the first and tough 4.5 km the distance to the break is reduced to 1’27, the peloton down to 34 riders.
Just as the breakaway is reeled back in with just 2 km to the top, Adam Yates attack and an alert Richie Porte counters. Astana was caught off guard, stuck between the breakaway riders, but Aru start the chase with Vincenzo Nibali on wheel.
At this point it is clear that the Rigoberto Urán we have seen previously, is not the same when the climbs get this hard, he will have to limit the damage in his own pace.
Porte is first over the top in front of Yates, with a small gap down to Nibali behind him first Landa then Pozzovivo, the bunch about 30 sec further back.
Nibali passes Adam Yates on the way down, but he got some distance to Porte when the climb to Sestola starts (6.9 km at 5.5%), but Nibali slowly getting closer and closer is finally on Porte’s wheel with just 1 km to the top.
Porte starts the final sprint.
Porte has used everything on the climb, trying to keep the gap open, now he has no sprint left, Nibali wins at Sestola with 8” to Porte, Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r) had a perfect last climb passing Mikel Landa for the last podium.
Overall:
This was the 5th season victory of 31 years old Italian Vincenzo Nibali.
Again today LottoNL had a horrible stage, both Kelderman and Kruijswijk was down in crashes, Kruijswijk best coming in 29th losing 4’40.
The positive surprise was Ag2r’s Domenico Pozzovivo unexpectedly getting on the podium.
Astana:
Astana decided to disregard López GC and Aru’s KoM, focusing only on Nibali’s GC, seems to be the best choice in this situation. A long way to the top, but not that long to a top 5 or even a podium.
After the crash Dario Cataldo had a hard day, tomorrow will show how bad is it.
The morning breakaway is 6 riders, Simone Andreetta (Bardiani), Julien Vermote (Quick Step), Victor Etxebarria (Rádio Popular), Daniel Ginés (Area Zero), Pablo Torres Muiño (Burgos) and Cristian Canada Carralero (Louletano)
The pace is high and the break struggles to keep the gab above 2 minutes, Stage favorite Matteo Trentin (Quick Step) has a puncture, the team sends rider back to help.
With the relative limited gap Andriy Grivko decides to attack, attempting to join the front over the first climb, it takes longer but finally about mid stage he makes contact.
From here there is not much action, Lampre keeps the distance low and the break is over on the flat section after the last climb.
It is also Lampre leading on the final kilometers, but it is again LottoNL’s Tom Van Asbroeck reaping the harvest in front of Borut Božič (Cofidis) and Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL)
Evaluation:
Overall:
This was the 2nd back to back stage win by the 26 years old Belgian Tom Van Asbroeck, adding up to a total of 5 season wins.
After all the work provided by Lampre-Merida must be disappointing only to get Davide Cimolai in as 4th.
Astana:
A very uneventful stage, after Astana has lost their sprinter, not much to do.
We have a sunny day with no wind at the startline, but expected wins up to 30 km/h at the last third of the stage.
The start of the race is frantic with 100 km of high speed racing without anyone allowed to get away. Lampre-Merida sitting with a number of riders in front, ready to hunt down every attempt to get away.
Then we get a breakaway that the peloton will accept is it at first Nicola Boem (Bardiani), Adam Hansen (Lotto Soudal), Iljo Keisse (Quick Step) and Maarten Wynants (LottoNL), a little later also Warren Barguil (Giant) and Francesco Gavazzi (Androni) joins the group.
The peloton is still cautious aware that especially Barguil is strong on the hilly section, they never get more than 2’30.
With about 60 km left the peloton speed up again, it is again Lampre-Merida this time with help from Tinkoff, the pace is 48-52 km/hour and the breakaway is over already with 11 km to the top of the cat.4.
Aru starts the climb in pole position, with Nibali on wheel.
On the last and most extreme part of the climb (12%) it is revealed why Lampre-Merida have been pulling hard all day, Diego Ulissi flies away from the favourite group now just 17 riders.
The situation when Ulissi has just 100 m to the top:
Kreuziger and Nibali did counter right away, they are at 27” (Kreuziger hidden behind the moto but he is right behind Nibali)
Porte (also hidden) at 53”
A group of 14 riders at 1´05” with Urán, Amador, Pozzovivo, Landa, Brambilla.
The distance Ulissi’s got stays close to 25”, but with 10 km left Porte has got contact with Kreuziger and Nibali.
Behind them Urán, Amador, Pozzovivo, Landa and Brambilla at 1’47”
Pantano and Geniez at 2’23”, reduced peloton at 2’41”, 12 riders.
At the cobbles on the last uphill section, the pace gets too much for Kreuziger, he literally hits the wall and is a little later surpass by Fabio Felline (Trek).
Porte is hanging on Nibali’s wheel, but when Nibali starts sprinting from about 1.2 km, also Porte has to let go.
Diego Ulissi has no sprint, but just enough pace to take the win in Asolo in front of Nibali.
Richie Porte takes the last podium losing 34”.
Evaluation:
Overall:
Very exiting stage considering the on paper uninteresting profile.
This was the 3 season victory by 26 years old Italian Diego Ulissi, he also was stages in Catalunya and Romandie. A supreme attack by the Italian not even considered as a top 10 favorite.
Some of the stage favorite lost considerable time, Vanendert 3’17”, Bakelants 5’19”, Antón 7’33” and Barguil 8’22”. GC rider’s Landa lost 2’05”, Adam Yates 2’29” and also the otherwise strong Riccardo Zoidl lost 3’17” today.
Besides the great result from Ulissi, also Fabio Felline (Trek) surprised finishing 4th.
Astana:
Another great stage by Vincenzo Nibali taking time on everyone in top of GC.
Miguel Ángel López lost 3'17, his GC dreams is over now that his captain has surpassed him
6/5-28/5 2016 Giro d'Italia
nice!
15/5-17/5 2016 Vuelta a Castilla y Leon 2.1
