Really similar stage to yesterday with two Intermediate sprints, the big difference today being that we have a fairly sharp breeze to contend with all day. It is reckoned that the following names will have an advantage into a windy finish: Jurgen Roelandts Juan Van Heerden Óscar Guerao Matt Rowe Jaime Alberto Castañeda Anthony Lavoine Mathieu Drujon
But we shall see, the current leader: Cameron Meyer
timed his sprint perfectly yesterday and it will likely be a case of timing once again today.
Not that the liklihood of a sprint had put off a number of riders looking for that early breakaway. Once again it is a manic opening with 15 riders looking to get away.
You can add to these 15 another two names with: Mauro Facci
and Fabio Silvestre
the last to try and come across. Though this really was overkill and you have to say greedy with both teams already having one in the breakaway already. This led to a pretty determined chase by Wiggle, Carmuese, Wikipedia and Team Spyker Cars.
You may just be able to pick out a four man move in the background, this is an interesting tactic by the nonchalant Santander team. They have no less than three of the four chasers along with a Webeffect man just to ruin their colour scheme!
The men here are: Daniel Allonca, Juan Abenhamar Gallego Martin, Imanol Erviti
and Gregor Gazvoda
Santander have made no secret their disdain for the flat stuff, though they do not have to wait long until the mountains, just a couple of days until the Green Mountain. They are here in the Protour with some dangerous looking youngsters, their big pay day looking to be the Vuelta with prize investment Madrazo. Look to the Volta in February as a yardstick and also Justo Tenerio is here to test himself on the mountain.
These four are catching the lead five but not before the first sprint of the day, here Tendero of Cafe de Colombia leads out but cannot hold off the crafty Vaugrenard who sprints past.
It is Bradley Wiggins who'll take the third place prime, Pendleton's will be hoping the Brit is not tiring himself out too much before tomorrows team time trial. Sanatander are sort of having one of their own and eventually do make it over to the lead five with the Webeffect rider Gazvoda.
With 70 or so kilometres left the gap is a healthy six minutes, but upon hearing that the front group had connected, the sprinters teams get together and start to reel the little fish up front in. In particular it's Sony Ericsson with Sebastioan Lang who after trying to get in a breakaway earlier is no resigned to doing the chasing.
It is a fairly windy day out there, not so much to worry about echelons, but enough to drop two waterboys. The riders in question are: Steven Cummings
and Brice Feillu
they don't really bother trying to get back on and why not take it easy huh?
The break meanwhile are steadily losing time, they still have more than enough in hand to go through the second sprint. This time they force Vaugrenard to lead it out but whilst the others go close they cannot overhaul him.
The Frenchman takes the second sprint ahead of Tendero once again, though this time Pinaeu pinches third off of Wiggins. The 27 year old Frenchman rides for the Continental Tour team Focused Cycling who are here as wildcards probably hoping for a decent GC showing from Romain Sicard and also a decent sprint from Mathieu Drujon.
The other CTour team involved in Oman Rapha Condor had a rider in the breakaway yesterday and despite a pace in the peleton a Rapha man decides he can go quicker and burst off the front when the gap to the break is less than two minutes.
The rider is: Andrew Tennant
who attacked at this stage yesterday. Here he catches the breakaway but decides to simply join the relay. It probably extended the time the riders were out there and after some desperate late rallies, the catch comes with 7.5km to go.
Carmuese were the team who made the catch but the Belgian squad promptly yield the lead out advantage to Wikipedia. The American team were a little late in their sprint preparations yesterday but with the wind still high is it really a good idea to be right at the front with 4.2km to go.
The three man wiki train: Jimmy Casper, Tyler Farrar, Juan Van Heerden
The other trains are down to the last lead out already and it's the Wiggle one that has the most passengers. Vladimir Bileka, Matt Rowe (in white jersey) Martin Pedersen Óscar Guerao Anthony Lavoine
Carmeuse are hanging about also: Alexendre Aulas, Jurgen Roelandts Cherif Abdallah
You may ask where the race leader and yesterday sprint winner Cam Meyer has got to, he is perhaps sensibly in todays conditions leaving his move forwards until now. Between 4 kms to go and 3 kms to go he brings himself forward with Michael Vanderaerden
in tow.
Jimmy Caspar has pulled off here and Aulas has done a great job of bringing Roelandts up level. Meanwhile Bileka runs completely out of juice leaving Rowe a little empty. Young South African Jaan Van Heerden decides to take a gamble.
Matt Rowe calmly switches across to Roelandts wheel as the twitchy Van Heerden has launched a massive early acceleration with 2.5km to go. Pederson and Guerao switch across with Rowe, cutting in front of Meyer and Vanderaerden with poor Anthony Lavoine right out of the picture. Cherif Abdullah meanwhile is straining to get on Van Heerdens wheel.
Unfortunately for Rapha's Egyptian champion he cannot live with his fellow Africans pace and a number of lengths open out between Jaan Van Heerden and the rest. Roelandts is now sprinting to stay in touch, the others are gambling on the Belgian to do that. As they approach a sweeping left hander it feels as if Matt Rowe is in the box seat, Lavoine is behind Vanderaerden and two late movers have joined in: Jaime Alberto Castañeda
and Mathieu Drujon
They are now approaching the 1km to go kite, you will recall from yesterday that Santander's Guerao was the fastest finisher of all, but he has to fight for some space. This was also the point at which Cam Meyer made his big move, they have clear space ahead of them again. However Roelandts having opened up a couple of lengths now on Matt Rowe is going to be hard to catch with Van Heerden.
Guerao and Meyer press the accelerators and it is clear that the lactic is building for the two front runners Van Heerden and Roelandts. Meanwhile coming to the right of Van Heerden is French sprinter Lavoine.
800m to go:
Some said that if Guerao had the room he'd have taken yesterdays stage but Meyer is rubbishing that here Guerao cannot hold the Australians pace. Meanwhile Van Heerden is fading, as is Roelandts but Festina's Lavoine is really motoring.
500m to go:
This time we have a definite two up sprint for the Oman crowd Meyer is straining to respond to this late dash by the French speedster.
The line is just too far away for Meyer and Lavoine just about slips by.
A really fast and well timed finish by the sometimes maligned sprinter who takes a fine win ahead of Meyer who maintains his race lead.
Guerao manages his second podium, with Roelandts again out of the bonuses in 4th. The finish clearly suited the late finishers as Drujon came through for 5th ahead of a wasted Van Heerden in 6th.
