Just as last year the 6th stage runs from Camaiore to Pomarance, but the route has changed a lot and have been cut down from a 288.7 km semi–mountain stage to a 171.8 km route with many short hilly climbs on the last 2/3 of the stage, only the last steep hill up to the finish-line is basically the same.
Last season the stage was won by Leopold Konig from a breakaway.
Only four top 10 GC riders on the bookmaker stage top 10.
GC 1 Bobridge, GC 5th Kinoshita, GC 8th Kwiatkowski and GC 9th Hagen, suggesting we might see some shuffle in top 10 if the gaps become huge enough.
For some obscure reason there is 20 KoM points on the finish line today, so a good result today will be very important in the KoM.
It will be clouded/rain 11°C, windspeed up to 5 km/h
The Race
Tiller initiate the stage, followed by Arifin, Bax, Carboni, Ford, Godoy and Schlegel
Also Declerq have laid some distance to the pack.
Although Declerq fight bravely over the first two uncategorized climbs, there is a hard pursuit by Grieg-Maersk seemingly regretting not to have anyone in the breakaway
Declerq was reeled in.
Grieg-Maersk launches Serrano
Now the pack will be led by the GC/Puncher teams and the pace drops significantly. Serrano joins the breakaway with a little more than 100 km left.
It rains quite a lot now.
There is no fight over the points sprint. Schlegel takes the first cat. 3 and Ford the 2nd.
Ford moves up to third in KoM
The peloton never allowed the distance to go beyond 2’30†at this point it is 2’08â€, 46 km left.
The pack has significantly upped the pace. It is Team UBS believing in Simone Ponzi today.
The pace is so hot that we see some gaps coming and going from time to time, but for now everyone important able to catch up.
With 23 km left the distance is reduced to just over a minute and Bax decides to go alone.
Bax was reeled in and at the foot of the cat.2, the morning breakaway is over.
The peloton stretched, but the entire GC top ten sitting perfectly just behind the paceline.
About 15 km left
With the pack taking the lead there is no real fight for the cat.2, the KoM was won by Riesebeek in front of Gabburo.
Behind them passing over the top we got Bystrom with Hagen, Ponzi, Bobridge, Skujins, Hamilton, Fumeaux, Kwiatkowski, Becis, Pluchkin, Calmejane with Mohoric, Kangert, Dennis, Gidich
Not to far behind the other riders we got in GC top 10. Kinoshita, Boily and Brändle, but they might be caught if we see a split over the top.
There was a split over the top and Kinoshita, Boily and Brändle was left in a 2nd group, but they all re-joined at the downhill.
Reaching the bottom of the downhill after the cat.2 we got 44 riders in the first group but still several important punchers sitting 41†back, Van Garderen, Bakelants, Jensen, Chaves
7.1 km left
Over the small hilly climb leading up to the final wall, Jensen with a spectacular ride manages to reach the first group.
Ponzi leads the first group now 42 riders, all top 10 GC riders made the cut.
The wall starts slowly at this point just 4.8%, it will become 7-8% most of the time, but only at the last about 600 meters we will see figures at the 15% region.
3.5 km left.
Ponzi further up the pace with a hard acceleration, clearly a risky move this early, he must have decided to split the group as early as possible. (slope 7.9%)
The line behind him is: Skujins, Hagen, Mohoric, Bobridge, Bratashcuk, Vakoc
The a very small gap to the next group led by Pluchkin with Kwiatkowski, Boily, Kinoshita, Brändle, Sepulveda, Goos and Dennis in that ordre.
Some riders further back Kangert and especially Gidich struggling to hang on to the first group, also Jensen, Chaves and Calmejane at the rear of the group.
Well, Ponzi (22 km/h) seemingly did do too mush too early, and has been overtaken by an acceleration from Skujins (27 km/h) slope 7.3%
Hagen (27 km/h) now fronting the train at the right rear of Skujins, with Mohoric (28 km/h) and Bobridge (28 km/h) at wheel. Kwiatkowski (28 km/h) have made a fine move forward now directly at the wheel of Bobridge
Kinoshita (28 km/h), Boily (28 km/h) and Vakoc (27 km/h) on a line behind Kwiatkowski
A small gap down to Pluchkin (25 km/h) teammate Ackermann (30 km/h) coming out of nowhere attempting to help him
Sepulveda (23 km/h), Brändle (24 km/h), Goos (24 km/h) and Dennis (23 km/h) behind the Popo4Ever duo.
Gidich (23 km/h), Jensen (28 km/h), Calmejane (27 km/h) on a line behind Dennis.
Chaves, Boswell, Kangert at the rear end of the group seemingly struggling to hang in.
2.0 km left.
1.5 km left we are now on less difficult slopes from 3 - 4% for a short period before the final wall. Hagen (35 km/h) have now overtaken Skujins (31 km/h) and so has Bobridge (36 km/h)
A few meters behind the mentioned trio we got Kwiatkowski (36 km/h), in front of Mohoric (31 km/h) and Boily (32 km/h)
At the left rear behind Boily, Ponzi (30 km/h) might be regaining a bit of strength although he looks a bit coked.
Then a relative big gap down to Vakoc (28 km/h) Kinoshita(28 km/h) and Pluchkin (30 km/h) the last rider in what is now officially the leading group.
Notably the slope gets harder the further down the group we are so the speed in this situation a little misleading.
First under the red kite Bobridge (33 km/h), who have passed Hagen (34 km/h), but with just a few centimetres, a fast Kwiatkowski (36 km/h) in 3rd position also very close. (slope 3.2%)
A cycle length down to Skujins (35 km/h) also seemingly re-gaining strength. Another few meters down to a trio of Mohoric (31 km/h), Boily (32 km/h) and Ponzi (36 km/h) also he seems to be back at full throttle.
Although the group is officially still 10 riders Vakoc (36 km/h) Kinoshita (37 km/h) and Pluchkin (36 km/h) seem to have lost more and more ground, but the watts they are delivering right now suggest a comeback.
6 riders in the next group at 36†fronted by Goos, not quite clear who exactly, but we know Dennis, Brändle and Gidich is there.
500 meters left and we are now on the steep ramp, slope 16.2% Kwiatkowski (18 km/h) coming fast at the right side have overtaken both Hagen (17 km/h) and Bobridge (16 km/h)
Skujins in 4th position also fast now almost back at level with Hagen/Bobridge.
Mohoric, Boily and Ponzi right behind and also a bit faster, but hard to judge right now as they are at an easier slope.
Vakoc Kinoshita and Pluchkin have lost contact, officially at 16â€
200 meters left, slope 11.3% Kwiatkowski with a 12†lead looking great for the stage win. Bobridge fronting the next group and just some 50-60 cm behind him, on a line from right to left Mohoric, Hagen, Ponzi and Skujins.
Boily lost a few meters but officially still in this group.
26†down to the next 9 riders group led by Dennis, Gidich and Goos, where we also got Pluchkin, Kinoshita and Brändle
Kwiatkowski wins the stage with enough margin to celebrate before he reaches the finish line.
Bobridge 2nd, Skujins 3rd, Ponzi 4th, Mohoric 5th and Hagen 6th
They all lose 15â€
Boily exploded and lost a lot of the last few 100 meters coming in alone as 7th at 38â€
Dennis 8th, Pluchkin 9th Goos 10th Gidich 11th they lose 54â€
Sepulveda 12th Brändle 13th Kinoshita 14th, horrible day for him, Jensen 15th can’t be happy either. They all lost 1’16â€
In the background Vakoc alone at 16th losing 1’27â€
Biggest loser in GC today was Kangert coming in as 22nd with + 2'19â€
[PT] Tirreno-Adriatico 
