This profile looks pan flat the organisers are favouring high flat sprinters over a pure sprinter but will that play out over our 200km+ today
5 riders try the impossible Acosta Kulindwa Kusuma Garofoli Lopez
The sprinter's teams can't believe their luck here as 4 of the riders are among the weakest 20 flat riders on the start list with only Kusuma a viable threat you would feel.
We get our first glimpse of the peloton today after half the stage is already completed
, and took over pacing duties and the gap got up to 6"30.
After another 80km of not much racing we pick the field up again are currently chasing the break down under the 20km to go sign. A great day out for the group with over 180km of Visibility in the break but unfortunately the firepower wasn't there today.
8km to go and we get a big dig on the left side of the road Varga, Quispe and Yzeiraj have a big dig on the left hand side of the road.
Vanbilsen and Van Aert are well aware of the danger and spend the next 3km chasing the group down at full speed. They catch the riders at 4km to go as the sprint trains start to form
Marzuki
Zingle
Liu
Enger
Kamberaj
Coutinho
Carsi
Vesely
Willwohl
As the sprint trains form Coquard is out of picture behind Aniolkowski and Kulikovskiy
and now Marzuki takes a huge pull this brings the front 15 clear we are just coming into the last 2km to go Vesely fights off Enger for Liu wheel we don't see any other trains bar a train that is over 30m back this has Zabel in the train but they are so far behind they wont make an impression even worse Ahlstrand is stuck behind a minions rider about 50m behind and will do well to place top 20 from there, the winner will come from this group
Zingle goes but it's a very early dig we still have over 1.7km to go this leaves Contreras, Coutinho and Carsi in the wind a long way out while others stay in the slipstream
Liu is left in front just before the 1KM to go Carsi and Vesely immediately start to come round him
Vesely pulls clear this sprint has turned into mayhem behind Einhorn makes a big dig on the right hand side with Kamberaj.
They overtake Vesely who has also gone too early now Zariff and Aniolkowski
comes on the left hand side it's going to be a blanket finish.
But wait!!! Coquard burst through the middle of the pack he's not been sighted in the sprint but he's taken over at the perfect time
Coquard takes it what a great win he used his mind as others around him went too early he's timed this run to perfection it's going to be a big bunch up for the minor placings.
Aniolkowski from Afewerki round out the podium a pretty much unsighted Kulikovskiy comes in 4th with Kamberaj rounding out the top 5 as those who went early faltered those who started the sprint at the back of this group have picked up some big placings.
Einhorn, Zariff, Farantakis Bonifazio and Enger round out the top 10 only bike lengths away from 2nd place.
Vesely is only 12th, Liu 15th after what looked a great leadout fell apart due to the timing of the launches . Zabel Ahlstrand were never sighted due to following their own train that was a fair way behind the main race as showed they had way more power then the other teams
Coquard is the man of the day he was the only sprinter able to separate from the mass bunch finish and takes a deserved win for Manada Coyote.