Eternity RPC Board
04-21-2019, 08:57 PM
Stage 9 - Lathaire-Belmontuy | Hilly stage - 158 km
The peloton already broke up in two during the first twenty kilometres of the stages, and the main teams proved unable to control. After leaving Mersault, a group of twenty-two riders was formed - more a portion of the peloton than a real breakaway. In the following descend, they were able to create a wide enough distance from the rest of the peloton - although in the final kilometres that distance would decrease from 2 minutes to thirty eight seconds.
An attack by Jose Cardoso (AHN-Bank of Florinthus) in the final two kilometres could only be followed by Goldecian Daniel Upton Steele (Vançotte) and Quentin Symonds (Dido-GDC). The Florinthian sprinter would defeat easily in the sprint to the Castlian climber to win his second stage this Tour de Valland. Steele finished third a few seconds behind both.
Adwestene Gerry Bowes-Heeley (KyrzAir), who finished sixth, became the new leader of the general classification, with forty seconds ahead of Nylander Jacob Schuyler, who had worn the red jersey for most of the first week.
Stage 10 - Le Fabvre- Rochellotte | ITT - 42 km
The stage 10th, a 42-km individual time-trial stage, was won by Mordvanian Zdenko Hrovat (Nenergo Cycling). The best of the favourites was Adwestene Eden Grace Weatherhead, who finished sixth at 19 seconds behind Hrovat's time.
Gerry Bowes-Heeley could only keep the red jersey but increased his lead to one minutes and twenty-seven seconds ahead Keszarian Ferenc Racz (Anzcell), who was now second in the general classification.
Stage 11 - Comtois-Ronvaux sur Granger | Mountain stage - 195 km
The first high mountain ony arrived at stage 11th, at the equator race. Vançotte and KyrzAir worked together to harden the stage, and before the last climb, the main group was already reduced to eleven riders, while three riders -Strathaen Sechnall MacCeallaigh, Dyrheimer Roman Herzogenrath, and Svarnan Dheeraj Devarukhkar- remained ahead from the breakaway.
But before anyone was able to react, Eden Grace Weatherhead (Scholden-Gulcron) attacked without opposition, aimed to prove to be the strongest climber in the high mountain again. Weatherhead would be able to reach MacCeallaigh and Herzogenrath in the last kms, and despite his fatigue, easily defeated both to win the stage and take the red jersey.
Ceribian Irakli Kapanadze (BataVelo) came forty seconds later, while the rest of favourites lost more than a minute -including 1594 Tour de Valland winner, Kyrzbekistani Almas Cingur (KyrzAir), who crossed the finish one minute and forty-five seconds after Weatherhead.
Mordvanians Walentyn Lauterpacht (Mordvelo) and Marcus Gucevicius (Iskra Team) followed Weatherhead in the general classification, one-minute and seven and one-minute and twenty-seven, respectively.
Stage 12 - La Paget-Les Molins | Mountain stage - 148 km
A shorter but more demanding high mountain stage followed, and Weatherhead's exhibition attempt the previous day seemed to be proved fatal. Unable to follow the main group in the last climb, the Adwestene climber would end losing almost three minutes to his main rivals.
Goldecian Spencer Grant (Abbott Cycling) won the stage, defeating Roman Herzogenrath (Télecon Team) who was again in the breakaway. The main favourites arrived forty seconds later, and Mordvanian Marcus Gucevicius climbed to the top position in the general classification. The young Mandavine rider Max Rémy (Abbott Cycling) was now second at one minute and three seconds. Herzogenrath completed the virtual podium at two minutes and five seconds, while Weatherhead fell to the sixth place in the general classification.