The Classics

['Dale]

Spanish champion Jesús Herrada puts in a mammoth turn on the front the peloton on behalf of Alejandro Valverde as the break's lead drops to inside five minutes for the first time.

['Dale]

Michael Valgren Andersen (Tinkoff-Saxo) comes off in the main peloton and tumbles into a ditch, but he quickly remounts and chases back on.

['Dale]

60 kms to go!!

 

 

['Dale]

 

We can expect the peloton to be whittled down further on the forthcoming Loorberg (1.4km at 5.5%), as this slow-burning Amstel Gold Race fizzles towards its climax.

['Dale]

 

The pace continues to ratchet upwards in the main peloton and the break's lead drops accordingly. The gap is just over four minutes as Pim Ligthart leads them onto the lower slopes of the Loorberg.

['Dale]

Faces grimacing in the break now

 

55 kms to go

['Dale]

 

QuickStep lead the on the Loorberg, with Michal Kwiatskowski sitting in third wheel. World champion Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) als shows himself for the first time. The road is exposed over the top of this climb, and consequently all of the contenders are jostling for positions at the head of the bunch.

['Dale]

Tony Martin is up there for QuickStep, ready, no doubt, to put his head down and try to split the bunch in the section of crosswind that follows the Loorberg.

['Dale]

With 200 kilometres in their legs, the break's efforts are beginning to tell, while the big hitters are only starting their race. QuickStep string out the peloton on the other side of the Loorberg, and the break's lead is down to 3:30 and falling rapidly.

['Dale]

 

QuickStep's forcing has sown a degree of panic in the main peloton, and there's a scramble for positions in their slipstream. A determined delegation from Astana splits and regroups around a traffic island as they bring Vincenzo Nibali and Maxim Iglinskiy towards the front.

['Dale]

What a powerhouse that OPQS

 

['Dale]

45 kms to go

 

RACE ON

['Dale]

Yoh

Lots of fans linking the route

 

 

['Dale]

The break has but 3 mins on the peloton

 

All way down from nearly a quarter of an hour!

['Dale]

The unity of the break fractures on the climb of the Gulpenerberg. Nicola Boem, who seemed to be flagging ten kilometres ago, accelerates off the front, with a group of five chasing just 10 seconds behind.

[dev null]

DStv sucks! Thought I would be able to see it on the telly. I see they have taken ESPN also away, so no more SuperCross. My boy is depressed. And no, I don't have enough bandwidth for streaming.