The break, led by Cam Meyer (DDD) had remained in the lead under the flamme rouge, and Meyer was only overhauled inside the last 100m, cruelly denying a rare breakaway success.
A contributing factor to the break's near success may have been its late escape. It took 65km before a group was allowed clear, 11 riders, including Meyer, Ryder Hesjedal (TFS), Laurens ten Dam (TGA) and Petr Vakoc (EQS), opening up a five minute gap to the peloton.
With so many in the break, they had a serious chance of success, but the majority of the peloton seemed unconcerned. Perhaps the lack of urgency was due to the combination of many teams having riders up front, coupled with the arguably lesser sprinters, and with them, the 'B' sprint teams, less used to bossing a peloton.
It was Lampre-Merida who eventually began to hunt them down, as they would for the rest of the stage, gaining little help from other teams, as everyone looked to each other. Tinkoff went up front in the hope of creating a split to win Alberto Contador some seconds back on the leader Nairo Quintana (MOV), but to no avail.
As the finish drew closer, the lead group had dwindled to four, with Meyer, Vakoc, Bertjan Lindeman (TLJ) and Rudy Molard (COF) remaining optimistic and the gap wavering around 15 seconds inside the final 6km.
Meyer was the one most regularly driving them on, having upped the pace 15km from home which broke the group from nine to four, and was evidently looking the most comfortable. The peloton loomed into view 3km from the finish, but still there few teams willing to really drive the chase.
The group stayed clear under the 1km banner, and even with the group just a few seconds behind, it was never certain that they'd be caught. Round the final corner, Cam Meyer attacked as the other three were gradually swallowed up, the front of the peloton completely single file as far back as 30 or 40th.
Meyer gritted his teeth, and was just 80km from the line as he was caught first by Vakoc and Lindeman. As they swept past on his left, however, Davide Cimolai came around all three, maintaining a bike length's lead through the last few metres to take victory. It was one Lampre-Merida richly deserved, although so did each member of the breakaway quartet, Meyer ultimately the lowest placed of the four in 13th.
Jon Herranz
With the race all - eventually - finishing together, Quintana's lead remained seven seconds over Contador, although Dan Martin took three seconds from the intermediate sprint to close to within 18 before tomorrow's final stage, which ends with eight fairly hilly circuits around Barcelona's Olympic Park in Montjuic.
Stage results
1. Davide Cimolai (LAM) 4:35:13
2. Nikias Arndt (TGA) + :00
3. Tosh van der Sande (LTS) + :00
General Classification
1. Nairo Quintana (MOV) 23:01:19
2. Alberto Contador (TNK) + :07
3. Richie Porte (BMC) + ;17
4. Dan Martin (EQS) + :18
5. Tejay van Garderen (BMC) + :27
6. Romain Bardet (ALM) + :31
7. Ilnur Zakarin (KAT) + :42
8. Chris Froome (SKY) + :46
9. Hugh Carthy (CJR) + 1:01
10. Rigoberto Uran (CPT) + 1:16
Mountains Classification
1. Thomas de Gendt (LTS) 117
2. Boris Dron (WGG) 81
3. Pieter Weening (ROO) 66
Sprint Classification
1. Thomas de Gendt (LTS) 12
2. Dan Martin (EQS) 6
3. Koen Bouwman (TLJ) 6
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