Motorola (with Bobby Julich, George Hincapie, Max Van Heeswijk, Steven Swart and one other) lead the pack. Slow start with extreme caution on corners.
At 28 laps to go, Jeremy Hunt (UK riding for Ampol-Caltex team), Declan Lonergen (Ireland riding for Pacific Power World Team) and Swede Henrik Sparr (Sportscover team) go away and quickly establish a 15 sec gap. Motorola on front of a very lacklustre chase.
At 25 laps to go, gap is now at 20 secs. Henrik Sparr is doing no work as he is riding for the number one Swede Team rider, Michael Andersen. Motorola doing all the work chasing with Julich on front. Dutch team with Van Poppel leading come to help a bit. But the American team is powering.
14 laps to go, only two (Hunt and Lonergen) are driving the break at 15 secs. Motorola chasing hard now.
Gap at 13 secs. 11 laps to go, Julich crashes at on tight corner and takes a lap out, appearing unhurt. Van Heeswijk looks to be panicking and calls the rest of the Motorola team up (Swart and one other) to help him and Hincapie. Sparr still not helping on front.
10 laps to go - gap extends again. Julich's crash has harmed the chase although he is now back on the front and powering. Swart is helping his team chase now.
9 laps to go - riders are getting lapped now. Gap is at 20 secs. Lonergen is driving the break although Hunt is coming through. Sparr sits. 20 riders in a bunch are lapped and the chase is frustrated as they try to get through.
8 laps to go and Motorola is looking urgent. 18 seconds down. Drama as Lonergen falls and officials allow him a lap out and the right to rejoin the leading break. At this time, Hunt attacks the Swede and quickly drops him.
7 laps to go and Swart is pushing Motorola. Lonergen rejoins the now alone Hunt on the front. Motorola seem to be talking a lot among themselves with little actual plan evident. Michel Zanolu is lapped.
6 to go, and the gap is closing. Hunt and Lonergen are talking. 5 to go, and the gap is now 16 again, as Sparr is caught by the chasing peleton, who are still unorganised.
4 laps now, and gap is down to 15. Hincapie is on the front and only Motorola seem intent on the chase. This is the first time the race has been open to Pros and there is still a them and us attitude b/tw pros and ams. The Germans and Dutch come up to help but they have left it too late.
3 to go, Lillywhite (Hun't mate on the Ampol-Caltex team) and a fellow UK'er blocking on the front, althought the gap is down to 14.
2 to go, and the Dutch team led by Jan Koerts is on the front chasing the break. Hunt is tightening his shoes for the sprint and the Motorola team is definately now helping the Dutch. Too late.
Bell goes, and the gap is coming down fast. The two in front for a second seem to be wanting to finesse the concluding sprint but look over and realise they have to keep the hammer down to the end. Hunt is pushing hard and Lonergen is tentative on the corners after his fall.
Now the tactics being. Lonergen is engineered into the front by Hunt, clever. Last corner, Hunt from the left side takes lead and Lonergen comes in second. A mass sprint for 3rd.