Valverde wins GP Miguel Indurain

It seemed unlikely, but over the past 16 years no rider from Eusebio Unzué's teams has scored a victory in the GP Miguel Indurain. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) finally broke the losing streak with a valiant solo effort from the final classified climb 10km to the finish.

Valverde bridged across to the remains of the day's 18-rider breakaway, which had shrunk to just six riders on the fifth of eight categorized climbs, with 35km to go.

Joined by Tom-Jelte Slagter (Garmin-Sharp) and Sergey Chernetskiy (Katusha), Valverde attacked again on the category 2 Eraul and rode solo to the finish, where he dedicated his victory to local cycling promoter José Luis Oreja, who died in February.

"I wanted so much to win here. The team was sensational," Valverde said. "It was a really demanding circuit, but fortunately, it didn't rain as much as expected. The rivals were fatigued after the work the guys did, and at the last lap through the Ibarra climb, I saw it was time to attack. I had thought of moving again on the Muru, the last slope before the Puy, but looking at how the race was developing, I anticipated it and tried in Eraul. Fortunately, that attack was enough.

"This victory is a confirmation that I'm still in good form. Now it's time for País Vasco and the classics, my big goals. I knew I would be in good fitness for those, and I did well today, but País Vasco will be that last bit I'm lacking yet. We will have a hard stage already on Monday, one to be concentrated and always ride up front. This victory goes to all the fans that were on the roads supporting us, and especially to José Luis Oreja, an important person for cycling in Navarra who passed away recently."

The day's breakaway went away from the first kilometers of the 187km race, when Gorka Izagirre put in the first digs for Movistar. He was joined first by Katusha's Pavel Brutt and his own teammate Herrada before a group of 15 riders made their way across by kilometer 11.

The breakaway included Brutt, Egor Silin and Alexandr Kolobnev from Katusha, Herrada and Izagirre of Movistar, Javier Acevedo and Nathan Haas (Garmin-Sharp), Ángel Madrazo, Heiner Parra and Antonio Molina (Caja Rural), Haritz Orbe and Jon Larrinaga (Euskadi), David Belda and Pablo Torres (Burgos), Jordi Simon (Ecuador), Raúl Alarcón (Louletano), and Evgeny Shalunov and Arkimedes Arguelyes (Lokosphinx).

Torres took out the first two special sprints, while Haas set about winning the first climb and the second sprint at kilometer 80 and 91, respectively. Alarcón managed to deny Haas the next sprint, but the Garmin rider took his revenge in the next two climbs and the next sprint.

Three riders were jettisoned on the Eruel with 83km remaining, and by the Alto Guirguillano, an attack by Belda, Larringa and Shalunov shattered the move. Belda left the other two behind, and only five riders could make it across to the solo Spaniard: Haas, Herrada, Brutt, Izagirre and Simon, making six in front.

Haas resumed his position at the head of the breakaway atop the Guirguillano, but the gap to the peloton had shrunk to just over a minute.

The six were caught with 32km left to race, and soon a new attack went clear - this time with Sergey Chernetsky (Katusha), John Gadret, Jesus Herrada and José Herrada (Movistar), Andre Cardoso and Nathan Haas (Garmin), David Arroyo (Caja Rural) and Jesus Del Pino (Burgos).

Haas, clearly on a tear, kept pushing the pace in the breakaway, but on the penultimate climb with 20km to go, the effort proved too great for the Australian, and his Herculean effort was done. Valverde then bridged across, and helped by his lieutenants, was given a springboard to go solo on the Eraul with 12km to go.

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team4:52:01
2Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Garmin Sharp0:01:02
3Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Team KatushaRow 2 - Cell 2
4André Cardoso (Por) Garmin Sharp0:01:06
5Yury Trofimov (Rus) Team Katusha0:01:08
6Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin Sharp0:01:40
7Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha0:02:18
8Benjamin King (USA) Garmin Sharp0:02:28
9David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA0:02:39
10Miguel Minguez (Spa) Euskadi0:03:11
11Caleb Fairly (USA) Garmin SharpRow 10 - Cell 2
12David Belda Garcia (Spa) Burgos-BH0:03:43
13Sergey Shilov (Rus) Lokosphinx0:03:45
14John Gadret (Fra) Movistar Team0:03:46
15Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin Sharp0:03:54
16Jesus Del Pino Corrochano (Spa) Burgos-BHRow 15 - Cell 2
17Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA0:04:24
18Marcos Garcia Fernandez (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGARow 17 - Cell 2
19Jesus Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team0:06:36
20Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 19 - Cell 2
21José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 20 - Cell 2
22Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp0:07:45
23Carlos Barbero Cuesta (Spa) EuskadiRow 22 - Cell 2
24Vicente Garcia De Mateos (Spa) Louletano - Dunas DouradasRow 23 - Cell 2
25Daniel Silva (Por) Rádio PopularRow 24 - Cell 2
26Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha0:08:30
27Aleksey Rybalkin (Rus) Lokosphinx0:10:38
28Manuel Sola (Spa) Keith Mobel - Partisan0:11:11
29Andreas Keuser (Ger) Keith Mobel - Partisan0:11:16
30Junrey A Navarra (Cze) LBC - MVP Sports Foundation Cycling TeamRow 29 - Cell 2
31Beñat Txoperena (Spa) Euskadi0:12:19
32Raul Garcia De Mateos (Spa) Louletano - Dunas Douradas0:12:20
33Jordi Simón Casulleras (Ecu) Team EcuadorRow 32 - Cell 2
34Micael Isidoro (Por) Louletano - Dunas DouradasRow 33 - Cell 2
35Sergey Vdovin (Rus) Lokosphinx0:12:22
36Arkimedes Arguelyes Rodriges (Rus) Lokosphinx0:12:29
37Sandro Filipe Silva Pinto (Por)0:12:30
38Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi0:12:44
39Ibai Salas (Spa) Burgos-BH0:12:51
40Pello Bilbao (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGARow 39 - Cell 2
41Haritz Orbe Urrutia (Spa) EuskadiRow 40 - Cell 2
42Javier Francisco Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGARow 41 - Cell 2
43Igor Merino Cortazar (Spa) Burgos-BHRow 42 - Cell 2
44Jaime Roson (Ecu) Team EcuadorRow 43 - Cell 2
45Jon Larrinaga Muguruza (Spa) Euskadi0:13:02
46Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 45 - Cell 2
47Víctor Etxeberria (Spa) Euskadi0:14:19
48Dmitry Sokolov (Spa) Lokosphinx0:16:46
49Alexander Vdovin (Spa) Lokosphinx0:18:23
50Raul Alarcon Garcia (Spa) Louletano - Dunas DouradasRow 49 - Cell 2
51Pablo Lechuga Rodriguez (Spa) Euskadi0:18:24
52Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Lokosphinx0:18:42
53Jorge Martín Montenegro (Arg) Louletano - Dunas DouradasRow 52 - Cell 2
DNFRuben Plaza Molina (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 53 - Cell 2
DNFJaume Rovira Pous (Ecu) Team EcuadorRow 54 - Cell 2
DNFKoldo Fernandez De Larrea (Spa) Garmin SharpRow 55 - Cell 2
DNFJavier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 56 - Cell 2
DNFDmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Team KatushaRow 57 - Cell 2
DNFÁngel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGARow 58 - Cell 2
DNFEsteban Plaza Mira (Spa) Keith Mobel - PartisanRow 59 - Cell 2
DNFEgor Silin (Rus) Team KatushaRow 60 - Cell 2
DNFBeñat Intxausti (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 61 - Cell 2
DNFAmets Txurruka (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGARow 62 - Cell 2
DNFAntonio Cabello Baena (Ecu) Team EcuadorRow 63 - Cell 2
DNFHiginio Fernandez Suarez (Ecu) Team EcuadorRow 64 - Cell 2
DNFFrancesco Lasca (Ita) Caja Rural - Seguros RGARow 65 - Cell 2
DNFRui Miguel Sousa Barbosa (Por) Rádio PopularRow 66 - Cell 2
DNFHernani Broco (Por) Louletano - Dunas DouradasRow 67 - Cell 2
DNFVirgilio Santos (Por) Rádio PopularRow 68 - Cell 2
DNFCésar Fonte (Por) Rádio PopularRow 69 - Cell 2
DNFCélio Cristiano Sousa (Por) Rádio PopularRow 70 - Cell 2
DNFJavier Chacon (Spa) Keith Mobel - PartisanRow 71 - Cell 2
DNFPetr Ignatenko (Rus) Team KatushaRow 72 - Cell 2
DNFEnrique Sanz (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 73 - Cell 2
DNFJavier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 74 - Cell 2
DNFIllart Zuazubiskar Gallastegi (Spa) EuskadiRow 75 - Cell 2
DNFAnder Arranz Alonso (Spa) Burgos-BHRow 76 - Cell 2
DNFDario Hernandez (Spa) Burgos-BHRow 77 - Cell 2
DNFUnai Arranz Alonso (Spa) Burgos-BHRow 78 - Cell 2
DNFJuan Carlos Ramirez (Spa) Keith Mobel - PartisanRow 79 - Cell 2
DNFPablo Torres Muino (Spa) Burgos-BHRow 80 - Cell 2
DNFMikel Aristi Gardoki (Spa) EuskadiRow 81 - Cell 2
DNFJanier Alexis Acevedo Calle (Col) Garmin SharpRow 82 - Cell 2
DNFVíctor Martín Hernandez (Spa) Burgos-BHRow 83 - Cell 2
DNFÁlvaro Robredo Crespo (Spa) Burgos-BHRow 84 - Cell 2
DNFSegundo Mesias Navarrete (Ecu) Team EcuadorRow 85 - Cell 2
DNFJose Ragonessi (Ecu) Team EcuadorRow 86 - Cell 2
DNFJorge Montenegro (Ecu) Team EcuadorRow 87 - Cell 2
DNFCarlos-Eduardo Quishpe Quishpe (Ecu) Team EcuadorRow 88 - Cell 2
DNFAndrés Vigil Vidal (Spa) Keith Mobel - PartisanRow 89 - Cell 2
DNFMarcos Jurado Rodriguez (Spa) Keith Mobel - PartisanRow 90 - Cell 2
DNFJemico Brioso (Cze) LBC - MVP Sports Foundation Cycling TeamRow 91 - Cell 2
DNFMark Bonzo (Cze) LBC - MVP Sports Foundation Cycling TeamRow 92 - Cell 2
DNFRustom Lim (Cze) LBC - MVP Sports Foundation Cycling TeamRow 93 - Cell 2
DNFEl Joshua Carino (Cze) LBC - MVP Sports Foundation Cycling TeamRow 94 - Cell 2
DNFRonald Lomotos (Cze) LBC - MVP Sports Foundation Cycling TeamRow 95 - Cell 2
DNFNuno Matos (Por) Rádio PopularRow 96 - Cell 2
DNFRonald Oranza (Spa) LBC - MVP Sports Foundation Cycling TeamRow 97 - Cell 2
DNFFederico Figueiredo (Spa) Rádio PopularRow 98 - Cell 2
DNFAntonio Molina Canet (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGARow 99 - Cell 2
DNFHeiner Rodrigo Parra Bustamente (Col) Caja Rural - Seguros RGARow 100 - Cell 2
DNFIsaac Carbonell (Ecu) Team EcuadorRow 101 - Cell 2

 

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