As it happened: Itzulia Basque Country stage 5 - Sergio Higuita wins a small group sprint

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 5 of the 2023 Itzulia Basque Country

Racing on this second-to-last stage of the 2023 Itzulia Basque Country is about to get underway.

The riders have just started a 4.8 kilometre neutralised section in the town of Amorebieta.

And racing is underway

155 kilometres to go

After a fast start, we already have 11 riders out front. Names coming soon.

The entire stage is 165.9 kilometres long, with four classified climbs. The race has just reached the foot of the first, the third category Montecalvo.

That very early 11-man break, by the way, was swallowed up by the peloton and we're back to a single bunch for now.

Climbs on today's stage: 

Km 11.5 Montecalvo 3rd cat. 2.9 km 7.3 percent

Km 54.2 Natxitua 3rd cat. 2.5 km 8 percent

Km 102.1 Paresi 2nd cat. 4.3 km 7.7 percent

Km 140.3  Belarrinaga 3rd cat. 2km 6.7 percent

Two riders are away from the same team: Mattia Cattaneo and Remi Cavagna of Soudal-QuickStep. 

Cavagna leads over the summit of the third category Montecalvo followed by Cattaneo. Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates) takes third place from the bunch.

150 kilometres to go

Our two leaders, Cavagna and Cattaneo, have a lead of 20 seconds.

A reminder of the race leaders as things stand: after taking the lead on stage 3 with his first of two back-to-back victories and then winning again on stage 4, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) is in top spot overall. You can read about his two stage wins here: Itzulia Basque Country: Vingegaard makes it two in a row on stage 4

and here: Itzulia Basque Country: Jonas Vingegaard captures stage 3 uphill victory, takes race lead

Jonas Vingegaard heads the points ranking as well as holding top spot on GC, Jon Barrenetxea (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) remains on top of the mountains ranking, which he's led since day one of the race, Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo) is in charge of the Best Young Riders competition and Soudal-QuickStep are leading the teams ranking.

Talking of Soudal-Quick Step, their duo of Cattaneo and Cavagna are still out there in the lead today, with an advantage of 45 seconds

There are two sprints today, at Muxika at km 124.8 and at Amorebieta-Etxano on a first run through the town at km 147.5. In a race often decided by seconds their bonuses of 3,2 and 1 seconds often matter a great deal in the final reckoning, as the GC riders know very well: on stage 4 Vingegaard took the second sprint and he's so far scooped up 25 seconds worth of bonus seconds overall.

Here's a breakdown of the full results as they stand

Amorebieta-Etxano, incidentally, is the full name for a town often simply referred to as Amorebieta. And for many years there was a one-day pro race called the GP Amorebieta, or the Klasika Primavera, and it was held on the Sunday after the Itzulia Pais Vasco ended.

One of a string of one-day pro. races that used to be in the Basque Country at one point, the GP Amorebieta held its last professional edition in 2019,  won by Carlos Betancur. Andrey Amador, who won it in 2018, is racing in the 2023 Itzulia Basque Country with EF Education-EasyPost, as is Gorka Izagirre (Movistar) who won it in 2017 and who finished second in 2016 and 2014, and Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) who won it in 2013, the same year he became World Champion.
While a lot of the other races like the Subida a Urkiola or GP Zamudio are now completely defunct, the GP Amorebieta now been revived, but as a U-23 race.

120 kilometres to go

Our two leaders have an advantage of 1:14

And here's a photo of Gorka Izagirre, winner of the 2017 GP Amorebieta, from today's start.

110 kilometres to go

The race is at the foot of the second climb of the day, the 3rd catgetory Natxitua 2.5 km 8 percent, and the two leader's gap has now risen to 3:25, the biggest of the day so far.

The one rider who was brave enough to try and get across to our leading duo, Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) has sat up and been caught

100 kilometres to go

 The race passes over the summit of the Natxitua and into the valley below. 3:54 the gap for the two riders ahead.

Cattaneo took the three points on offer on the third category Natxitua ahead of Cavagna, while in the bunch, mountains classification leader Jon Barrenetxea (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) collected the final remaining point. Every little counts...

Another quick delve into Basque Country history books and it turns out that history could be (could be) repeating itself right now on stage 5 of the race. Two years ago, also on stage 5, day-long breakaways Mikkel Honoré and Josef Cerny gave the same Soudal-QuickStep team, then known as Deceuninck-QuickStep, a 1-2 victory. Honoré, now with EF Education-Easy Post, took the win but it was a two-up effort all the way: 

Itzulia Basque Country: Honoré, Cerny give Deceuninck-Quickstep a 1-2 on stage 5

As per stage 3, by the way, the last series of brutally short, sharp 'walls' could have a decisive effect on the final outcome of the stage. On stage 3 there were four in quick succession, culminating in a short but explosive uphill finish the Hika, with ramps of 26 percent, today there are three, with the last, a 1 kilometre climb with gradients of over 10 percent, 4.5 kilometres from the finish.

87 kilometres to go

And the race is on a long unclassified climb, with Jumbo-Visma and Bahrain Victorious pulling in the bunch for Jonas Vingegaard and Mikel Landa, first and second on GC respectively. 4:10 the gap, meaning Mattia Cattaneo (Soudal-QuickStep), 1:07 back on Vingegaard on GC is race leader on the road by a fraction over three minutes.

The riders have a fraction over 3,400 metres of vertical climbing on today's stage, by the way, making it yet another rugged day in the 2023 Itzulia Basque Country. Weather is good for racing and riding, though, a balmy (and dry) 20 degrees C.

And here is a photo of our break of the day

75 kilometres to go

The gap has stretched out slightly, to 4:28

A quick clarifier that although the three 'walls' at the end of the stage today are hard, particularly for riders with more than 3,000 metres of vertical climbers in their legs, they're nothing like the brainbogglingly hard ramp of 26 percent that the peloton faced on Wednesday in Villabona. But given the stage profile, they do look like the point where the GC favourites will come to the fore.

Unconfirmed reports of our first abandon of the day: young German racer Luis-Joe Luhrs (Bora-Hansgrohe).

The race is now approaching the biggest climb of the day, the second category  Paresi: 4.3 km at 7.7 percent. For the climb's profile, see below.

66 kilometres to go

The gap has shrunk to below four minute mark and currently stands at 3:50

As you can see from that profile, the Paresi has lots of steep little ramps in it, many in the 12-15 percent category on hairpin bends. And mid-way up there's a whole 1.3 kilometre segment at an average of 12.3 percent. Painful is putting it mildly.

Race organisation reports that Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) has been dropped on the Paresi.

62 kilometres to go

The two breakaways cross the summit of the Paresi with an advantage of 3:23

Jayco-AIUIa and Ineos Grenadiers lead the chase in the pack

The peloton have crested the summit of the Paresi after no major attacks on the climb and are now speeding down a broad, well-surfaced road in pursuit of the break. The gap has dipped to under three minutes.

A short uncategorized climb of around 10 percent average gradient is fast coming up.

Sam Oomen (Jumbo-Visma) has taken over policing duty at the front of the peloton for race leader and teammate Jonas Vingegaard.

No action on that short little climb and onto a fast plunge down. Fortunately the road is still a good one.

Here's what left in the last 50 kilometres:

Km 124.8 : Sprint at Muxika

Km 140.3  Belarrinaga climb -  3rd cat., 2km, 6.7 percent

Km 147.5 Sprint at Amorebieta-Etxano

Km 155, 157 (approx) and 161: three punchy, short climbs in quick succession

Km 165.9: Finish

Jumbo-Visma rider, possibly Stephen Kruijswijk, skids and crashes on a descent in the middle of the bunch. Fortunately it doesn't look too bad, and he's back up quickly and racing again..

45 kilometres to go

The gap continues if not to tumble, certainly to fall quickly: 2:30. Not looking good for the two men ahead.

Cattaneo gets the intermediate sprint at Muxika (km 124.8), Cavagna comes through in second and a little later a group of seven or eight riders breaks off the front and a Groupama-FDJ rider, Romain Gregoire, gets the remaining bonus second ahead of Simon Yates (AIUIa).

The interest in these minor hot spot sprint placings and the seconds they offer is arguably due to the fact that even if Vingegaard and Landa are looking good in first and second overall right now, assuming there are no sudden upsets, a lot of riders are still in the GC battle for third. Behind the top two on GC, seven riders are in a ten second band right now, with David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) best placed in third at 31 seconds.

35 kilometres to go

The gap for the break is still falling steadily courtesy mainly of Jayco-AIUI's hard work and is now 1:35

Actually a correction on that hot spot sprint, according to the official website: it was Cattaneo and Cavagna ahead, of course, but the third place and final second bonus reportedly went to David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ).

Jayco-AIUIa with their 2023 signing Eddie Dunbar are really pounding away now at the front of the peloton as the race speeds towards the final classified climb of the day, the third category Belarrinaga. 

31 kilometres to go

The gap is down to less than a minute and dropping fast. And speculation as to who could make a move from the bunch for the stage win once the two are caught is rising equally quickly.

Ineos Grenadiers have taken over from Jayco-AIUIa on the front as the bunch powers through a series of sweeping downhill curves.

We're fast approaching the final categorized climb of the day: the Belarrinaga, a 3rd cat. 2 kilometre climb, averaging 6.7 percent.

Cavagna and Cattaneo swing onto the climb: the first part is narrow and straight. Behind, the peloton pile on the pressure.

25 kilometres to go

Cavagna sits up and is caught on the climb, but Cattaneo keeps going. 20 seconds the gap.

Cattaneo powers on towards the summit of the Belarrinaga, shoulders bobbing from side to side and grabs a drink from support staff on the roadside.

Omar Fraile is keeping the pace high at the front of the peloton for Ineos Grenadiers as Cattaneo's gap shrinks to 11 seconds.

The race is now on the fast, very straight descent off the Belarrinaga through dense woodland.

Loud blasts on the whistles from the roadside race marshals as the peloton negotiates a nasty right hand bend at the foot of the descent. It looks like everybody's through safely.

21 kilometres to go

Cattaneo looks back at the peloton as they bear down on him remorselessly through some very technical bends and onto a slight rise.

21 kilometres to go

Catteneo is caught. The break of the day is finally over.

The nasty little unclassified climb continues and Fraile is still on the front of the bunch, with fellow Basque and Ineos Grenadiers teammate Jonathan Castroviejo just behind him. 

The peloton is back in Amorebieta-Etxano for the first time. But they've still got a hot spot sprint and some vicious climbs to come before they're home and dry for the day.

Hot spot sprint in Amorebieta and the GC favourites are going for it...

Looks like Vingegaard has picked up a single second bonus for third place at the sprint, but to be confirmed. Whatever the outcome, a surefire sign that he's not sleeping on his laurels (or Basque race leader's beret, if you prefer).

15 kilometres to go

Bunch is still together, a fairly sizable group, and Bora-Hansgrohe move to the front.

Official confirmation that it was Vingegaard getting third in that sprint. Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) took first,  Best Young rider leader Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo) took second and Vingegaard got an extra second for his GC standings in third.

Ineos Grenadiers are still leading the bunch, by the way, while one of their number, 2019 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal, drops back. 

12 kilometre

The road has narrowed significantly as the bunch heads out of Amorebieta heading for those three final climbs. Five Ineos Grenadiers riders on the front.

10 kilometres to go

The race blasts through a rather unglamourous industrial estate next to a motorway.

Ineos Grenadiers sweep onto the bottom of the first of two steep climbs. 

Enric Mas accelerates, Jonas Vingegaard follows and there's no sign of Mikel Landa.

Vingegaard is on second wheel behind an AG2R rider as Landa moves back into contact with the head of a pack of 15 riders. That climb did some damage.

Eight kilometres to go

Over the top of that climb and the bunch is back up to 20 riders. Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost) makes a brief dig.

Attila Valter (Jumbo-Visma), just ahead of Vingegaard, misjudges a corner on a brief section of descent, but thankfully stays upright. He's Vingegaard's key man in this finale and the Dane could ill afford to lose him.

Six kilometres to go

Valter continues to lead the string of around 20 riders. One climb left to go.

James Knox moves to the front along with Mauro Schmid. Even after the two-up break was caught, Soudal-QuickStep haven't said their last word in today's stage, it seems.

Dani Martinez (Ineos Grenadiers); last year's winner, is amongst those dropped from the front group.

Soudal-QuickStep's Andrea Bagioli leads the front group of 20 riders.

This is a steady but not excessively steep final climb they're on and it looks like the main group will stay together.

2.5 kilometres to go

20 riders in the front group and Soudal-QuickStep are driving on as they come over the top of the descent.

At this moment, it's looking like it'll come down to a small group sprint. 

Final kilometre and it's still Soudal-QuickStep on the front

A late acceleration from Valter but no dice.

Movistar lead out the sprint

But Sergio Higuita sneaks through at the last minute and gets the win.

Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe) wins stage 5 of the 2023 Itzulia Basque Country

Andrea Bagioli (Soudal-QuickStep) gets second, Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo) third. No change overall as Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) gets tenth.

As is often the case when it's a small group going for the stage, that was a weird old sprint. Bagioli was getting a leadout from Movistar but Higuita began moving up on the far side, and quickly got a good gap. Bagioli then tried to react and was closing in, but ran out of road. Two stage wins for Bora-Hansgrohe in the race, then, both from small group sprints.

Even though Skjelmose will be disappointed by third (and he was banging away at the handlebars as he crossed the line), he did do a nifty operation on GC thanks to the time bonuses and has moved up to fourth overall, just one second behind David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ).

But there are still eight riders within ten seconds of each other fighting for that third place on the final podium,  even if first and second for Vingegaard and Landa look increasingly certain, the right to stand beside the Dane and the Basque remains very much undecided.

And here's a shot of Higuita taking that win, showing just how much he was ahead of a very disappointed-looking Andre Bagioli by the finish line.

No changes in any of the secondary classifications. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) remains in the number one spot in the points ranking, and  indeed has stretched open a previous 17 point advantage after stage 4 to 26. Jon Barrenetxea (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) is still on top of the mountains ranking, though his advantage has dropped from 18 to 14 points after today's stage. Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo) continues to be the Best Young Rider and Soudal-QuickStep are still ranked the number one 2023 Itzulia Basque Country team.

This is Higuita's tenth win of his career, incidentally, and his first since a stage of the Tour de Pologne summit finish at Przemysl last August. He was second in the GP Miguel Indurain last week, so clearly is in good form.

A shot of Vingegaard as he heads for tenth place and a third stage in yellow. He's buttressed his lead by another second over Landa on stage 5 to 13 seconds, and can clearly count on sterling support from Atila Valter and the rest of the Jumbo-Visma team. But the toughest day's racing is yet to come and the margin's are tight. This race ain't over 'til it's over.

And after all that preamble, here's the promised picture of Vingegaard...

Some words from the stage 5 winner Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe), revealing local knowledge had a lot to do with today's unexpected but thoroughly deserved sprint success: "Today things worked out fine. I knew this finish from a GP Amorebieta race where I finished fourth, so I knew I had to go from long because it was a very fast finale and if you waited too long it was difficult to get back on terms."
"So I went from long and I had enough strength to stay ahead all the way to the finish and get the team's second stage win here."
"It was a very hard stage, I thought I was going to blow on each of those steep little climbs beforehand. But I stayed calm all the way to the finish and then I knew this was a great chance to get a good result in a great race like the Itzulia. I have very good memories when I was here in the Foundation and it's great to be able to raise my arms again after some months when I've been sick. So then coming back here and being with the best is something great. And a big thankyou to the team for all their support, they've been great here helping me all the way."


 

Higuita signed off his interview with an appropriate Basque phrase eskerrik asko [Thankyou very much], and his reference to the Foundation is a reminder that he started the European chapter of his pro. career racing for half a season in 2019 with the Fundación Euskadi before making a planned switch in May to EF Education First. The Fundacion Euskadi is the team structure for what is now the Euskaltel-Euskadi squad, currently racing this year on home soil in the Itzulia Basque Country as well. 

And for a link to our main report on stage 5 of the Itzulia Basque Country, look no further than here: Itzulia Basque Country: Sergio Higuita wins stage 5 from day-long breakaway

Stage 6 of the 2023 Itzulia Basque Country is easily the toughest day of the race. Starting and finishing in Eibar and 138 kilometres long, it has three first category climbs, the last, the Izua, 27 kilometres from the finish. After that there’s a third category climb, the Urkaregi at km 125 and then a long drag up to the finish in Eibar.

On paper, it shouldnt’ be too hard for Vingegaard to defend his lead, but on the other hand, he’s not got a full-strength team any more and if there are attacks from the gun, it could yet all see a full-strength GC battle emerge. Check back to find out…

Some words from race leader Jonas Vingegaard to round things off: "It was a long day and a big fight to bring back the break and once again I have to thank my teammates for doing that, they did an amazing job. Tomorrow's stage [stage 6] is always a big mess, if you can say that, I've done it three times and every year it's a big mess. We'll just have to do our best to defend our jersey and we'll see by the end of the day."

And here's a final shot of Vingegaard in the yellow jersey today

That's it for day on the live coverage of stage 5 of the Itzulia Basque Country. We'll be back with more live coverage of Saturday's final shoot-out tomorrow.