Vuelta a España: Degenkolb wins in A Coruña
Fourth stage win for German sprinter
Five stage victories at the Vuelta a España two years ago weren’t enough to secure the points classification for John Degenkolb, but his fourth win at this year’s race in A Coruña might well prove enough to seal the green jersey for him this time around.
In any case, Degenkolb’s storming sprint victory in Galicia demonstrated that he is the fastest man still standing in this Vuelta, and it also highlighted his credentials for another major race in north-western Spain this month – the world championships in Ponferrada.
Degenkolb faced a stiff challenge in the bunch finish in A Coruña from two other men with designs on the rainbow jersey. Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge) pushed Degenkolb closest but couldn’t quite get on terms, while Fabian Cancellara led out his Trek teammate Jasper Stuyven with such ferocity that he helped himself to third place.
Degenkolb’s victory was all the more impressive considering his relative lack of help in the final kilometre. His Giant-Shimano squad had been prominent in chasing down the remnants of the break of the day in the undulating finale, and they sacrificed supporting their man in the finishing straight in order to guarantee that he would be sprinting for first place.
Their fate in Degenkolb’s speed was justified. After Rohan Dennis (BMC) and Elia Favilli (Lampre-Merida) were swept up in the final kilometre, a rather chaotic sprint ensued from a peloton that had splintered on the creases in the final kilometres.
As has been his wont at this Vuelta, Roberto Ferrari (Lampre-Merida) opted to try his luck by opening the sprint from distance, but the Italian did not have 300 metres in his legs and he faded within sight of the line.
For his part, Matthews opted to leave his sprint late, but it was Degenkolb who timed his effort best. The German hit the front 150 metres from home and he had built up enough of a head of steam to hold off Matthews, Cancellara and Stuyven to take the win.
Froome takes no chances
The day began with news that Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) had cut his Vuelta short due to the effects of asthmatic bronchitis. Certainly, the Colombian had seemed a shadow of himself when he lost over 15 minutes at La Farrapona on Monday, and others to pull out after the rest day included Tanel Kangert (Astana) and Haimar Zubeldia (Trek).
Wednesday’s stage was widely touted as the last opportunity for the pure sprinters at although the relative paucity of their number at this juncture mean that there were still plenty of hardy souls willing to tilt at a windmill and see.
A five-man break duly sallied clear inside the opening twenty kilometres, featuring Dennis, Favilli, Bob Jungels (Trek), Luis Mas (Caja Rural) and Daniel Teklehaimanot (MTN-Qhubeka), and they quickly established a lead.
Their advantage was not permitted to stretch out much beyond four minutes, however, and it was soon clear that the fast men were indeed sufficiently motivated to have their teams peg things back for a bunch sprint. Undeterred, and with Dennis and Jungels especially prominent, the break still carried a two-minute lead into the final 25 kilometres, although the pace was continue to ratchet upwards in the peloton.
By then, Mas Bonet had dropped out of the break and Teklehaimont followed him with 10 kilometres to go. Back in the bunch, meanwhile, the uncategorised hillocks in the run-in to A Coruña called for vigilance. Not only were the likes of Orica-GreenEdge and Giant-Shimano drilling on the front, but Team Sky came to the fore inside the final five miles or so.
Their intention was not, it seems, to set Chris Froome up for a surprise attack, but simply to keep him out of danger, though red jersey Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) was careful to stick closely to his wheel on a cobbled climb with three kilometres remaining nonetheless.
Eventually, however, the general classification men melted back into the peloton and the gaps remained unchanged ahead of Thursday’s tricky finish at Mone Castrove. Contador leads Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) by 1:36, with Froome a further three seconds back.
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Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | 4:26:07 |
2 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica Greenedge | |
3 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek Factory Racing | |
4 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing | |
5 | Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
6 | Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Garmin Sharp | |
7 | Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
8 | Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
9 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale | |
10 | Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) IAM Cycling | |
11 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
12 | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
13 | Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
14 | Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
15 | Yannick Martinez (Fra) Team Europcar | |
16 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
17 | Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar | |
18 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Belisol | |
19 | Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
20 | Paul Martens (Ger) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
21 | Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Movistar Team | |
22 | Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
23 | Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Lampre-Merida | |
24 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | |
25 | Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Shimano | |
26 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
27 | Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky | |
28 | Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team | |
29 | Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
30 | Dominik Nerz (Ger) BMC Racing Team | |
31 | Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Team Sky | |
32 | Romain Sicard (Fra) Team Europcar | |
33 | Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) MTN - Qhubeka | |
34 | Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
35 | Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team | |
36 | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
37 | David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
38 | Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
39 | Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin Sharp | |
40 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
41 | Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha | |
42 | Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:07 |
43 | Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Cannondale | |
44 | Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:16 |
45 | Stef Clement (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:22 |
46 | Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Team Europcar | |
47 | Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team | |
48 | Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa) Movistar Team | |
49 | Peio Bilbao (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
50 | Merhawi Kudus Ghebremedhin (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
51 | Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha | |
52 | André Cardoso (Por) Garmin Sharp | |
53 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Team Katusha | |
54 | Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
55 | Elia Favilli (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
56 | Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
57 | Sébastien Hinault (Fra) IAM Cycling | |
58 | Jaco Venter (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
59 | Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin Sharp | |
60 | Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Team Katusha | |
61 | Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
62 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
63 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Cannondale | |
64 | Amets Txurruka (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
65 | Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Team Katusha | |
66 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | |
67 | Valerio Conti (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
68 | Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida | |
69 | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
70 | Jhoan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Orica Greenedge | |
71 | Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
72 | Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
73 | Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Team Katusha | |
74 | Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
75 | Winner Anacona Gomez (Col) Lampre-Merida | |
76 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
77 | Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
78 | Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol | |
79 | Maxime Mederel (Fra) Team Europcar | |
80 | Karol Domagalski (Pol) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
81 | Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team | |
82 | Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Team Katusha | |
83 | Jerome Coppel (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
84 | Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
85 | Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica Greenedge | 0:00:33 |
86 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | 0:00:43 |
87 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:00:45 |
88 | Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky | 0:00:53 |
89 | Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek Factory Racing | 0:01:33 |
90 | Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
91 | Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
92 | Martijn Keizer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
93 | Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
94 | Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
95 | Matthias Krizek (Aut) Cannondale | |
96 | Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
97 | Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Movistar Team | |
98 | Nathan Brown (USA) Garmin Sharp | 0:02:09 |
99 | Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
100 | Natnael Berhane (Eri) Team Europcar | |
101 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
102 | Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) AG2R La Mondiale | |
103 | Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky | |
104 | Yury Trofimov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
105 | Dario Cataldo (Ita) Team Sky | |
106 | Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) AG2R La Mondiale | |
107 | Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Cannondale | |
108 | Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
109 | Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Movistar Team | |
110 | Javier Francisco Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
111 | Antonio Piedra Perez (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | 0:02:17 |
112 | Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ.fr | 0:02:24 |
113 | Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky | |
114 | Laurent Mangel (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
115 | Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) MTN - Qhubeka | |
116 | Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
117 | Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Trek Factory Racing | |
118 | Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
119 | Jesse Sergent (NZl) Trek Factory Racing | |
120 | Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
121 | Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Astana Pro Team | |
122 | Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
123 | Pieter Serry (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
124 | Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Sky | |
125 | José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team | |
126 | Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Col) Lampre-Merida | |
127 | Vegard Breen (Nor) Lotto Belisol | |
128 | Yoann Bagot (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
129 | Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
130 | Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:02:37 |
131 | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | |
132 | Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
133 | Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
134 | Sam Bewley (NZl) Orica Greenedge | |
135 | Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
136 | Marcel Aregger (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
137 | Jonathan Fumeaux (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
138 | Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
139 | Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar | |
140 | George Bennett (NZl) Cannondale | 0:04:16 |
141 | Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin Sharp | |
142 | Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky | 0:04:37 |
143 | Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
144 | Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
145 | Robert Wagner (Ger) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
146 | Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Belisol | 0:06:07 |
147 | Daniel Craven (Nam) Team Europcar | 0:06:13 |
148 | Pirmin Lang (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
149 | Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp | |
150 | David Millar (GBr) Garmin Sharp | 0:06:20 |
151 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin Sharp | |
152 | Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Spa) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 0:06:24 |
153 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | 0:06:59 |
154 | Chad Haga (USA) Team Giant-Shimano | |
155 | Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
156 | Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
157 | Louis Meintjes (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
158 | Luis Mas Bonet (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
159 | Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
160 | Wout Poels (Ned) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
161 | Guillaume Boivin (Can) Cannondale | |
162 | Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
163 | Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
164 | Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Shimano | 0:08:41 |
165 | Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | 0:09:00 |
166 | Adam Yates (GBr) Orica Greenedge | 0:09:11 |
167 | Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica Greenedge | |
168 | Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica Greenedge | |
169 | Francesco Lasca (Ita) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | 0:09:33 |
DNS | Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team | |
DNS | Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
DNS | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky | |
DNS | Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Trek Factory Racing |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 4 | pts |
2 | Elia Favilli (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 2 | |
3 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | 4 | pts |
2 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | 2 | |
3 | Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | 25 | pts |
2 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica Greenedge | 20 | |
3 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek Factory Racing | 16 | |
4 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing | 14 | |
5 | Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 12 | |
6 | Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Garmin Sharp | 10 | |
7 | Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ.fr | 9 | |
8 | Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 8 | |
9 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale | 7 | |
10 | Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) IAM Cycling | 6 | |
11 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 5 | |
12 | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 4 | |
13 | Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 3 | |
14 | Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 2 | |
15 | Yannick Martinez (Fra) Team Europcar | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team |
---|---|
1 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | BMC Racing Team | 13:18:21 |
2 | Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
3 | Lampre - Merida | |
4 | Team Europcar | |
5 | Tinkoff - Saxo | |
6 | Cofidis, Solutions Crédits | |
7 | Trek Factory Racing | 0:00:22 |
8 | Movistar Team | |
9 | Garmin Sharp | |
10 | Astana Pro Team | |
11 | Lotto Belisol | |
12 | Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:00:29 |
13 | MTN - Qhubeka | 0:00:44 |
14 | Team Katusha | |
15 | Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
16 | Team SKY | 0:00:53 |
17 | Orica GreenEdge | 0:00:55 |
18 | Team Giant - Shimano | 0:01:33 |
19 | AG2R La Mondiale | 0:02:25 |
20 | IAM Cycling | 0:02:59 |
21 | FDJ.fr |