Vuelta a España: Gallopin gets the win in Pozo Alcón

Tony Gallopin (AG2R La Mondiale) won stage 7 of the Vuelta a Espana after attacking from a reduced group inside the final three kilometres. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) won the sprint from the chasing group behind to take second place with Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) in third place.

Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ) extended his race lead after Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) lost time following a crash in the final kilometres. The former wearer of the red jersey slid out hard on a descent and had to battle to limit his losses. Valverde is now in second place at 47 seconds to Molard after taking bonus seconds on the line.

On paper, the finish of stage 7 was not an overly difficult one but the winding roads and relentless attacking saw a group of fewer than 30 riders come to the line together. Luis Mas Bonet (Caja Rural) sparked the final run of attacks with 10 kilometres to go on the short descent off the final classified climb, the Alto de Ceal.

His move was short-lived as the general classification riders pushed on, keen to take time out of each other and the chasing Kwiatkowski. Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) would be next to go, with Gallopin bridging across to him inside the final three kilometres. Herrada was already flagging at this point and was quickly left behind by a determined Gallopin, who put behind him a difficult season as he crossed the line with his arms aloft in Pozo Alcon.

"We knew the final was hectic a little bit, so we had a plan that first we try to go in a breakaway, then at the end, the team put me in a really good position and I fight with the best. Then when we came on the last straight road, I had a plan that if I have a possibility I try to attack. I found a good moment - and I'm so happy," said Gallopin.

"It's a dream for the riders to win in a big tour. After this year, with so much bad luck, so many times I crashed and I was sick, so after I stopped in the Tour, we had the plan that I go to the Vuelta and now I won, so I think the plan was good."

How it happened

For the second day in Murcia, the sprinters would get another chance but the lumpy course and gently rising finish meant that the puncheurs could upset the fast men. Stage 7 of the Vuelta a Espana would bring the peloton inland from Puerto Lumbreras to Pozo Alcon. After a chaotic finish to Thursday's stage, Molard had kept hold of his red jersey for at least another day and would be hoping for an easier route through the day.

The break was formed almost immediately as seven riders launched themselves off the front of the bunch in the early kilometres. Several more tried to join them but they were brought back by the peloton, who looked eager to make sure that the leading group didn't have too much strength in numbers.

The seven to escape the clutches of the bunch were Michael Woods (EF Education First-Drapac), Floris de Tier (LottoNL-Jumbo), Edward Ravasi (UAE Team Emirates), Oscar Rodriguez (Euskadi Basque Country Murias), Alex Aranburu (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Nicola Conci (Trek-Segafredo), and Alexis Gouegard (AG2R La Mondiale).

Some had predicted that the breakaway could have their chance again, but the peloton had other ideas. The gap would grow to 3:40 at one stage, but that would be all they could get with Bora-Hansgrohe, Movistar and Groupama-FDJ working on the front.

Woods' day in the breakaway almost came to an early end when he crashed less than 20 kilometres into the day. He would have to change his bike twice as a result of the incident and was left with a gaping tear in the right of his shorts, with only some gauze to keep his modesty. The Canadian also did some damage to his lower right leg in the crash and was well wrapped up by the doctor.

Patched up, he was back in the group of escapees but the peloton always had them in their sights. With 25 kilometres left on the clock, the gap hovered just over a minute. As the peloton loomed close on the approach to the final climb, there were repeated attacks from the escape group. A crash in the middle of the pack on the narrow Alto de Ceal saw a few riders felled and delayed the peloton.

Aranbura struck out from the breakaway but he was soon passed by the stronger De Tier and Woods, with Woods eventually leaving his companion behind at the top of the climb. One by one, the peloton, led by Mitchelton-Scott and then Movistar, picked off the dropped escapees. With 15 kilometres to go, Woods had just over 30 seconds on his chasers. It was a valiant effort from the injured rider but he would be caught less than 500 metres shy of the top of the climb.

Caja Rural were not done and Mas attacked on the descent, sparking a flurry of moves behind him that would drastically reduce the size of the peloton and drop most the sprinters. The roads en-route the finish were twisting and narrow and Kwiatkowski would be one of several riders to fall afoul of them, crashing on a corner in the final 10 kilometres.

Up front, the attacks would continue to come. Herrada jumped clear with just over five kilometres remaining. Several of the general classification favourites would try to follow them, making it another fast and furious finale. As Herrada faded in the final three kilometres, Gallopin bridged the gap and then dropped the Spaniard. The Frenchman pushed on through the last kilometres to take the win, crossing the line five seconds ahead of the chasing group.

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