Luis León Sanchez wins Vuelta a Murcia
Valverde, Gilbert complete podium
In a reversal of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Astana's Luis León Sanchez got the better of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) to take the victory in the 209km one-day Vuelta a Murica on Saturday.
Sanchez answered an attack by Valverde with two kilometers remaining before putting in his own move that launched him to a solo victory, while at quite a distance, Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) was third.
"The guys were super today and I have to thank all of them for the huge help," Sanchez said. "In the beginning a big group went away and we had to work the whole day. It was not easy to control this race, but the team did it. In the final I went away together with Valverde. I knew, if we come for a sprint it would be the same situation as it was at Valenciana. So, I knew I have to do something and I saw my chance with 2km to go.
"Anyway, I think this is a team success, not only mine. The team is great these days. At the Volta Valenciana we did a strong race and took two podium places. Now, in Dubail, Magnus was close to the victory too. That’s great!"
Valverde recognized Sanchez' strong start to the season, saying he is doing "really well at the moment". "Even though I myself tried to leave him behind in the finale, he took a strong turn with 2km to go and it caught me out of strength. I'm still happy, though, because my legs continue to feel really well after my injury."
The fireworks kicked off on the Collada Bermejo, a category 1 ascent that crested with 60km to go. As the day's early breakaway was being reeled in, Quick-Step Floors went on the attack, with both Gilbert and Bob Jungels jumping away.
They were reeled in before the unclassified Alto de Gebas, where Astana's Jakob Fuglsang attacked and launched Sanchez up the road with Valverde.
"I knew from the start that Sanchez and Valverde were the most dangerous riders, as they knew the roads, so that is why we tried something different. After 20 kilometers we went away together with a big group and as some riders weren't willing to share the work, we made a selection, followed by two more later in the race. Unfortunately, a strong headwind thwarted our efforts and we couldn't extend the lead," Gilbert said.
What a great day for our team! @LLEONSANCHEZ won #VueltaCiclistaMurcia2018 pic.twitter.com/VqyTeC0tJC
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team | 5:06:35 |
2 | Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:00:15 |
3 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | 0:02:15 |
4 | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott | 0:03:54 |
5 | Pieter Serry (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
6 | Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
7 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors | |
8 | Willie Smit (RSA) Katusha-Alpecin | |
9 | José Joaquin Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team | |
10 | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
11 | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
12 | Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team | |
13 | Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
14 | Felix Grossschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
15 | Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Mitchelton-Scott | |
16 | Enric Mas (Spa) Quick-Step Floors | |
17 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Mitchelton-Scott | |
18 | Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | |
19 | Etienne van Empel (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
20 | Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
21 | Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie | |
22 | Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
23 | Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
24 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors | |
25 | Ryan Anderson (Can) Rally Cycling | |
26 | Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin | |
27 | Luis Guillermo Mas Bonet (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
28 | Diego Rubio Hernandez (Spa) Burgos BH | |
29 | Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-Alpecin | |
30 | Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
31 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
32 | Michael Valgren (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
33 | Nikolai Cherkasov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo | |
34 | Kamil Gradek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
35 | Nick van der Lijke (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
36 | Marco Minnard (Ned) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
37 | Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Floors | |
38 | Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie | |
39 | Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Astana Pro Team | |
OTL | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
OTL | Stijn Steels (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
OTL | Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
OTL | Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
OTL | Antonio Molina Canet (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
OTL | Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
OTL | Robert Britton (Can) Rally Cycling | |
OTL | Nigel Ellsay (Can) Rally Cycling | |
OTL | Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos BH | |
OTL | Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
OTL | Oscar Eduardo Sanchez Guarin (Col) Canel's-Specialized | |
OTL | Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
OTL | Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
OTL | James Mitri (GBr) Burgos-BH | |
OTL | Marc Buades Ferriol (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
OTL | Jon Ander Insausti (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
OTL | Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
OTL | Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
OTL | Mathias Van Gompel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
OTL | Michael Goolaerts (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
OTL | Jorge Cubero Galvez (Spa) Burgos BH | |
OTL | Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
OTL | Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
OTL | Jan Tratnik (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
OTL | Sergei Shilov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo | |
OTL | Adam De Vos (Can) Rally Cycling | |
OTL | Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling | |
OTL | Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
OTL | Jerome Cousin (Fra) Direct Energie | |
OTL | Rein Taaramäe (Est) Direct Energie | |
OTL | Eduardo Francisco Garcia (Spa) Dare Gaviota | |
DNF | Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
DNF | Michael Albasini (Swi) Mitchelton-Scott | |
DNF | Mikel Alonso Flores (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
DNF | Tim Ariesen (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Ibai Azurmendi Sagastibeltza (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
DNF | Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Maxim Belkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin | |
DNF | Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Robbert de Greef (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin | |
DNF | Egoitz Fernandez Ayarzaguena (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
DNF | Alexander Foliforov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo | |
DNF | Ricardo Garcia (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
DNF | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Peio Goikoetxea Goiogana (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
DNF | Hector Gonzales (Spa) Dare Gaviota | |
DNF | Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Evan Huffman (USA) Rally Cycling | |
DNF | Axel Journiaux (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Evgeny Kobernyak (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo | |
DNF | Leon Koch (Ned) Dare Gaviota | |
DNF | Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Dmitriy Kozontchuk (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo | |
DNF | Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Marko Kump (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
DNF | Senne Leysen (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Roman Maikin (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo | |
DNF | José Mendes (Por) Burgos BH | |
DNF | Milan Menten (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
DNF | Mauricio Moreira (Uru) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
DNF | Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling | |
DNF | Jonas Orset (Nor) Dare Gaviota | |
DNF | Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
DNF | Ibai Salas Zorrozua (Spa) Burgos BH | |
DNF | Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
DNF | Enrique Sanz Unzue (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
DNF | Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Michal Schlegel (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
DNF | Mads Würtz Schmidt (Den) Katusha-Alpecin | |
DNF | Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Simon Sellier (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo | |
DNF | Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Nelson Andres Soto Martinez (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
DNF | David Tanner (Aus) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Pablo Torres Muiño (Spa) Burgos BH | |
DNF | Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
DNF | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Jan Willem van Schip (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Carlos Verona (Spa) Mitchelton-Scott | |
DNF | Josu Zabala Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
DNF | Odin Foldvik Eikeland (Nor) Dare Gaviota | |
DNS | Zico Waeytens (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan |
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