País Vasco: Landa wins penultimate stage
Henao keeps race lead ahead of final time trial
Mikel Landa (Astana) won stage 5 of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco from Eibar to Aia with a well-timed and powerful attack on the final climb.
The Spaniard helped form a 30-rider break in the opening hour of the stage and broke free with Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Tom Danielson (Cannondale-Garmin) and teammate Rein Taaramae (Astana) on the final of three ascents of the Aia but dropped his companions inside the final kilometre. Wellens held on for second with Danielson in third.
In the race for the overall Sergio Henao (Team Sky) finished alongside Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) to retain his leader’s jersey. Nairo Quintana, however, was dropped in the closing stages and lost time to his nearest rivals.
How it unfolded
The first hour of the stage saw a large group break away and establish a lead of over four minutes, including Bruno Pires, Chris Anker Sorensen (Tinkoff), Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing), Giovanni Visconti, Igor Antón (Movistar Team), Carlos Betancur, Matteo Montaguti, Mikael Cherel (AG2R La Mondiale), Daryl Impey (Orica), Sébastien Reichenbach (IAM), Nick Van Der Lijke (LottoNL), Mikel Landa, Valerio Agnoli, Rein Taaramae (Astana), Tony Gallopin, Louis Vervaeke, Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Tony Martin, David De la Cruz (Etixx-Quick Step), Matteo Bono, Valerio Conti (Lampre-Merida), Tom Jelte Slagter, Tom Danielson (Cannondale-Garmin), Julian Arredondo, Laurent Didier (Trek), Omar Fraile, Antonio Molina, Amets Txurruka (Caja Rural-RGA), Yohan Bagot, Romain Hardy and Rudy Molard (Cofidis).
Team Sky and Katusha set about holding the break at a reasonable gap but with nine categorised climbs, including three lung-busting efforts up the final ascent to Aia, the break had to work through the day.
The harmony lasted until the first ascent up to Aia. By then the peloton were stretched out and at full throttle and the fight for positioning saw Trek Factory Racing’s Bauke Mollema and Fränk Schleck crash. Both were able to remount but a long chase ensued with Team Sky setting a relentless pace at the front of the peloton. Mollema would lose his top 10 standing by the end of the day.
On the Alkiza the gap had held at four minutes and by the time the Andazarrate was crested the leaders had lost another minute. Philippe Gilbert launched a speculative but ultimately fruitless attack and with 28 kilometres to go the gap was reduced to two minutes.
Vervaeke was the first to kick-off the attacks from the lead group with his teammates Wellens and Gallopin both well positioned. Lotto’s aggression came from a desire to shed the break of as many passengers as possible but it was Astana’s Taaramae who launched the most significant attack on the first ascent to the finish.
The Astana rider kicked clear just as the gradient pitched out at over 20 per cent and with elbows out and back hunched over his bars, he lurched to the summit with a small gap on the chase.
Lotto sprung into life on the descent with the Paris-Nice combo of Wellens and Gallopin latching onto the leader. Landa and Danielson made it a party of five soon after.
Back in the field, Michal Kwiatkowski, attacked with a dash of tactical improvisation, cutting through the remnants of the break before allowing Tony Martin to drag him closer to the leaders, and away from the yellow jersey. Having started the day 30 seconds off the leader’s jersey the Pole was a genuine threat to Henao but on the penultimate ascent to Aia his renegade attack began to falter as Movistar and Katusha drilled home their superior climbing prowess.
At the front of the race the leaders hit the final brutal climb with Gallopin already running on fumes and he was instantly dispatched with Danielson taking over at the front.
The veteran looked in control as he led up the steep banks lined with fans but with less than a few hundred meters to go Landa struck out. Danielson was forced to concede, first to the Spaniard and then to Wellens.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Astana Pro Team | 4:06:01 |
2 | Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:03 |
3 | Thomas Danielson (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:16 |
4 | Rein Taaramae (Est) Astana Pro Team | 0:00:28 |
5 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:38 |
6 | Simon Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdge | 0:00:53 |
7 | Sergio Luis Henao (Col) Team Sky | 0:00:56 |
8 | Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:01:05 |
10 | Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:06 |
11 | Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:01:08 |
12 | Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 | Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 0:01:11 |
15 | Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:01:14 |
16 | Ion Izagirre (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:22 |
20 | Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:26 |
22 | Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:37 |
23 | Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:01:44 |
24 | David Lopez (Spa) Team Sky | 0:01:51 |
25 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Team Katusha | 0:01:58 |
26 | Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:02:07 |
27 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing | 0:02:11 |
28 | Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre-Merida | 0:02:18 |
29 | Amets Txurruka (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 0:02:24 |
30 | Pello Bilbao (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 0:02:29 |
31 | Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:02:34 |
32 | Yohan Bagot (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
33 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:02:38 |
34 | Igor Anton (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:02:43 |
35 | Jose Rodolfo Serpa (Col) Lampre-Merida | 0:02:50 |
36 | Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:02:56 |
37 | Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica GreenEdge | 0:02:59 |
38 | Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica GreenEdge | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 0:03:05 |
41 | Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Rudy Molard (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:03:12 |
43 | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team | 0:03:37 |
44 | George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:03:41 |
45 | Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:43 |
46 | Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Mikel Nieve (Spa) Team Sky | 0:03:55 |
48 | Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Trek Factory Racing | 0:04:01 |
49 | Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | David Arroyo (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:04:26 |
53 | Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:04:27 |
54 | Jonathan Fumeaux (Swi) IAM Cycling | 0:04:37 |
55 | Andre Cardoso (Por) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
58 | Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:04:41 |
60 | Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:04:53 |
61 | Valerio Conti (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:05:01 |
62 | Clement Chevrier (Fra) IAM Cycling | 0:05:34 |
63 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | 0:05:51 |
64 | Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek Factory Racing | 0:05:54 |
65 | Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:06:01 |
66 | Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica GreenEdge | 0:06:14 |
67 | Bruno Pires (Por) Tinkoff-Saxo | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica GreenEdge | 0:07:47 |
69 | Carlos Betancur (Col) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
70 | Nick Van Der Lijke (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:07:55 |
71 | Nathan Brown (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:08:00 |
72 | Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | 0:08:12 |
73 | Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) IAM Cycling | 0:08:46 |
74 | Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Sky | 0:08:53 |
75 | Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
76 | Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:08:57 |
77 | Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 0:09:10 |
78 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | 0:09:21 |
79 | Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky | 0:09:37 |
80 | Matej Mohoric (Slo) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:10:04 |
81 | Frank Schleck (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | 0:10:28 |
82 | José Herrada (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
83 | Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
84 | Sergey Lagutin (Rus) Team Katusha | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
85 | Benat Intxausti (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
86 | Lawrence Warbasse (USA) IAM Cycling | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
87 | Michal Golas (Pol) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:10:32 |
88 | Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:10:40 |
89 | Lawson Craddock (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin | 0:10:51 |
90 | Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
91 | Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | 0:10:53 |
92 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:11:16 |
93 | Kevin De Weert (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
94 | Mario Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida | 0:11:20 |
95 | Fabricio Ferrari Barcelo (Uru) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
96 | Omar Fraile (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 0:11:26 |
97 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:11:30 |
98 | Hugh Carthy (GBr) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
99 | Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
100 | Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
101 | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:11:39 |
102 | Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
103 | Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 102 - Cell 2 |
104 | Anthony Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
105 | Alexander Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:11:47 |
106 | Eduard Beltran (Col) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:11:58 |
107 | Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Lampre-Merida | 0:12:08 |
108 | Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ.fr | 0:12:14 |
109 | Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 108 - Cell 2 |
110 | Maxim Belkov (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:12:18 |
111 | Xabier Zandio Echaide (Spa) Team Sky | 0:12:20 |
112 | David De La Cruz (Spa) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:12:28 |
113 | Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:12:47 |
114 | Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 113 - Cell 2 |
115 | Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 0:13:29 |
116 | Antonio Molina (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 0:14:03 |
117 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | 0:14:13 |
118 | Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 0:15:39 |
119 | Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:18:28 |
120 | Joseph Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team | 0:18:38 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Astana Pro Team | 25 | pts |
2 | Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 20 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Thomas Danielson (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 16 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Rein Taaramae (Est) Astana Pro Team | 14 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal | 12 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Simon Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdge | 10 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Sergio Luis Henao (Col) Team Sky | 9 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha | 8 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 7 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 6 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Etixx - Quick-Step | 5 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha | 4 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team | 3 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 2 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Team Katusha | 1 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Amets Txurruka (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 3 | pts |
2 | Thomas Danielson (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 2 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Omar Fraile (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 1 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |