Sabiñánigo (Spain) (AFP)
Belgian Tim Wellens won in the 5th stage of the Tour of Spain on Saturday in Sabinanigo (Aragon), a first foray into the Pyrenees without danger for leader Primoz Roglic.
The Lotto puncher settled in the sprint in the final bump his two breakaway companions, the Frenchman Guillaume Martin and the Dutchman Thymen Arensman.
"I had a big fall a few months ago (in training, shortly before the Tour de France, editor's note), it took me a long time to get back in shape, Wellens said. the team was to win in the Vuelta, it's good that it happens quite quickly ".
Already winner of two stages on the Giro, in 2016 and then 2018, the Belgian signed his first success in the Vuelta and his first victory in more than a year.
As expected, the profile of this mid-mountain stage, 184 kilometers between Huesca and Sabinanigo, was favorable to backpackers without creating gaps between favorites.
The red jersey Primoz Roglic nevertheless took the opportunity to grab a few seconds from its opponents, including four from Richard Carapaz, accelerating in the very last hectometers of the stage which ended with a short climb.
"I had seen before the start that there was a rather tough final, explained Roglic, beaten in the Tour de France. You have to try to mark your territory, it's very good to take a few seconds".
The final was also marked by a fall in the last corner where the Irishman Dan Martin and the Frenchman David Gaudu went to earth, without apparent gravity.
Wellens isolated himself at the front just over 70 kilometers from the finish with Thymen Arensman, a 20-year-old Dutch prospect recruited by Sunweb this summer.
Guillaume Martin, who was already a member of the first breakaway of the day, resumed shortly before the offensive of the Benelux duo, made the effort to join the tandem transformed into a trio.
But Martin could not do anything against the punch of Tim Wellens 150 meters from the line.
Arensman, second in the Tour de l'Avenir 2018, at only 18 years old, behind a certain Tadej Pogacar, had previously tried to surprise the other two fugitives by attacking under the red flame, without success.
© 2020 AFP