Paris (AFP)
Colombian Fernando Gaviria (UAE) won on the 2nd stage of the Tour de Burgos on Wednesday for the first explanation between the best sprinters of the peloton after four months of interruption of the season due to the Covid-19.
In Villadiego, Gaviria surprised the French Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) and the Irish Sam Bennett (Deceuninck) who completed the podium, the Austrian Félix Grossschartner (Bora) kept his leader's jersey.
Perfectly placed by his pilot fish Ramon Sinkeldam and Jacopo Guarnieri, Arnaud Démare was surprised by Gaviria who emerged from the Frenchman's wheel 200 meters from the line.
A success that was far from guaranteed in the morning for Team UAE, including three Colombian riders who did not start this second stage as a health precaution.
The three compatriots of Gaviria were placed in solitary confinement after "contact" with a person who tested positive for Covid-19, their training announced.
A reminder that the peloton, despite the recovery, is running on a tight line: the day before, the Israel SN team had to withdraw, "as a precaution", the Israeli Itamar Einhorn and the Briton Alex Dowsett from the entries.
On Wednesday, the 1.5 km bump (at 5.2% average gradient) placed less than 10 km from the finish was swallowed at full speed by the Bora team to protect Grossschartner and did not allow a striker to try his luck
The arrival of the 3rd stage on Thursday at the top of Picón Blanco (8.5 km at 8.9%) will allow the favorites, including the Belgian prodigy Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck), to create the first big gaps.
© 2020 AFP