Joseba Beloki
knows a lot about cycling and transmits it wonderfully.
He is passionate about his job.
La Vuelta asked him to design a stage and the Gipuzkoan had no other idea than to propose a double climb to Orduña and a final downhill to Villanueva de Valdegovía, a small rural municipality in Álava.
A hard course, without rest, like the Belgian classics.
An ideal setting for this Tour of permanent surprises.
A round for the brave, like
Alejandro Valverde
, who today sought victory and leadership with a distant attack.
The grandfather, in an excellent exercise of determination, was left without the partial victory, which was achieved by Canadian
Michael Woods
.
The Murcian is a great claim for the Vuelta, which today confirmed the absence of positives in the anti Covid-19 controls carried out on the rest day.
The bubble, for the moment, more effective than the Tour and Giro.
Jumbo and Movistar stood up to
Richard Carapaz's
Ineos
from the start of Vitoria, by putting Valverde,
Carlos Verona
,
José Joaquín Rojas
,
Sepp Kuss
and
George Bennett
in the macro leak (about thirty runners) of the day, where they also met People of great quality came in:
Guillaume Martin
(Cofidis),
Kenny Elissonde
(Trek-Segafredo),
Omar Fraile
(Astana),
Michael Woods
(Education Firs),
Tim Wellens
(Lotto Soudal),
Jose Herrada
(Cofidis),
Romain Sicard
(Total Direct Energie) or
Mikel Nieve
(Mitchelton Scott).
LAND OF AMBUSHES
Roglic, when throwing his gregarious in front, wanted to convey the message that what happened in Formigal was something accidental, without excessive relevance for the future, as he had already warned when leaving Vitoria: "On Sunday I had problems putting on my raincoat, there was a cut and I was behind. So I had to spend a lot to get back into the group and in the end I lost a few seconds. There is a
lot ahead of us
. We just need to do our best every day and see how it goes. "
The route, as Beloki had already pointed out, was conducive to ambushes.
Valverde, before facing the last climb to Orduña, left, together with
Dorian Godon
(AG2R) and
Stan Dewulf
(Lotto), the company of the escapees.
The Murcian was close to achieving a three-minute income and being a virtual leader.
Much credit to the veteran of the Vuelta, who in this strange season has not yet achieved a victory.
Since August 30, 2019, on the seventh day of the Vuelta, he has not found victory again.
COURAGE RECITAL
The former world champion on the road has already pointed out ambitious intentions in Formigal and today he offered a recital of courage.
His initiative put everyone in check.
The pursuers pressed to hunt him down in the absence of 30 kilometers and the group of favorites began to reduce the distance to 1.37 before the start of the port, near
the Nervión river
.
In an entertaining battle of strategies, the Ineos was decomposing.
Carapaz could only count on the help of
Van Baarle
and
Amador
.
The Costa Rican was phenomenal in the last part of the stage.
Ahead there were 24 kilometers without truce.
Woods left and Valverde led the capture.
Huge wear from Murcia, who went over the top with a 1.55 advantage over Carapaz's group.
On the descent, the Canadian was neutralized by the Spanish, Fraile, Martin and Peters.
The Movistar boss
attacked again with five kilometers to go, without leaving everything for the sprint.
But in the end, Woods sped up to score a victory that Valverde fought tirelessly for.
He was third, behind Fraile.
Extraordinary play culminated with a shot to the post.
Pity.
Carapaz endured and will wear the red jersey again this Wednesday, in a new appointment for climbers, with a 164-kilometer stage that starts in Logroño and ends in Alto de
Moncalvillo
, an unprecedented 11-kilometer pass.
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Alava
Logroño
sports
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