• Stage 2 This is how we live the victory of Jasper Philipsen

  • Rule change Positive discrimination for sprinters

Among the moors of Burgos, along small resurfaced roads for the

Vuelta

, which makes them evolve from rough roads to comfortable and shiny footbridges, the peloton advances with the fly behind the ear, as wind and the danger of The fans are present in the conjectures of the sports directors, who, pessimistic in nature, order their runners to always be in the lead.

But the wind, which is capricious, does not hit from the side but from the face, less risks, more harshness, although in return the heat gives a small respite, never much above 30 degrees, which in the interior Spain these days seems fresh time.

Once the scene of some relaxation has been established, the day becomes propitious for the unwritten pact of the premieres of the great tours to be fulfilled.

The invited teams receive carte blanche to make up the getaway so that their sponsors see their investment profitable.

Options for the humble

Are making way the

Euskaltel Xabier Mikel Azparren

, the

Caja Rural Sergio Román Martín

and

Burgos Diego Rubio

, who feels extra pressure, because runs at home these early days in the Burgos province, which will

reach its climax on Monday with the first arrival Picón Blanco aloft, a classic of the Vuelta a Burgos that his older sister premieres in this edition of 2021. That is why Rubio decides to end the day alone, saying goodbye to his two partners 31 kilometers from the finish to have another 11 in the than to show off without company.

Rubio knows and everyone else knows that his future is written, that this Sunday was not a day for the bells, but for the sprinters to correspond to the ration of affection that the organization has prepared for this edition. Accustomed to being the 'ugly ducklings' of the race, the Vuelta has chosen this year to increase the massive arrivals and to make life easier for them in the face of qualifying for regularity, to that green jersey that by tradition belongs to them but that had remained reserved in recent years for the best in the general classification.

In a strange year for the sprinter profession, with some of the best facing their teams or conditioned by external factors, the payroll of those who have attended the Vuelta has a higher pedigree than it seems at first glance. Perhaps it misses

Ewan, Cavendish

and

Merlier

, but the last two have been conveniently replaced by their deputies swords, guys who threaten their hegemony.

One of them is

Fabio Jakobsen

, rehabilitated for cycling after his very serious fall last year in Poland, in which his life was put on hold. The other is

Jasper Philipsen

, the cursed runner from the last Tour, accumulating three second places and three third places, so very close to glory, so far in turn, because history only remembers the winners and treats the second with the same carelessness than the last.

The 'volatas' of this Vuelta are called to be a fight between the two, with guests like

Matthews

,

Molano

and the indolent

Démare

, in addition to

Aberasturi

and his courage. And so it happens at the first opportunity, on an immense 1.5-kilometer straight through the Gamonal neighborhood, where the goal is located after 166 kilometers of effort. Molano launches the arrival, Philipsen chooses the left side and Jakobsen the right and in that distance they measure one and the other, obtaining the glory of the Belgian.

Philipsen

thus scores his second victory in the Vuelta, after the one he achieved last year in La Puebla de Sanabria, and gives his team,

Alpecin

, a striking record: they have managed to win the first 'sprint' of the big three returns this year.

Tim Merlier

had done it at the Giro and the Tour and his compatriot completed the trilogy.

His work in this Vuelta is already done when he has barely started.

Not bad.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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  • Back to Spain

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