Stalemate amongst major contenders
Belarusian rider Vasil Kiryienka attacked inside the final two kilometres of today’s second stage of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, surging clear on the descent to the line and then soloing to victory.
The Team Movistar competitor reached the line two seconds clear of a large group of the race favourites, which was led home by Andreas Klöden (Team RadioShack), Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek), Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo Bank SunGard) and last year’s race winner, Chris Horner (Team RadioShack).
Stage one victor Joaquim Rodriguez also finished in this group, but in placing only tenth, he was overtaken on stage placings by Klöden. The German had placed third yesterday and now takes over in the yellow jersey. Rodriguez drops to second while yesterday’s runner-up, Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), is now third.
“I had spent two years without a win,” the day’s winner said afterwards. “It was about time for me after so much work for the team, to whom I want to thank for this victory. I was really close to home [he lives in Pamplona – ed.] and I’m used to these roads during my training rides, so I knew the route to perfection.
“The Movistar Team has four riders at a very high level in this race and that always makes winning easier…we knew how to deal with that advantage. We don’t have a strong leader this season and we have to take chances.”
The Garmin-Cervélo team rode strongly in the buildup towards the final climb, burning up riders such as Daniel Martin and Tom Danielson to drive the pace. However riders from other teams were more prominent on the first category ascent, with former world under 23 champ Fabio Duarte (Geox TMC) being one of the principal aggressors.
Rigoberto Uran (Sky Procycling), Frank Schleck (Leopard Trek) and Horner were others who attacked on the climb, while Vinokourov and Kiryienka were to the fore on the descent.
“I hadn’t expected to attack there, but I saw all riders falling short of energy and I took a strong relay into the descent,” said the latter “I saw that I was gaining some meters and went further and further until the line.”
Early move tries to build sufficient advantage:
The day’s first significant break went away 20 kilometres into the stage when Jurgen Van de Walle (Omega Pharma Lotto), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R La Mondiale) and Mads Christensen (Saxo Bank SunGard) clipped away and opened a 25 second lead. They were chased by Rafael Valls (Geox TMC), but the first riders from the peloton hauled them all back just before the top of the Paso de Larraitz. Amel Moinard (BMC Racing Team) took the prime there, after which a stubborn Valls pushed on ahead again. He was joined by Dario Caldato (Quick Step), Maxim Iglinskiy (Astana) and Moinard, and they crossed the third category Paso de Altzo (km 39) in that order.
Valls was first to the summit of the category one Alto de Azpiroz, 66 kilometres after the drop of the flag. The break then reached its maximum advantage of 5 minutes 45 seconds after 75 kilometres of racing, and fell after that. It was down to one minute 35 seconds 48 kilometres from the line, and dropped more quickly when the Garmin-Cervélo team moved to the front 35 kilometres out. The break was caught three kilometres later.
The Garmin-Cervélo riders continued to set a frantic pace, stringing out the main bunch. Volta a Catalunya podium finisher Dan Martin was one of the most active, the Irishman having lost his own chances of winning the race yesterday when he was delayed on the final climb.
He and the others from the American squad rode hard to pave the way for a possible attack from team-mate Ryder Hesjedal, who had started the stage fifth overall.
Bram Tankink moved onto the front of the shrinking peloton with nine kilometres to go, trying to help set things up for his Rabobank captain Robert Gesink. Garmin-Cervélo took over again very soon afterwards, with Tom Danielson, Christophe Le Mevel and Murilo Fischer being particularly active on the gradually steepening roads. Christian Vande Velde was also close to the front, as was Liquigas-Cannondale rider Ivan Basso.
Scrap for stage victory:
With 5.3 kilometres to go, Fabio Duarte shot off the front and tried to build a lead. The Geox TMC rider held a six second advantage going under the five kilometres to go banner, and continued to build on this.
Rigoberto Uran (Sky) was first of the favourites to attack, and was quickly marked by Vande Velde. The latter’s team-mate Ryder Hesjedal was also close by, but neither responded when Kiryenka surged near the top.
Instead, the Team Movistar rider was followed by Frank Schleck, and this duo went under the four kilometre to go marker just a two seconds behind Duarte. They were joined by last year’s winner Chris Horner, then Uran and several others.
A regrouping gradually took place, with the leaders being absorbed by the chasers with 3.4 kilometres remaining.
On the descent, Vinkourov clipped clear and was joined by Kiryenka. The road flattened out and just after a roundabout with one and a half kilometres remaining, the latter surged ahead. He went under the red kite with a couple of seconds’ lead and continued onwards to take a fine win. Behind, Klöden picked up second in the sprint to the line and took over from Rodriguez in the general classification lead.
He finished second to Frank Schleck in the recent Criterium International and said that he would see how things played out as regards the general classification in Pais Vasco. “We’ll wait and see, I could stay there in a stage that didn’t suit me and I profited from this chance today,” he explained.
“We’re strong and that’s the important thing, but stepping onto the podium in a race like this is really difficult. For the time being, we’ve delivered some of the work we wanted to do. We’re doing this together and that pays off in the final results…I love this team.”