Stage and race lead for WorldTour champion
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) has bounced back from being beaten into second place the previous day with victory in stage two in the city of Burgos. The WorldTour champion, who returned to racing last week after sitting out the Tour de France, was the fastest up the short steep 3rd category climb to the finish. He crossed the line three seconds ahead of teammate Daniel Moreno, and seven clear of Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), who had outsprinted him the previous day.
“I’m very happy about this result,” said ‘Purito” afterwards. “Finally, after several brilliant placings, I was able to take this great win that brought me to the first place in general classification.
“The team, today, once again, did an extraordinary work, as witnessed by the Moreno second position,” he added. “We took the race into our hands in the last ten kilometres, where all of my teammates did their best to make this happen.”
The break of the day came when six-day specialist Kenny De Ketele (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) and Etienne Tortelier (Saur-Sojasun) got away in the early kilometres. The two riders were eventually joined by Jordi Simon (Caja Rural) and Carlos Verona (Burgos 2016-Castilla y León) with 30km to go, but the four-rider group was finally caught by the peloton 11km to the finish.
In the final ten kilometres the Katusha team began to assert itself and increase the pace on the seven kilometre finishing loop. On the final climb to the finish Rodriguez and Moreno managed to get clear and, just 500 metres from the finish, Rodriguez went solo to take the stage win alone.
After his second place on the previous day Rodriguez took over the race lead, seven seconds ahead of stage one winner Sanchez.
“Tomorrow we have to confirm this brilliant shape for the team time trial,” said Rodriguez. “The course is short, so I don’t think there will be huge gaps between teams. Anyways, we have to do our best to keep the general classification leadership.”