The third stage of Itzulia adorns Axel Laurance’s record. The Ineos cyclist was faster than Igor Arrieta (UAE) in the complicated arrival to Basauri, which in its last kilometer included a ramp with up to 12% gradient. Laurance raised his winner’s arms in Basozelai after measuring Arrieta’s initial start. The Itzulia reaches its equator with the young Frenchman Paul Seixas as the dominator. The Basque round still has the stages ending in Galdakao – a day designed by Igor Antón -, the queen day in Eibar and the finale in Bergara.
Paradoxes of destiny, street on which the goal was built is parallel to that of Doctor Landa…At the beginning of the day, Soudal announced that the Alava cyclist had to abandon the race due to the damage caused after the accident caused by one of the race’s medical cars. J.urgen Foré, manager of the Belgian team, showed his anger for the situation. The Soudal executive, in statements to Niewsblad, highlighted that “it is something desperate. We do everything possible to guarantee security and then things like this happen and you have to endure the consequences.”
During Just over an hour, the journey with beginning and end in Basauri had the peloton moving at 47km/h because the getaway that all the teams had planned did not end up taking shape. The efforts of both parties did not bear fruit. He cutoff occurred 90 kilometers from the finish linewhen fourteen runners grouped together Those who had already climbed the Barrerilla were joined by Euskaltel Bizkarra and Lastra, the first of them, at 36 years of age, the oldest of the getaway.
By then, the race had already lost Isaac del Toro. The UAE cyclist fell to the ground a few kilometers earlier and was the worst injured in a fall in which more riders were affected. The Mexican tried to continue, but after a few kilometers he stopped his bicycle again. He exchanged impressions with Matxín and they decided that it was best to get off Itzulia. The Ensenada Corridor He had damage to his hip and right leg.
The 16 at the top continued their work with the sun beating down and the temperature was around 27 degrees at the start of Bikotzgane. The escapees faced the second category port with an advantage of almost a minute and a half over a peloton in which there were several teams that were visible in the hope that they would fall in time to compete for the stage victory.
Van der Lee (EFE) He wanted to get rhythm on the toughest ramps in the port (14%), But in such a large group and with so much opportunity it was not going to be easy to get away. Igor Arrieta (UAE) took the top points and together with Axel Laurance (INEOS) also stood out in Sarasola. Behind, in the peloton, the one who did show wear and tear was Juan Ayuso, who already confirmed in Bikotzgane that the scene was for other protagonists.
Third stage classifications.
Arrieta and Laurance kept their distance in an agonizing way because five kilometers from a dessert that threatened to choke, the distance was no more than 50 seconds. After the Zaratamo up and down, the vigilance was maximum with the doubt of how his legs would respond to the Basozelai ramp compared to the 10 that came from behind. The stage that Seixas left empty ended up in Laurance’s drawerwho was under-23 road world champion three years ago. Itzulia continues speaking French.