Fighting for every second prior to tomorrow’s concluding time trial, race leader Joaquin Rodriguez took his second straight stage victory in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco. The Katusha rider went clear with closest rival Samuel Sanchez with just over three kilometres remaining of the stage to Oñati, attacking on a short climb to gap the other general classification contenders.
The duo caught solo leader Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) very soon afterwards, then plunged down a descent with two and a half kilometres to go. Sanchez got a lead on the slippery twists and turns but Rodriguez gradually got back up to him. He then jumped hard heading into the final left hand corner with approximately 400 metres remaining, sprinting home to win.
Sanchez finished half a length behind, shaking his head at missing out.
"Today it was a crazy stage,” a pleased Rodriguez said. “The group kept an incredible pace, many riders had an interest in the stage and general classification: in fact, the breakaway started quite late in the race.
“I did my best because I knew I could win and, most of all, I had to: I felt strong, I wanted to keep the leader's jersey and gain as many seconds as I could before tomorrow's individual time trial. In the last kilometres I left the responsibility to Sanchez: I think he has some chance to win the overall standings.”
Kiserlovski came in two seconds behind them, while Vasili Kiryienka and Lars Petter Nordhaug were best of the chasers, crossing the line a further three seconds behind.
Michele Scarponi and Damiano Cunego (both Lampre ISD) were also in the top ten, while Tom Danielson (Garmin Barracuda) was best of the Americans in fourteenth.
As for world time trial champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma Quick Step), a rider tipped before the stage as a contender for the overall victory, the German rode on the front as the group hit that last climb. He appeared to want to show his rivals that he was feeling good and was in control, but the display was a waste of energy.
He quickly slipped back when the road became steeper and the climbers pushed forward. He went on to cross the line 22nd, 23 seconds back. American rider Chris Horner (RadioShack) was one place behind him.
With tomorrow’s 18.9 kilometre time trial set to wind things up, Rodriguez has a nine second lead over Sanchez and 26 on Kiserlovski. Horner has left himself with a lot to do from tenth, being 44 seconds behind, while Martin has an even bigger task as he’s 56 seconds back in seventeenth.
Rodriguez has gained confidence, but he’s insists the race is not over. “After today's performance, I think it will be a little easier to reach the final podium,” he said. “I gained some seconds, but even if it's not a classic race against the clock, with many downhills, it will be hard for me to keep the lead of the competition, even if obviously I'll do my best.”
There’s several riders who are close enough to strike, and there’s one in particular that he doesn’t rule out. “Tony Martin is 56 seconds back, but let's not forget he's the time trial world champion.”
Blow by blow:
The rain-lashed stage from Bera de Bidasoa to Oñati had five climbs on the agenda; the third category climbs of the Alto Gurutze (km 20.7) and the Alto de Meagas (km 67.3) preceded a tougher finale. This featured the second category Alto de Elosua (km 102.3), the third cat Alto de Deskarga (km 120) and the Alto de Asentzio (km 159), a second category climb which came 24 kilometres from the end.
The finale would also include an uncategorized ramp which would end approximately two and a half kilometres from the end; this would influence the final outcome.
There was a rapid start, with several riders trying to get away, but things initially remaining largely together. BMC Racing Team rider Marco Pinotti took the first climb, the third category Alto de Gurutze (km 20.7), then Gorka Izagirre (Euskaltel Euskadi) was first to the top of the Alto de Meagas (km 67.3).
Under heavy rain, a group slipped clear approximately eighty kilometres after the start. It started with four riders, Benoit Vaugrenard (FDJ BigMat), Diego Ulissi (Lampre ISD), Kevin De Weert (Omega Pharma Quick Step), Hernani Broco (Caja Rural), then soon after these were reinforced by a dozen others: Jorge Azanza and Gorka Izagirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi), David López (Movistar), Jens Voigt (RadioShack Nissan), Eduard Vorganov and Yuri Trofimov (Katusha), Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil), Tanel Kangert (Astana), Jose Cayetano Sarmiento (Liquigas Cannondale), Michael Albasini (GreenEdge), Adriano Malori (Lampre ISD) and Fabian Wegmann (Garmin Barracuda).
The sixteen had a gap of over five minutes after 95 kilometres of racing, but by the top of the category two Alto de Elosua (km 102.3), where Ulissi was first, the bunch had drawn closer. The gap over the Sky Procycling-led peloton was down to a minute and a half 73 kilometres from the end. They were caught soon after on the Alto de Deskarga, the second category climb taken by Ulissi.
The next move was sparked off 57 kilometres from the end when Davide Appollonio (Sky Procycling), Damiano Caruso (Liquigas Cannondale) and Adriano Malori (Lampre ISD) clipped away, then were joined by six more. The others were Pinotti, Robert Kiserlovski and Evgeni Petrov (Astana), Dominik Nerz (Liquigas Cannondale), David Arroyo (Movistar) and Jesus Hernandez (Saxo Bank).
It struggled to gain serious time and with 37 kilometres left, they were 25 seconds ahead of the Katusha-led peloton. Concerned, Kiserlovski clipped away on the second category Alto de Asentzio, starting a solo bid for success. Pinotti, Hernandez and Malori chased behind, with the other breakaway riders scattered back to the bunch.
Behind, Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel Euskadi) tried to get clear and gain time over the rider ahead of him in the general classification, Joaquim Rodriguez (Euskaltel Euskadi). The move was covered, however.
Kiserlovski was riding very strongly and continued to hold off the Pinotti/Hernandez/Malori group. With ten kilometres to go, he was 25 seconds ahead of them and a further ten seconds up on the peloton. The others were caught seven kilometres from the line.
Kiserlovski continued well and still had a 30 second lead with four kilometres to go. However his chances took a blow when the road pitched upwards there. He fought the climb, rising out of the saddle and forcing the pedals around, but the bunch drew closer.
Behind, Tony Martin (Omega Pharma Quick Step) moved to the front and pushed the pace, seeking to show that he was strong enough to resist attacks prior to tomorrow’s time trial.
However the tactic was ill-advised as he quickly slipped backwards when the road became steeper and the lighter riders moved forward.
Race leader Rodriguez needed to gain time over the time trialists and he and Samuel Sanchez attacked hard with just over three kilometres to go. They caught Kiserlovski very soon afterwards, just before the road started to drop down towards the finish.
Unsurprisingly, given his reputation as a descender, Sanchez quickly got a gap over the other two. Rodriguez led the chase but with the roads slippery, didn’t take too many chances. Despite that, he was able to get back to the Euskaltel Euskadi rider with 1.6 kilometres remaining. Kiserlovski was dropped.
The two leaders headed under the kite together, but only had a small lead over the chasers behind. They hurtled in to the final 500 metres, Kiserlovski close behind, then Rodriguez jumped hard before the final corner, got a slight lead, then blasted out the other side and grabbed the win.
Sanchez finished just behind him, with Kiserlovski two seconds back and the first chasers a further five seconds behind.