Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez sealed his first overall victory in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco with a cracking final time trial, improving from second overall to first in today’s tricky 18.9 kilometre test.
The Euskaltel Euskadi rider overcame his nine second deficit to Katusha’s Joaquim Rodriguez, thriving in the wet, slippery conditions to post the fastest time. He covered the distance in 28 minutes and 48 seconds, beating Rabobank’s Bauke Mollema by six seconds and world time trial champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma Quick Step) by seven.
Overnight race leader Rodriguez pulled out arguably the best time trial of his career to pick up sixth place but, unfortunately for the Katusha rider, that wasn’t enough. Sanchez’s effort put him thirteen seconds ahead in the final overall classification, with his rival dropping to second overall. Mollema slotted into third, 42 seconds back, while Damiano Cunego’s fifth place earned him fourth overall.
Martin, who some felt could win the race overall with a strong effort, was not at his best and was unable to make up the difference. He ended the WorldTour race fifth, 54 seconds back and one place ahead of Sky Procycling’s Lars Petter Nordhaug.
Sanchez’s Euskaltel Euskadi team has an uncertain future after this year due to sponsorship issues. In taking this win in its home race, he gave its chances of securing a new deal a boost. It remains to be seen if it will be enough.
“The time trial was dangerous for everyone,” he said, when asked about the conditions. “Whether or not you pull the brakes is a question for each rider. This is not just a victory for me, but also one for the team. Euskaltel Euskadi is a small team but we have a lot of passion.”
Rodriguez might have been expected to be disappointed, but he said the opposite was the case. He started as race leader but in quotes yesterday, said that a place on the podium was his goal; he clearly knew there was a danger that Sanchez would overhaul him, and knew that he could be battling for second or third overall.
"I'm very happy with my performance,” he declared. “I'm not a specialist of races against the clock but I think I'm improving and this result proves it it. That's obviously good news for big stage races.
“Unfortunately, Sanchez today was really great: he knows these routes very well, he's more used to time trials than I am, he did a great performance. Anyways, I had good feelings: I didn't do my best in downhills, also because the road was slippery and it was not worth the risk.”
Martin also acknowledged the danger, saying that he wasn’t impressed by the nature of the time trial. “There were dangerous roads, dangerous for the whole race,” he said shortly after finishing. “I don’t understand it.”
In contrast, Mollema wasn’t perturbed. He gave his thoughts after going faster than the German, and had a different attitude. “I am really happy,” he said, referring to what was the fastest time of the day at that point. “I went fast into the corners…I took some risk, but it was worth it,” he said. “It was dangerous, but for me who has the fastest time, it is no problem!”
Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t fast enough to fend off Sanchez. Still, second on the stage and a place on the final podium is a strong result, and one he can be pleased about.
Blow by blow:
The riders had a flat out effort for the concluding stage of the race, an 18.9 kilometre time trial which was technically demanding and required both skill and caution.
This was highlighted even more by the fact that the test would be run off in very wet conditions. Starting and finishing in Oñati, the riders had to cover the distance as quickly as possible but also ensure they didn’t end up hitting the deck.
Early on, GreenEdge rider Travis Meyer showed that he was riding very strongly when he clocked a very quick time at the intermediate checks. He finished with the early best time, a minute and a half clear of RadioShack’s Ben King and BMC Racing Team’s Yannick Eijssen.
His namesake and team-mate Christian Meier also came through with a good time, but finished 47 seconds back for second place. This time was then improved by Jens Voigt (RadioShack), who was just 25 seconds slower.
Meanwhile Rabobank’s Stef Clement was riding very strongly, being just three seconds behind Meyer at the intermediate check. Sure enough, he reached the finish in a time of 29 minutes 10 seconds, improving on the best time by two seconds. It bumped Meyer down to second and Voigt to third.
Ag2r La Mondiale’s Maxime Bouet came through strongly and displaced the German, clocking a time thirteen seconds off the best. GreenEdge’s Daryl Impey finished just two seconds further back, slotting into fourth.
One of the riders to watch was the multiple Italian time trial champion Marco Pinotti, who was wearing the green jersey of intermediate sprints leader. The BMC Racing Team rider was making strong progress, placing just three seconds behind Meyer at the halfway point, and raced on to finish with the quickest time. He clocked 29 minutes and 3 seconds, seven seconds faster than Clement.
All eyes were on Tony Martin, who was out on the course and being given plenty of attention from the TV crews, who expected him to be one of the day’s top riders He did go best, but his time was just eight seconds quicker than Pinotti. Given that the Italian was on the attack yesterday, it showed that he is back in very good form after his fracture in last year’s Giro.
Martin wasn’t happy after the test, complaining about the danger of the course. His time was vulnerable and when Mollema went six seconds quicker at the first checkpoint, 9.8 kilometres after the start, it was clear an upset could happen.
Sure enough, the Rabobank rider went fastest, beating Martin by a second at the finish.
Battle for yellow:
By this point in time, both Sanchez and Rodriguez were on the road and waging their battle. The latter floored it on the cobblestone-covered hill after the start, seeking to make up some time there. He’s not known as a good time trial rider, but said before the stage that he felt he had a chance due to the technical nature of the course, plus the undulations.
He danced out of the pedals, willing the bike upwards, while ahead Sanchez looked very focused. Riding with a good position, he whipped the pedals around and was clearly on a good time. He went through the intermediate check at 9.8 km with the second-fastest mark, being just behind Mollema but ahead of Martin.
Knowing that there was little room for manoeuvre, the Katusha rider was himself completely committed. In contrast to some anonymous time trials in the past, he was going better than many expected. He came though in tenth place at the first check; that was encouraging, but what wasn’t was the fact that he was already sixteen seconds behind the fastest time, putting him out of the race lead by seven seconds.
Sanchez continued to battle onwards, edging a little further ahead with each pedalstroke on Rodriguez. With three kilometres to go he was nineteen seconds ahead. The race leader tried to respond, attacking the climbs and punching the pedals around in trying to get back on terms, but it was a difficult task.
Sanchez is known as a rider who is quick on descents and also takes quite a few risks, and he pulled out everything on the final drop down to the finish.
In contrast to the Spaniard’s speed, the rider who had started ahead of him was not enjoying the experience. Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) was fighting to keep third overall, but it wasn’t working out. He placed only 30th, one minute and eight seconds back from Mollema. It meant that he would drop to eleventh overall by the end.
Sanchez was heading the opposite direction in the GC and screamed in to the finish, beating Mollema by six seconds and jumping to the top of the leaderboard. Rodriguez was the only rider left to finish and gave it everything, but it was a lost cause.
Although he kept the pressure on until the end, he finished back in sixth, 22 seconds down and – consequently – out of the jersey.
It was a disappointing end to the race for the fans but, as his post-race comments show, he was more encouraged by his TT improvements than upset by the GC result.
Others had something to celebrate, with Sanchez also taking the points classification, Pinotti the intermediate sprints award and Mads Christensen (Saxo Bank) the mountains classification.
Rodriguez’s Katusha was best of the teams, beating Sky Procycling by two seconds.