Damiano Cunego abandoned today's fifth stage of the Tour of the Basque Country after less than 25 kilometers. Cunego suffered from intestinal problems during the night and had not recovered enough to get through the stage. Cunego was quite tired in the morning, after having been awake most of the night. A virus is suspected for the Lampre rider.
The rest of the Lampre team had a better day. David Loosli was part of a ten-man move that formed shortly after Cunego said 'bye' to the race. Loosli was very active in the break and even spend some time solo on the front. Despite the break being caught with 20 kilometers to go, at the alto de Aia, Lampre continued to do well.
Francesco Gavazzi finished in sixth place, in a select group including riders like Andy Schleck and Jurgen Van den Broeck. Sports director Brent Copeland was very impressed with Gavazzi's showing. "This was another great proof of Gavazzi's qualities," Copeland said. "Francesco came over the final climbs, with gradients exceeding 20 percent, really well. To arrive with the best riders and hanging on during the tough final [is great]."
Copeland did not want to have the Swiss teammate go unnoticed. "I also applaud the attack from Loosli." Things were less funny for his captain. "In the first hour, the average speed was 49.8 km/h. That was too big of an obstacle. The problems that Damiano had left him with too little energy, so leaving the race was inevitable."