Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 – Stage 1a [Highlights]

February 18, 2015

Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 – Stage 1a – La Rábida – Hinojos : 118,3 km

First run in 1925, but then with a 30 year gap before its next edition in the mid 1950s, this year’s six-stage, five-day Vuelta a Andalucia has three main difficulties. First is a short, highly technical time trial on the second sector of the opening split stage on Wednesday, February 18, followed by two challenging first category summit finishes, the 16.7 kilometre Alto de Hazallanas on Friday’s stage three and the Alto de Allanadas on stage four.

Pim Ligthart (Lotto-Soudal) emerged from a crash-marred finale to claim victory on the opening split stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia and take the overall lead ahead of the afternoon time trial.

The consensus beforehand was that John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) would be the man to beat on the slightly uphill finishing straight but Ligthart had the nous to take advantage of the confusion in the closing two kilometres in Hinojos.

By that point, crashes had reduced to head of the peloton to around 20 riders or so and, sensing a decided lack of support for the remaining sprinters, Ligthart opted to take his chance with a shade under 1500 metres remaining and he duly ghosted off the front.

“I attacked on a big turn to the right, maybe 1.3, 1.4 kilometres from the end,” Ligthart explained afterwards. “There was a small group that formed at that point but there was no control after the big crash anymore so I had my chance, I managed it and that was great.”

Ligthart finished two seconds clear of Fabio Silvestre (Trek Factory Racing), Grega Bole (CCC Sprandi) and a dissonant group of chasers to take the stage honours. Tyler Farrar (MTN-Qhubeka) had to settle for 5th place, while Degenkolb had too much ground to make up in the final kilometre and rolled home in 11th place.

Sky’s Chris Froome and Peter Kennaugh, as well as Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) were all carefully positioned near the front and out of harm’s way in the finale, and they all reached the finish in the front group. Crucially for Ligthart, however, Degenkolb, Farrar et al were without support.

“I looked around and saw there were only 20 guys left with no control,” Ligthart said. “There was only Team Sky and Contador had some guys with him too, but the rest were alone. I thought if I go now, I’ve got a chance, and I wouldn’t have that if I have to sprint against Degenkolb and those guys.”

The stage was animated by an early break featuring Reinier Honig (Roompot), Christopher Jones (Unitedhealthcare), Ibai Salas (Burgos) and Aleksandr Komin (Rusvelo), but they were pegged back by Movistar’s chase efforts. Sander Helven (Topsport Vlaanderen) then launched a doomed solo attack, but it seemed as though the bunch sprint was inevitable on the run-in Hinojos, only for crashes to change the complexion of the race.

Ligthart’s victory is a continuation of his fine start to the 2015 campaign. The former Dutch champion began the year on a high with victory at the season-opening Grand Prix La Marseillaise and he followed that up with a solid showing at Étoile de Bessèges, where he helped teammates Kris Boeckmans and Tony Gallopin take stage wins.

“This is a really good start to the season with the GP Marseillaise and now here, I can say that my pre-season is already great,” Lighthart said, though he took a pragmatic view of his chances of defending the overall lead in Wednesday afternoon’s 8.2km time trial in Coria del Río, near Seville.

“My chances of defending the lead this afternoon will be very hard with Froome and Contador only two seconds behind,” he said. “I’ll do my best, but it would be a very big surprise to keep the lead. For me the Tour is already done.”

Results :
1 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto – Soudal 3:01:44
2 Fabio Silvestre (Por) Trek Factory Racing 0:00:02
3 Grega Bole (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
4 Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
5 Tyler Farrar (USA) MTN – Qhubeka
6 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
7 Edward Theuns (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
8 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
9 Daniele Ratto (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
10 Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Team Roompot
11 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
12 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky
13 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) IAM Cycling
14 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
15 Tom Leezer (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
16 Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing
17 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Team Roompot
18 Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) RusVelo
19 Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp) Tinkoff – Saxo
20 Benat Intxausti Elorriagai (Spa) Movistar Team
21 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Esp) Team Sky
22 Romain Bardet (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale
23 Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
24 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Sky
25 Ivan Basso (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo
26 Stephen Cummings (GBr) MTN – Qhubeka
27 Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Tinkoff – Saxo
28 Roman Kustadinchev (Rus) RusVelo 0:00:09
29 Sebastien Minard (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale
30 Johannes Frohlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:00:11
31 Gorka Izagirre (Esp) Movistar Team 0:00:30
32 Jerome Coppel (Fra) IAM Cycling 0:00:42
33 Huub Duyn (Ned) Team Roompot
34 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing
35 Angel Madrazo (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
36 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
37 Edward Fabián Díaz Cárdenas (Col) Colombia
38 Serguei Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo 0:01:02
39 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
40 Francis De Greef (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
41 Branislau Samoilau (Blr) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
42 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
43 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky
44 Alexander Foliforov (Rus) RusVelo 0:01:07
45 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:01:12
46 Ibai Salas (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:01:43
47 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar
48 Lucas Euser (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
49 Cyril Gautierl (Fra) Team Europcar
50 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Esp) Trek Factory Racing
51 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
52 Maxime Mederel (Fra) Team Europcar
53 Jerome Pineau (Fra) IAM Cycling
54 Cedric Pineau (Fra) FDJ
55 David Belda Garcia (Esp) Burgos-BH
56 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team
57 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
58 Sylwester Szmyd (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
59 Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
60 Aleksandr Komin (Rus) RusVelo 0:02:42
61 Pirmin Lang (Sui) IAM Cycling
62 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) RusVelo
63 Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ 0:03:18
64 Jose Herrada (Esp) Movistar Team 0:03:27
65 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team
66 Javier Moreno (Esp) Movistar Team
67 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Esp) Tinkoff – Saxo
68 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo
69 Sebastian Mascaro (Esp) Burgos-BH
70 Sergio Paulinho (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo
71 Victor Martin (Esp) Burgos-BH
72 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
73 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
74 Igor Merino (Esp) Burgos-BH
75 Jesus Del Pino Corrochano (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:03:36
76 Jimmy Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar
77 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Team Europcar
78 Luis Miguel Mate (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
79 Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
80 Fabio Duarte (Col) Colombia
81 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff – Saxo
82 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
83 Adrian Honkisz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
84 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Esp) Team Sky
85 Nicholas Roche (Irl) Team Sky 0:04:14
86 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
87 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:04:16
88 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
89 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
90 Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) IAM Cycling 0:04:25
91 Marcel Wyss (Sui) IAM Cycling
92 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
93 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
94 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
95 Jesse Sergent (NZl) Trek Factory Racing
96 Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
97 Carlos Quintero (Col) Colombia
98 Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Colombia
99 Juan Pablo Valencia (Col) Colombia
100 Rodolfo Andres Torres Agudelo (Col) Colombia
101 Alex Norberto Cano Ardila (Col) Colombia
102 Reinier Honig (Ned) Team Roompot
103 Merhawi Kudus (Eri) MTN – Qhubeka
104 Dario Hernandez Illana (Esp) Burgos-BH
105 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ
106 Eduard Prades Reverte (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:04:31
107 Francesco Lasca (Ita) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
108 Hugh Carthy (GBr) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
109 Jean-Christophe Péraud (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:04:33
110 Christophe Riblon (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale
111 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:04:48
112 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
113 Jay Thomson (Rsa) MTN – Qhubeka
114 Jim Songezo (Rsa) MTN – Qhubeka
115 Romain Sicard (Fra) Team Europcar
116 Juan Jose Lobato (Esp) Movistar Team 0:05:34
117 Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:05:47
118 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale
119 Daan Olivier (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
120 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Roompot
121 Marco Minnaard (Ned) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
122 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
123 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
124 Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:06:26
125 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
126 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Team Roompot
127 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
128 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:06:28
129 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
130 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
131 Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar
132 Nick Dougall (Aus) MTN – Qhubeka 0:06:30
133 Marc De Maar (Aho) Team Roompot
134 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) MTN – Qhubeka
135 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Alpecin
136 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
137 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:07:31
138 Frank Schleck (Lux) Trek Factory Racing 0:07:35
139 Lukasz Owsain (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:07:43
140 Kenneth Van Bilsen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits 0:07:47
141 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ 0:07:49
142 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ
143 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ 0:08:01
144 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
145 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ 0:08:20
146 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:08:24
147 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling 0:08:48
148 Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
149 Peio Bilbao (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:09:32
150 David Arroyo Duran (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
151 Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:09:36

General Classification after Stage 1a :
1 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto – Soudal 3:01:44
2 Fabio Silvestre (Por) Trek Factory Racing 0:00:02
3 Grega Bole (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
4 Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
5 Tyler Farrar (USA) MTN – Qhubeka
6 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
7 Edward Theuns (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
8 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
9 Daniele Ratto (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
10 Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Team Roompot
11 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
12 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky
13 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) IAM Cycling
14 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
15 Tom Leezer (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
16 Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing
17 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Team Roompot
18 Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) RusVelo
19 Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp) Tinkoff – Saxo
20 Benat Intxausti Elorriagai (Spa) Movistar Team
21 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Esp) Team Sky
22 Romain Bardet (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale
23 Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
24 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Sky
25 Ivan Basso (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo
26 Stephen Cummings (GBr) MTN – Qhubeka
27 Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Tinkoff – Saxo
28 Roman Kustadinchev (Rus) RusVelo 0:00:09
29 Sebastien Minard (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale
30 Johannes Frohlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:00:11
31 Gorka Izagirre (Esp) Movistar Team 0:00:30
32 Jerome Coppel (Fra) IAM Cycling 0:00:42
33 Huub Duyn (Ned) Team Roompot
34 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing
35 Angel Madrazo (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
36 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
37 Edward Fabián Díaz Cárdenas (Col) Colombia
38 Serguei Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo 0:01:02
39 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
40 Francis De Greef (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
41 Branislau Samoilau (Blr) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
42 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
43 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky
44 Alexander Foliforov (Rus) RusVelo 0:01:07
45 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:01:12
46 Ibai Salas (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:01:43
47 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar
48 Lucas Euser (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
49 Cyril Gautierl (Fra) Team Europcar
50 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Esp) Trek Factory Racing
51 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
52 Maxime Mederel (Fra) Team Europcar
53 Jerome Pineau (Fra) IAM Cycling
54 Cedric Pineau (Fra) FDJ
55 David Belda Garcia (Esp) Burgos-BH
56 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team
57 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
58 Sylwester Szmyd (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
59 Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
60 Aleksandr Komin (Rus) RusVelo 0:02:42
61 Pirmin Lang (Sui) IAM Cycling
62 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) RusVelo
63 Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ 0:03:18
64 Jose Herrada (Esp) Movistar Team 0:03:27
65 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team
66 Javier Moreno (Esp) Movistar Team
67 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Esp) Tinkoff – Saxo
68 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo
69 Sebastian Mascaro (Esp) Burgos-BH
70 Sergio Paulinho (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo
71 Victor Martin (Esp) Burgos-BH
72 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
73 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
74 Igor Merino (Esp) Burgos-BH
75 Jesus Del Pino Corrochano (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:03:36
76 Jimmy Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar
77 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Team Europcar
78 Luis Miguel Mate (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
79 Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
80 Fabio Duarte (Col) Colombia
81 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff – Saxo
82 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
83 Adrian Honkisz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
84 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Esp) Team Sky
85 Nicholas Roche (Irl) Team Sky 0:04:14
86 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
87 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:04:16
88 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
89 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
90 Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) IAM Cycling 0:04:25
91 Marcel Wyss (Sui) IAM Cycling
92 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
93 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
94 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
95 Jesse Sergent (NZl) Trek Factory Racing
96 Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
97 Carlos Quintero (Col) Colombia
98 Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Colombia
99 Juan Pablo Valencia (Col) Colombia
100 Rodolfo Andres Torres Agudelo (Col) Colombia
101 Alex Norberto Cano Ardila (Col) Colombia
102 Reinier Honig (Ned) Team Roompot
103 Merhawi Kudus (Eri) MTN – Qhubeka
104 Dario Hernandez Illana (Esp) Burgos-BH
105 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ
106 Eduard Prades Reverte (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:04:31
107 Francesco Lasca (Ita) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
108 Hugh Carthy (GBr) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
109 Jean-Christophe Péraud (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:04:33
110 Christophe Riblon (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale
111 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:04:48
112 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
113 Jay Thomson (Rsa) MTN – Qhubeka
114 Jim Songezo (Rsa) MTN – Qhubeka
115 Romain Sicard (Fra) Team Europcar
116 Juan Jose Lobato (Esp) Movistar Team 0:05:34
117 Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:05:47
118 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale
119 Daan Olivier (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
120 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Roompot
121 Marco Minnaard (Ned) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
122 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
123 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
124 Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:06:26
125 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
126 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Team Roompot
127 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
128 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:06:28
129 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
130 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
131 Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar
132 Nick Dougall (Aus) MTN – Qhubeka 0:06:30
133 Marc De Maar (Aho) Team Roompot
134 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) MTN – Qhubeka
135 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Alpecin
136 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
137 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:07:31
138 Frank Schleck (Lux) Trek Factory Racing 0:07:35
139 Lukasz Owsain (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:07:43
140 Kenneth Van Bilsen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits 0:07:47
141 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ 0:07:49
142 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ
143 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ 0:08:01
144 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
145 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ 0:08:20
146 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:08:24
147 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling 0:08:48
148 Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
149 Peio Bilbao (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:09:32
150 David Arroyo Duran (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
151 Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:09:36