Tour of the Basque Country 2019 – Stage 6 [LAST 25 KM]

April 13, 2019

Tour of the Basque Country 2019 – Stage 6 – Eibar – Eibar : 118,2 km

The Tour of the Basque Country (Spanish: Vuelta al País Vasco, Basque: Euskal Herriko Itzulia) is an annual cycling stage race held in the Spanish Basque Country in April. It is one of 37 races that make up the UCI World Tour calendar. As the Basque Country is a mountainous area, there are few flat stages, and thus the event favors those who are strong climbers. Most ascents in the Tour are not particularly high by professional cycling standards, but are often quite steep.

Ion Izagirre (Astana) claimed overall victory at the Tour of the Basque Country after he placed fourth behind stage winner Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) on a breathless final leg around Eibar.

Overnight leader Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) was distanced on the category 1 ascent of Azurki by a five-man group featuring Izagirre, Yates, Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Dan Martin and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).

Although there were more than 65km to go, this move had the firepower to hold off a disorganised chase, where Buchmann had to shoulder the bulk of the pace-making on the remaining climbs.

Up front, Martin tried to distance Izagirre on the final classified ascent of Asensio, but was unable to break the Astana man’s resistance. On the run-in to the finish, Yates took advantage of a short, unclassified ascent with 3km to go to punch his way clear, and he held off his fellow escapees by one second to claim the honours.

Martin won the sprint for second ahead of Fuglsang to secure second place overall, 29 seconds down on Izagirre. Fuglsang originally looked to have claimed the third step of the podium, 36 seconds down on his teammate, but the placing eventually passed to Buchmann after the commissaires amended his finishing time on the stage after he was misdirected in the final kilometre.

Buchmann had gallantly cut his deficit back in the closing kilometres and was poised to rescue a podium place only for his group to be sent down the deviation for race vehicles in the closing kilometre. Although the German quickly got back on track, he came home 1:36 down on Yates, which initally relegated him to 4th overall, 43 seconds down on Izagirre, and just 7 seconds shy of the podium.

Almost an hour after the finish, the results sheet was revised to place Buchmann third overall, 31 seconds down on Izagirre.

“Yesterday Buchmann went up the road and we knew today was the last chance to win,” Adam Yates said afterwards. “I think Astana had the right idea, they wanted to win on the GC. It was around 60-65 kilometres to go and the pace was super hard but luckily I had some teammates there to really push the pace. From there, the five of us worked well and in the final there I attacked in the final three or four kilometres and managed to win.”

How it unfolded

At just 118km in length and with six categorised climbs on the agenda, Saturday’s final leg of the Tour of the Basque Country lent itself to attacking racing, and so it proved. After snatching the yellow jersey with a solo stage victory on Friday, Buchmann looked well-placed to defend his buffer here, but he knew the Astana squad of Izagirre and Fuglsang were always likely to launch a concerted offensive.

There was a blistering pace on the three opening category 3 climbs, where an 18-man move managed to forge clear, with Alessandro De Marchi (CCC) leading over the summit of each ascent. Come the category 1 climb of Azurki, however, the Astana and Mitchelton-Scott-led peloton was almost upon them, and the GC contenders soon came to the fore.

The efforts of Astana and Mitchelton-Scott had already splintered the peloton into shards on the ascent when Jakob Fuglsang took it upon himself to go on the offensive with 65km remaining, and his teammate Izagirre soon bridged across to him. Buchmann, who had already lost his teammate Max Schachmann and Patrick Konrad, tried to lead the chase, but the German was unable to close the gap, and unable to follow, too, when Yates, Martin, and Pogacar clipped across to the Astana tandem.

At the top of the climb, Martin, Yates, Pogacar, Izagirre, and Fuglsang had a lead of 25 seconds on Buchmann, who initially tried to chase doggedly in the valley that followed, before eventually opting to sit up and wait for a larger group that contained his teammate Schachmann and Konrad.

With 50km to go, the Buchmann group trailed the leaders by a minute, and the virtual overall lead passed to Izagirre, who never once looked like passing up the opportunity to win his home race. The quintet remained in the lead over the ascents of Karakate and Asensio, while Buchmann’s deficit gradually edged out towards two minutes, despite eventually receiving some aid from Mikel Landa and Movistar.

By then, the battle for overall victory was between Izagirre and Dan Martin, who gamely tried to drop the Basque on the final haul up Asensio. Although the Irishman briefly managed to slip clear over the top of the ascent, he was pegged back on the drop towards Eibar.

The short, unclassified climb near the finish, meanwhile, leant itself to the explosive talent of Yates, and the Briton duly punched his way clear to claim his third win of the year and seal 5th place overall in the process. “It was a crazy day, just like yesterday the pace was super high all day,” he said.

It has been, by any metric, a fast start to the 2019 season, with Astana among the teams setting the brisk tempo. Izagirre’s Tour of the Basque Country triumph was the team’s 22nd win of the year, and his third, after overall victory at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and a stage win at Paris-Nice.

Results :
1 Adam Yates (GBr) Mitchelton – Scott 2:59:46
2 Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:01
3 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
4 Ion Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team
5 Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:07
6 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek – Segafredo 0:01:24
7 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Movistar Team
8 Hugh John Carthy (GBr) EF Education First
9 David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
10 Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
11 Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
12 Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Team Jumbo – Visma
13 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora – Hansgrohe
14 Mikel Nieve Iturralde (Spa) Mitchelton – Scott
15 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama – FDJ 0:02:27
16 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
17 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe
18 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) UAE Team Emirates
19 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias 0:02:30
20 Victor De La Parte (Spa) CCC Team
21 Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:03:33
22 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team
23 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team
24 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) CCC Team
25 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Team Katusha Alpecin
26 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:08:41
27 Hubert Dupont (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
28 Jai Hindley (Aus) Team Sunweb
29 Bjorg Lambrecht (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:08:45
30 Aldemar Reyes Ortega (Col) Manzana Postobon Team
31 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros RGA
32 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb
33 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team 0:08:47
34 Mikael Cherel (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
35 David De La Cruz Melgarejo (Spa) Team Sky
36 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky
37 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Team Katusha Alpecin
38 Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
39 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias 0:08:53
40 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:08:55
41 Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Spa) Movistar Team
42 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
43 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
44 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek – Segafredo
45 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott 0:11:18
46 Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb 0:12:05
47 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek – Segafredo 0:12:29
48 Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama – FDJ 0:12:31
49 Mathias Frank (Swi) Ag2R La Mondiale
50 Mikkel Frølich Honoré (Den) Deceuninck – Quick – Step 0:14:38
51 Omar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Astana Pro Team
52 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal
53 Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros RGA
54 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal
55 Amanuel Gebreigzabhier Werkilul (Eri) Team Dimension Data
56 Marc Hirschi (Swi) Team Sunweb
57 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek – Segafredo
58 José Gonçalves (Por) Team Katusha Alpecin
59 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
60 Amaro Antunes (Por) CCC Team
61 Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
62 Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky
63 Léo Vincent (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
64 Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda (Col) EF Education First
65 George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo – Visma
66 G Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First 0:17:00
67 Jay Mc Carthy (Aus) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:17:03
68 Nicolas Sessler (Bra) Burgos – BH
69 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Team Dimension Data
70 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros RGA
71 Danilo Wyss (Swi) Team Dimension Data
72 Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain – Merida
73 Pieter Serry (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
74 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros RGA
75 Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo – Visma
76 Carlos Julian Quintero Noreña (Col) Manzana Postobon Team
77 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain – Merida
78 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) Ag2R La Mondiale
79 Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
80 Florian Stork (Ger) Team Sunweb
81 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain – Merida
82 Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora – Hansgrohe
83 Clément Chevrier (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
84 Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora – Hansgrohe
85 Nicola Conci (Ita) Trek – Segafredo
86 Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
87 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros RGA
88 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek – Segafredo
89 Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
90 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
91 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Jumbo – Visma 0:17:11
92 Pello Bilbao Lopez De Armentia (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:17:13
93 Yecid Arturo Sierra Sanchez (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 0:17:15
94 Jhojan Orlando Garcia Sosa (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 0:17:32
OTL Willem Jakobus Smit (RSA) Team Katusha Alpecin
OTL Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Team Katusha Alpecin
OTL Edward Ravasi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
OTL Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Team
OTL Benjamin King (USA) Team Dimension Data
OTL Jacques Willem Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Dimension Data
OTL Markel Irizar Aramburu (Spa) Trek – Segafredo
OTL Jhon Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
OTL Loic Chetout (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
OTL Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
OTL Jesper Hansen (Den) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
OTL Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
OTL Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos – BH
OTL Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos – BH
DNS Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton – Scott
DNF Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team
DNF Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Winner Andrew Anacona (Col) Movistar Team
DNF Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe
DNF Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Petr Vakoč (Cze) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
DNF Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team Katusha Alpecin
DNF Diego Rosa (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Michael Albasini (Swi) Mitchelton – Scott
DNF Manuele Mori (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Sean Bennett (USA) EF Education First
DNF Alex Howes (USA) EF Education First
DNF Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Team Dimension Data
DNF Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma
DNF Tony Martin (Ger) Team Jumbo – Visma

Final General Classification :
1 Ion Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team 19:24:09
2 Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:29
3 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:00:31
4 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:00:36
5 Adam Yates (GBr) Mitchelton – Scott 0:00:51
6 Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:36
7 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Movistar Team 0:02:56
8 Mikel Nieve Iturralde (Spa) Mitchelton – Scott 0:03:13
9 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:03:29
10 Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:03:44
11 Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Deceuninck – Quick – Step 0:04:15
12 Hugh John Carthy (GBr) EF Education First 0:05:25
13 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:06:02
14 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) UAE Team Emirates 0:06:15
15 Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott 0:06:43
16 Victor De La Parte (Spa) CCC Team 0:06:45
17 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama – FDJ 0:07:06
18 David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama – FDJ 0:09:03
19 Bjorg Lambrecht (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:11:43
20 Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda (Col) EF Education First 0:15:56
21 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek – Segafredo 0:16:43
22 George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo – Visma 0:18:51
23 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team 0:19:32
24 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain – Merida 0:21:25
25 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias 0:22:53
26 Carlos Julian Quintero Noreña (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 0:23:07
27 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:23:45
28 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:25:01
29 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) CCC Team 0:25:32
30 Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama – FDJ 0:30:20
31 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros RGA 0:30:25
32 Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Team Jumbo – Visma 0:30:30
33 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:30:57
34 David De La Cruz Melgarejo (Spa) Team Sky 0:31:04
35 Aldemar Reyes Ortega (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 0:31:59
36 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Team Katusha Alpecin 0:32:55
37 Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Spa) Movistar Team 0:33:34
38 Jai Hindley (Aus) Team Sunweb 0:34:44
39 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek – Segafredo 0:35:37
40 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:35:43
41 Marc Hirschi (Swi) Team Sunweb 0:36:40
42 Amanuel Gebreigzabhier Werkilul (Eri) Team Dimension Data 0:36:56
43 Omar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:37:30
44 G Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First 0:38:16
45 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias 0:38:24
46 Léo Vincent (Fra) Groupama – FDJ 0:40:46
47 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Team Katusha Alpecin 0:41:01
48 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal 0:42:26
49 Mikkel Frølich Honoré (Den) Deceuninck – Quick – Step 0:43:32
50 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:43:33
51 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek – Segafredo 0:44:12
52 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb 0:44:20
53 Pello Bilbao Lopez De Armentia (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:46:17
54 Pieter Serry (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step 0:47:20
55 Nicola Conci (Ita) Trek – Segafredo 0:47:47
56 Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama – FDJ 0:47:56
57 Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain – Merida 0:48:56
58 Jay Mc Carthy (Aus) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:49:07
59 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott 0:49:08
60 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott 0:50:07
61 Hubert Dupont (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:51:30
62 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros RGA 0:51:45
63 José Gonçalves (Por) Team Katusha Alpecin 0:52:31
64 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:52:36
65 Danilo Wyss (Swi) Team Dimension Data 0:53:09
66 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:53:14
67 Mathias Frank (Swi) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:53:24
68 Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb 0:53:25
69 Mikael Cherel (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:53:45
70 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step 0:55:29
71 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros RGA 0:56:29
72 Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:56:37
73 Amaro Antunes (Por) CCC Team 0:57:00
74 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:57:32
75 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek – Segafredo 0:58:19
76 Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:59:23
77 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Team Dimension Data 0:59:27
78 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias 0:59:34
79 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Jumbo – Visma 1:00:11
80 Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias 1:00:35
81 Clément Chevrier (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 1:00:42
82 Florian Stork (Ger) Team Sunweb 1:01:36
83 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain – Merida 1:01:43
84 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky 1:02:09
85 Jhojan Orlando Garcia Sosa (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 1:03:01
86 Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama – FDJ 1:03:25
87 Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias 1:04:50
88 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros RGA 1:05:31
89 Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky 1:06:12
90 Yecid Arturo Sierra Sanchez (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 1:06:13
91 Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora – Hansgrohe 1:07:13
92 Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros RGA 1:07:23
93 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek – Segafredo 1:08:21
94 Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) CCC Team 1:11:06
95 Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo – Visma 1:12:01
96 Nicolas Sessler (Bra) Burgos – BH 1:15:14