Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2021 – Stage 5 [FULL STAGE]

May 22, 2021

Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2021 – Stage 5 – Vera – Pulpí : 107 km

Since its first edition in 1925, the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol has usually fallen at the start of the year and served up an opportunity for pro riders from all over the world to kickstart their road racing seasons with a bang. At 96 years old, the Vuelta a Andalucia is one of the oldest stage races in Spain. It’s also one of the most prestigious and despite only being ranked as a 2.Pro event by the UCI, winning it carries a lot of road racing cred. All you have to do is look at the list of recent winners to understand that this is one of Spain’s biggest multi-day bicycle races! The race often runs for five days, touring much of the mountainous province of Andalucia. The mountain stages in the final few days routinely dictate the race, making it the preserve of world-class climbers and stage racing specialists.

Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) won his second victory of the Ruta del Sol on stage 5 after a crash on the finish line helped the British rider to victory.

Hayter went for a long sprint only for Daryl Impey (Israel Start-Up Nation) and Robert Stannard (Team BikeExchange) to come alongside the Ineos rider.

However, 50 metres before the line Stannard and Impey collided with both riders crashing out and Hayter taking the victory.

Behind the crash, Philip Walsleben (Alpecin-Fenix) sneaked through for second, while Toms Skujins (Trek – Segafredo) placed third.

Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar) secured the overall victory with Antwan Tolhoek (Team Jumbo-Visma) 20 seconds back in second, while Julen Amezqueta (Caja Rural- Seguros) was third overall one minute and 10 seconds down.

The Alto de la Geoda climb topped out five kilometres from the finish with Ineos Grenadiers splitting the bunch before the descent into the finish with Hayter just hanging on over the top.

“The stage was short and was flat out on the last climb and I just about hung on the back,” said Hayter.

“The sprint was crosswind so I let Carlos go and got up to him. (Robert) Stannard and (Daryl) Impey were coming but I don’t know what happened.

“It’s not the way you want to finish a sprint but that’s bike racing. I was looking forward and in your peripheral vision, you could see them coming and then all of a sudden they disappeared.

“At first I thought they would come flying into me then all of a sudden I was across the line and that was the end of the race.

“My team were amazing as they have pretty much every day. We ended up with Carlos (Rodriguez) in fourth and I was eighth so it’s pretty good.”

How it unfolded

A breakaway group of three riders established their lead early in the race including Julien Mertens (Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise) Mertens, Unai Cuadrado (Euskatel – Euskadi) and Ander Okamika (Burgos – BH)

Riders completed two ascents of the Alto de la Geoda climb with the first coming 40 kilometres from the finish by which time the breakaway had a gap of around two minutes.

Adre Greipel (Israel Start-Up Nation) was without a win last season but after taking his second race of 2021 the previous day into Cúllar Vega he was helping to bring the breakaway back on the first Alto de la Geoda ascent for Daryl Impey.

Luis Angel Mate (Euskaltel – Euskadi) was confirmed as king of the mountains after the breakaway swept up the points at the top.

The gap to the breakaway continued to drop as a final battle up the Alto de la Geoda awaited with the bunch sitting at less than a minute with 28 kilometres remaining.

After Hayter won the second stage to Alcalá la Real, Ineos Grenadiers were also helping to pull the breakaway back for the green sprinter’s jersey wearer despite sitting two points behind overall leader Lopez in the competition.

However, the leading trio were providing a challenge themselves and kept the gap at around a minute in the last 19 kilometres with Mertens, Cuadrado and Okamika all working well together.

Their lead quickly reduced as the bunch raced into the Alto de la Geoda climb and they were caught on the uphill approach to the final climb with 10 kilometres remaining.

Ineos Grenadiers placed four riders on the front for Hayter on the low slopes led by Luke Rowe as they looked to keep the pace high and lining out the field with seven kilometres to go.

After Ineos split the large peloton, a small group of riders 30 riders were left to compete for stage honours as they reached the steepest section of the climb.

Team BikeExchange kept the pace on with Tsgabu Grmay leading over the top onto the fast approach for the finish with just 11 riders in the leading group.

A mechanical problem ended the hopes of Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA) as the front group entered the last two kilometres.

Team Ineos led out the sprint for Hayter who left a gap for team-mate Carlos Rodriguez to lead out before rushing into the gap and going for a long sprint.

Daryl Impey (Israel Start-Up Nation) led the sprint behind came along Hayter and looked to be moments away from victory.

However, 50 metres before the line Robert Stannard (Team BikeExchange) to came alongside Impey who moved left colliding with the Australian with both riders crashing out and Hayter taking the victory.

That sparked angry scenes with Stannard unhappy that he had been taken down in the sprint while the win meant Hayter secured the sprinter’s jersey.

Philip Walsleben (Alpecin-Fenix) finished second in the frantic sprint while Toms Skujins (Trek – Segafredo) finished third.

Results :
1 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 2:27:12
2 Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
3 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
4 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Movistar Team
5 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
6 Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Movistar Team
7 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech
8 Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Team BikeExchange
10 Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:03
11 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:10
12 Shane Archbold (NZl) Deceuninck-QuickStep
13 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) UAE Team Emirates
14 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
15 Héctor Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:15
16 Jonas Gregaard (Den) Astana-Premier Tech
17 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
18 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team
19 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
20 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:00:24
21 Robert Stannard (Aus) Team BikeExchange
22 James Piccoli (Can) Israel Start-up Nation 0:00:26
23 Floris De Tier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
24 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
25 Matteo Trentin (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:27
26 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation 0:00:31
27 Jannik Steimle (Ger) Deceuninck-QuickStep
28 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Burgos-BH
29 Jack Bauer (NZl) Team BikeExchange
30 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Jumbo-Visma
31 Urko Berrade Fernandez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
32 Amund Grøndahl Jansen (Nor) Team BikeExchange
33 Nicola Conci (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
34 Rune Herregodts (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
35 Denis Nekrasov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
36 Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
37 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Burgos-BH
38 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:45
39 Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
40 Tobias Bayer (Aut) Alpecin-Fenix
41 Timo Roosen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
42 Gotzon Martin Sanz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
43 Jordi Lopez Caravaca (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:01:12
44 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Israel Start-up Nation 0:01:16
45 Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:01:20
46 Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Burgos-BH
47 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 0:01:22
48 Abner González Rivera (PuR) Movistar Team 0:01:26
49 Jefferson Cepeda (Ecu) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:01:33
50 Marco Canola (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo 0:01:36
51 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo 0:02:22
52 Gleb Brussenskiy (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech
53 Aaron Van Poucke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:02:24
54 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
55 Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Ineos Grenadiers
56 Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
57 Yuriy Natarov (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech
58 Sergei Chernetskii (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
59 Michel Ries (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
60 Francisco Galvan Fernandez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
61 Jokin Aranburu Arruti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
62 Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers
63 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:45
64 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
65 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
66 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix
67 Edward Anderson (USA) Alpecin-Fenix
68 Alvaro Hodeg Chagui (Col) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:03:52
69 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
70 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
71 Juri Hollmann (Ger) Movistar Team
72 Rick Zabel (Ger) Israel Start-up Nation
73 Isaac Canton Serrano (Spa) Burgos-BH
74 Ander Okamika Bengoetxea (Spa) Burgos-BH
75 Mathias Vacek (Cze) Gazprom-RusVelo
76 Alexander Cataford (Can) Israel Start-up Nation
77 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
78 Enrique Sanz Unzue (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
79 Sebastian Mora Vedri (Spa) Movistar Team 0:03:57
80 Owain Doull (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
81 Ian Garrison (USA) Deceuninck-QuickStep
82 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Team BikeExchange
83 Unai Cuadrado Ruiz De Gauna (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
84 Stijn Steels (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
85 Julian Mertens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
86 Brent Bookwalter (USA) Team BikeExchange
87 Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
88 Alvaro Cuadros Morata (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
89 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
90 Sander De Pestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
91 Benjamin Perry (Can) Astana-Premier Tech
92 Luke Rowe (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:05:51
93 Alexander Konychev (Ita) Team BikeExchange
94 Owen Geleijn (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
95 Finn Fisher-Black (NZl) Jumbo-Visma
96 Antonio Jesus Soto Guirao (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:06:44
97 Robbe Ghys (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:08:09
98 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
99 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Gazprom-RusVelo
100 Jaime Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
101 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
102 André Greipel (Ger) Israel Start-up Nation 0:08:11
103 Nikita Stalnov (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 0:08:13
104 Daryl Impey (RSA) Israel Start-up Nation

Final General Classification :
1 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Movistar Team 21:06:55
2 Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:20
3 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:01:10
4 Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers 0:01:43
5 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:47
6 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:02:06
7 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:02:13
8 James Piccoli (Can) Israel Start-up Nation 0:02:24
9 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:02:44
10 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech 0:02:48
11 Robert Stannard (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:02:49
12 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 0:03:13
13 Rune Herregodts (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:03:34
14 Jonas Gregaard (Den) Astana-Premier Tech 0:03:36
15 Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Movistar Team 0:03:50
16 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 0:03:51
17 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Team BikeExchange 0:04:12
18 Jefferson Cepeda (Ecu) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:04:50
19 Daryl Impey (RSA) Israel Start-up Nation 0:05:05
20 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team 0:05:09
21 Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:05:17
22 Denis Nekrasov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo 0:05:32
23 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:05:47
24 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:05:58
25 Amund Grøndahl Jansen (Nor) Team BikeExchange 0:06:03
26 Floris De Tier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:06:17
27 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo 0:10:20
28 Gotzon Martin Sanz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:10:49
29 Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:10:50
30 Finn Fisher-Black (NZl) Jumbo-Visma 0:11:13
31 Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Ineos Grenadiers 0:11:51
32 Urko Berrade Fernandez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:12:39
33 Michel Ries (Lux) Trek-Segafredo 0:12:42
34 Ander Okamika Bengoetxea (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:13:21
35 Héctor Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:13:27
36 Jack Bauer (NZl) Team BikeExchange 0:13:38
37 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) Jumbo-Visma 0:13:45
38 Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers 0:14:01
39 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:14:13
40 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Jumbo-Visma 0:14:18
41 Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo 0:15:16
42 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:15:54
43 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:16:52
44 Jordi Lopez Caravaca (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:18:24
45 Yuriy Natarov (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 0:19:17
46 Stijn Steels (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:19:21
47 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation 0:19:27
48 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Israel Start-up Nation 0:21:45
49 Timo Roosen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:21:47
50 Sergei Chernetskii (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo 0:22:52
51 Julian Mertens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:22:56
52 Unai Cuadrado Ruiz De Gauna (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:23:11
53 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:24:14
54 Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix 0:24:19
55 Nikita Stalnov (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 0:24:22
56 Nicola Conci (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:25:49
57 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:26:44
58 Alvaro Cuadros Morata (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:27:48
59 Abner González Rivera (PuR) Movistar Team 0:28:00
60 Brent Bookwalter (USA) Team BikeExchange 0:28:49
61 Juri Hollmann (Ger) Movistar Team 0:28:51
62 Owain Doull (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:30:26
63 Marco Canola (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo 0:30:51
64 Edward Anderson (USA) Alpecin-Fenix 0:30:55
65 Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:31:41
66 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:31:52
67 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 0:32:55
68 Alexander Cataford (Can) Israel Start-up Nation 0:33:52
69 Mathias Vacek (Cze) Gazprom-RusVelo 0:33:55
70 Isaac Canton Serrano (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:34:03
71 Jannik Steimle (Ger) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:34:37
72 Shane Archbold (NZl) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:34:51
73 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 0:36:10
74 Gleb Brussenskiy (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 0:36:21
75 Antonio Jesus Soto Guirao (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:36:31
76 Benjamin Perry (Can) Astana-Premier Tech 0:39:49
77 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo 0:41:38
78 Alexander Konychev (Ita) Team BikeExchange 0:42:26
79 Tobias Bayer (Aut) Alpecin-Fenix 0:42:52
80 Aaron Van Poucke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:44:38
81 Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:45:26
82 Sander De Pestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:45:55
83 Jokin Aranburu Arruti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:46:40
84 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix 0:48:33
85 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:49:06
86 Rick Zabel (Ger) Israel Start-up Nation 0:50:11
87 André Greipel (Ger) Israel Start-up Nation 0:50:21
88 Matteo Trentin (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:50:28
89 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo 0:51:18
90 Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:51:28
91 Robbe Ghys (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:51:55
92 Francisco Galvan Fernandez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:52:04
93 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Gazprom-RusVelo 0:52:16
94 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:52:51
95 Alvaro Hodeg Chagui (Col) Deceuninck-QuickStep
96 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:53:11
97 Owen Geleijn (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:54:22
98 Sebastian Mora Vedri (Spa) Movistar Team 0:55:04
99 Enrique Sanz Unzue (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:56:04
100 Luke Rowe (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 1:02:08
101 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers 1:02:16
102 Ian Garrison (USA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1:02:31
103 Jaime Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 1:07:53
104 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates 1:09:21