Vuelta a Murcia 2018 [LAST 15 KM] (spanish)

February 10, 2018

Vuelta a Murcia 2018 – Beniel – Murcia : 208,3 km

The Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia (English: Tour of Murcia) is a road bicycle race held in and around Murcia, Spain. The first four editions were reserved to amateurs. Originally the race was held in early March and consisted of five stages. However, due to Spain’s financial turmoil, the race was scaled back to three stages in 2011 and two stages in 2012. Since 2013 the Vuelta a Murcia is organised as a single-day race and shifted to mid-February on the international calendar. It is part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 1.1 event.

In a reversal of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Astana’s Luis León Sanchez got the better of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) to take the victory in the 209km one-day Vuelta a Murica on Saturday.

Sanchez answered an attack by Valverde with two kilometers remaining before putting in his own move that launched him to a solo victory, while at quite a distance, Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) was third.

“The guys were super today and I have to thank all of them for the huge help,” Sanchez said. “In the beginning a big group went away and we had to work the whole day. It was not easy to control this race, but the team did it. In the final I went away together with Valverde. I knew, if we come for a sprint it would be the same situation as it was at Valenciana. So, I knew I have to do something and I saw my chance with 2km to go.

“Anyway, I think this is a team success, not only mine. The team is great these days. At the Volta Valenciana we did a strong race and took two podium places. Now, in Dubail, Magnus was close to the victory too. That’s great!”

Valverde recognized Sanchez’ strong start to the season, saying he is doing “really well at the moment”. “Even though I myself tried to leave him behind in the finale, he took a strong turn with 2km to go and it caught me out of strength. I’m still happy, though, because my legs continue to feel really well after my injury.”

The fireworks kicked off on the Collada Bermejo, a category 1 ascent that crested with 60km to go. As the day’s early breakaway was being reeled in, Quick-Step Floors went on the attack, with both Gilbert and Bob Jungels jumping away.

They were reeled in before the unclassified Alto de Gebas, where Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang attacked and launched Sanchez up the road with Valverde.

“I knew from the start that Sanchez and Valverde were the most dangerous riders, as they knew the roads, so that is why we tried something different. After 20 kilometers we went away together with a big group and as some riders weren’t willing to share the work, we made a selection, followed by two more later in the race. Unfortunately, a strong headwind thwarted our efforts and we couldn’t extend the lead,” Gilbert said.

Results :
1 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team 5:06:35
2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:15
3 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 0:02:15
4 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott 0:03:54
5 Pieter Serry (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
6 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
7 Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors
8 Willie Smit (RSA) Katusha-Alpecin
9 José Joaquin Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team
10 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
11 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
12 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team
13 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
14 Felix Grossschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
15 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Mitchelton-Scott
16 Enric Mas (Spa) Quick-Step Floors
17 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Mitchelton-Scott
18 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin
19 Etienne van Empel (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
20 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
21 Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie
22 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
23 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
24 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors
25 Ryan Anderson (Can) Rally Cycling
26 Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
27 Luis Guillermo Mas Bonet (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
28 Diego Rubio Hernandez (Spa) Burgos BH
29 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-Alpecin
30 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
31 Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
32 Michael Valgren (Den) Astana Pro Team
33 Nikolai Cherkasov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
34 Kamil Gradek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
35 Nick van der Lijke (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
36 Marco Minnard (Ned) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
37 Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Floors
38 Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie
39 Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Astana Pro Team
OTL Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
OTL Stijn Steels (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
OTL Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
OTL Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
OTL Antonio Molina Canet (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
OTL Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
OTL Robert Britton (Can) Rally Cycling
OTL Nigel Ellsay (Can) Rally Cycling
OTL Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos BH
OTL Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
OTL Oscar Eduardo Sanchez Guarin (Col) Canel’s-Specialized
OTL Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
OTL Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
OTL James Mitri (GBr) Burgos-BH
OTL Marc Buades Ferriol (Spa) Team Euskadi
OTL Jon Ander Insausti (Spa) Team Euskadi
OTL Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
OTL Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
OTL Mathias Van Gompel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
OTL Michael Goolaerts (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
OTL Jorge Cubero Galvez (Spa) Burgos BH
OTL Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
OTL Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
OTL Jan Tratnik (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
OTL Sergei Shilov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
OTL Adam De Vos (Can) Rally Cycling
OTL Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling
OTL Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie
OTL Jerome Cousin (Fra) Direct Energie
OTL Rein Taaramäe (Est) Direct Energie
OTL Eduardo Francisco Garcia (Spa) Dare Gaviota
DNF Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Michael Albasini (Swi) Mitchelton-Scott
DNF Mikel Alonso Flores (Spa) Team Euskadi
DNF Tim Ariesen (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Ibai Azurmendi Sagastibeltza (Spa) Team Euskadi
DNF Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Maxim Belkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin
DNF Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Robbert de Greef (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin
DNF Egoitz Fernandez Ayarzaguena (Spa) Team Euskadi
DNF Alexander Foliforov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Ricardo Garcia (Spa) Team Euskadi
DNF Oscar Gatto (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF Peio Goikoetxea Goiogana (Spa) Team Euskadi
DNF Hector Gonzales (Spa) Dare Gaviota
DNF Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team
DNF Evan Huffman (USA) Rally Cycling
DNF Axel Journiaux (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Evgeny Kobernyak (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Leon Koch (Ned) Dare Gaviota
DNF Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Dmitriy Kozontchuk (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Marko Kump (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Senne Leysen (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Roman Maikin (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF José Mendes (Por) Burgos BH
DNF Milan Menten (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Mauricio Moreira (Uru) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
DNF Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling
DNF Jonas Orset (Nor) Dare Gaviota
DNF Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Ibai Salas Zorrozua (Spa) Burgos BH
DNF Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Enrique Sanz Unzue (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Michal Schlegel (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Mads Würtz Schmidt (Den) Katusha-Alpecin
DNF Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Simon Sellier (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Movistar Team
DNF Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Nelson Andres Soto Martinez (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
DNF David Tanner (Aus) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Pablo Torres Muiño (Spa) Burgos BH
DNF Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Jan Willem van Schip (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Carlos Verona (Spa) Mitchelton-Scott
DNF Josu Zabala Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
DNF Odin Foldvik Eikeland (Nor) Dare Gaviota
DNS Zico Waeytens (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan