2024-04-05 23:30:00
On the fifth day of the Itzria Basque Country, where top overall competitors such as Vingegaard had disappeared the day before, Landa fell from a car and broke his collarbone and ribs. The race was a group sprint and 21-year-old Romain Grégoire (France, Groupama FDJ) came first and grabbed his first World Tour victory.
Matthias Skelmoos (Riddle Trek, Denmark) wearing the overall leader jersey on the fifth day of the tournament photo: CorVos
The Itzria Basque Country (UCI World Tour) is now on its fifth day, where the big three competing for the overall victory (Vingegaard, Roglič, Evenepoor) retired due to a mass crash on the previous day. Although the middle portion of the day featured a class 1 mountain, the second half was a hilly stage with two laps of the course including a class 3 mountain. However, the mountain has a climbing distance of 3.4km and an average gradient of 7.3%, so the layout is tough and the number of people in the group can be narrowed down depending on the pace.
Waiting for the start at the front of the group was Matthias Skelmoos (Denmark, Riddle Trek), wearing the leader’s jersey. The number of competitors, reduced to 148 including Yukiya Shinshiro (Bahrain Victorious), departed from Vitoria-Gasteiz, and the average speed approached 50km/h due to a series of attacks in the early stages.
The day was a fierce one with repeated attacks and absorptions from the beginning photo: Itzulia Basque Country
The race went on for about 70km with no escape formed, and just before the first-class mountain, Mikel Landa (Spain, Soudal Quick-Step) and four other riders, including his teammate Hil Helders (Belgium), crashed. This caused Landa to break his right collarbone and two ribs. Soudal has lost its ace following Lemco Evenepoel (Belgium), and there are also concerns about the impact on the Tour de France, in which they are both scheduled to participate.
One group still entered the Class 1 mountain, Ulquiola (distance 5.6km/average gradient 9.2%), and from the group that repeated attacks and absorptions, Sepp Kuss (USA, Visma Lies-Avaig) and Isaac Del Toro (Mexico, UAE team) Emirates) accelerates. They crossed the summit first, and although they tried to make it through, they absorbed it with 63km remaining. After that, the group entered the lap course, and with nine riders including Mauro Schmidt (Switzerland, Jayco AlUla) jumping out, and Santiago Buitrago (Colombia, Bahrain Victorious) setting up, the group maintained a high pace and made it to the third triple of the day for the second time. To the mountains.
Sepp Kuss (USA, Visma Rees-A-Bike) and Isaac Del Toro (Mexico, UAE Team Emirates) on a Class 1 mountain. Photo: CorVos
Once again, the efforts of Maximilian Schaffmann (Germany, Bora-Hansgrohe) and others did not bear fruit, and the group, which had been narrowed down to about 35 riders, entered the flat road that led to the finish. There, del Toro and others made repeated attacks, and the battle turned into a group sprint between the climbers.
Maximilian Schaffmann (Germany, Bora-Hansgrohe) started his sprint just before catching Carlos Rodriguez (Spain, Ineos Grenadiers), who took the lead at the final corner and created a gap with the rest of the pack. Romain Grégoire (France, Groupama FDJ), who was following behind him, lined up alongside him, and the three riders, including Oluís Aural (Venezuela, Cajral Seguros RGA), who were in hot pursuit, threw their wheels.
As a result of the photo finish, Grégoire was declared the winner.
Romain Grégoire (France, Groupama FDJ) who threw his steering wheel and was the first to the finish line photo: CorVos
Romain Grégoire (France, Groupama FDJ) achieved his first victory on the World Tour photo: CorVos
“It was a very fast-paced race all day. I was in the perfect position from the lead-out of Kantin (Pache) and then I struggled to finish at the end. For the next few minutes I didn’t know who had won, but I was able to win the It means a lot to me to win my first tour. I’m very happy,” said Grégoire.
Grégoire is a 21-year-old member of Groupama’s junior team, which has a reputation for training. Last year, in the 11th stage of the Vuelta a España, he came close to winning from a runaway (2nd place) and grabbed his first World Tour victory in his second year as a professional.
There was no major change in the overall rankings, and Skelmoth, who had been isolated in the final stages, maintained the lead. Schaffman, who finished second in the section and added a bonus time of -3 seconds, moved up to second overall.
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