Pelucchi charges to stage 2 win at Vuelta a Burgos
The Italian holds off two Giant-Shimano riders to earn the victory
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Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling) won the second stage of the Vuelta a Burgos on Tuesday.
The Italian was able to fend off two Giant-Shimano riders, Steven Lammertink and Thomas Damuseau, for the victory in a mad dash to the finish line.
“I am very pleased with this second victory of the year for me, after my success at Tirreno-Adriatico,” said Pelucchi. “But the victory is very much because of and for the team; they really gave me incredible support throughout the day. My teammates stayed with me early in the day when we had a cat 2 climb and helped me over that. Then all went well in the finale. The guys rode hard at the front of the pack before the final kilometer. I sat in the wheels and then [Aleksejs] Saramotins and [Vicente] Reynès launched me before my big effort 20 meters from the line. I have not raced since May, but I was well prepared with an eye toward the Tour of Spain, especially after our training camp in Bernina. This victory is good for the head and will allow me to continue working toward the Vuelta with confidence.”
Juan Jose Lobato (Movistar), who won Wednesday’s stage 1, remains in the race leader’s jersey.
The peloton was all together as it approached the end of the 152-kilometer stage from Briviesca to Villadiego. A handful of teams, including IAM Cycling, Movistar, and Neri Sottoli, took turns leading the pack in the final kilometers.
As the riders passed under the flamme rouge signifying there was 1km to go, they were still in a tight pack and speeding along at 60 kph.
A left turn with about 500 meters to go slowed down the pace slightly, and a right turn after that took the riders into the finishing straight. It was out of that right turn that Pelucchi made his winning move.
Pelucchi opened up his finishing kick as he emerged from the curve, an effort that the Giant riders initially matched. But he was able to out-muscle them in the head-to-head-to-head showdown and cross the line victorious.
Break, and a solo attempt
An escape group consisting of Javier Francisco Aramendia (Caja Rural), Mirko Tedeschi (Neri Sottoli), Adrien Niyonshuti (MTN-Qhubeka), Pablo Torres (Burgos-BH), and Sergei Pomoshnikov (RusVelo) formed early in the race. The peloton stayed relatively close behind, never letting the group put more than about two and a half minutes between them.
With 25km left to race, the gap was down to 45 seconds and tumbling. A few minutes later, Aramendia decided it was time to make a move.
Aramendia surged ahead of his breakaway mates, immediately putting some real estate between himself and the rest of the riders. With 19km remaining, he held a lead of 1:05.
Aramendia eventually succumbed to the peloton, which was steaming along at high speed. He was swallowed up with 10km to go.