Vuelta al Pais Vasco Stage 2 – Tony Martin Wins Solo

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Omega Pharma – Quick-Step’s Tony Martin picked the right moment to go for the solo victory on stage 2 (156 km) Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco on Tuesday

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Vuelta al Pais Vasco Stage 2 – Tony Martin Wins Solo

OPQS teammate Jan Bakelants went on the attack with Martin out of an original breakaway of seven riders with about 17.4km left in the stage. Gorka Izaguirre (Movistar) went with the OPQS teammates.

The rest of the collaboration between the three riders was a chess match as the gap began to drop. Jan Bakelants accelerated with a little more than 12km remaining, which forced Izaguirre to use up important energy to bring him back. Just as Izaguirre pulled back Bakelants, Martin countered and immediately gained a gap with 11.9km to go.

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Photo: OPQS/Tim DeWaele

Izaguirre was unable to chase, and the case was the same for the peloton behind. Despite some attacks from GC contenders such as Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), and even an attempt to bridge by Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team), Martin used the time trial prowess of a three-time UCI World TT Champion and powered away to a solo victory.

Ben Swift won the bunch sprint, just, ahead of Martin’s teammate Michal Kwiatkowski.

It was Martin’s his first individual victory of the season. He was a key part of the Tirreno-Adriatico TTT victory earlier in the year.

“I came here to try and do something good in the GC,” Martin said. “But yesterday the final was too hard for a rider like me. So after yesterday, I decided to focus on the breakaways and of course the TT. This morning I was really motivated. Everybody wanted to try and go.”

“Jan and I went, and for OPQS it was the perfect situation. We collaborated really well with the other guys in the breakaway. The final was really hard. It wasn’t really long climbs, but a lot of up and down like a small Amstel Gold Race. At 15 kilometers to go, we knew to try and win this race it would be important to go 100 percent and not wait.”

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Photo: OPQS/Tim DeWaele

“So, I attacked the breakaway. Bakelants and Izaguirre followed me, and then together with Jan we played a game of attacking one-by-one. When we were with three guys, Bakelants attacked, Izaguirre answered, and at that point I counter attacked. When I went, to me it was kind of like a time trial until the end. I knew in the last 10 kilometers it was possible to win with a 1 minute gap.”

“I want to also thank Jan, because he let me go and he gave up his chance in my favour. This is the team spirit of OPQS and the victory is also for him and the whole team. The last time I won a race that wasn’t a TT was at Tour of Beijing in 2012 when I attacked on the descent. Normally when I win on the road, the races are at smaller stage races”.

“But I have to say a win like today is also really special. I think I was strong in my head also and in the final of the stage I thought of the stage of La Vuelta last year. I said to myself ‘this time, it won’t happen again.’ So I am really satisfied, I have good morale, and I also have good condition and I will try to advantage of this in the time trial”.

“I checked the profile and there are two climbs, which is not so easy for me. But, with the morale and this condition, I will go 100 percent for this race.”

STAGE 2
1 MARTIN Tony Omega Pharma – Quick-Step 03:46:17
2 SWIFT Ben Team Sky 00:30
3 KWIATKOWSKI Michal Omega Pharma – Quick-Step
4 CUNEGO Damiano Lampre-Merida
5 MARTENS Paul Belkin-Pro Cycling Team
6 VALVERDE Alejandro Movistar Team
7 IGLINSKIY Maxim Astana Pro Team
8 ARASHIRO Yukiya Team Europcar
9 MATTHEWS Michael Orica GreenEDGE
10 NOCENTINI Rinaldo AG2R La Mondiale

16 CONTADOR Alberto Tinkoff-Saxo
17 SáNCHEZ Samuel BMC Racing Team
18 GESINK Robert Belkin-Pro Cycling Team
19 GILBERT Philippe BMC Racing Team
20 EVANS Cadel BMC Racing Team
26 VAN GARDEREN Tejay BMC Racing Team
33 VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen Lotto Belisol
34 COSTA Rui Lampre-Merida
35 HESJEDAL Ryder Garmin Sharp
38 SLAGTER Tom-Jelte Garmin Sharp
44 SANCHEZ Luis Leon Caja Rural – Seguros RGA
48 YATES Simon Orica GreenEDGE
53 DUMOULIN Tom Team Giant-Shimano
57 ALBASINI Michael Orica GreenEDGE 01:42
63 SCHLECK Fränk Trek Factory Racing 02:57
69 SCHLECK Andy Trek Factory Racing @3.27
70 GERRANS Simon Orica GreenEDGE
115 KENNAUGH Peter Team Sky 07:43
126 YATES Adam Orica GreenEDGE 11.24
127 EDMONDSON Joshua Team Sky
129 VOIGT Jens Trek Factory Racing

DNF DANIELSON Thomas Garmin Sharp –
DNF BETANCUR Carlos AG2R La Mondiale

OVERALL
1 CONTADOR Alberto Tinkoff-Saxo 07:51:54
2 VALVERDE Alejandro Movistar Team 00:14
3 KWIATKOWSKI Michal Omega Pharma – Quick-Step 00:34
4 CUNEGO Damiano Lampre-Merida 00:36
5 EVANS Cadel BMC Racing Team
6 PERAUD Jean-Christophe AG2R La Mondiale
7 NIEVE Mikel Team Sky
8 TROFIMOV Yuri Team Katusha
9 KREUZIGER Roman Tinkoff-Saxo 00:54
10 LANDA Mikel Astana Pro Team

12 SLAGTER Tom-Jelte Garmin Sharp
15 SáNCHEZ Samuel BMC Racing Team
18 VAN GARDEREN Tejay BMC Racing Team
19 VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen Lotto Belisol
24 YATES Simon Orica GreenEDGE
Stages to come
Stage 3 | Urdazabi-Urdax – Vitoria-Gasteiz 194.7
Stage 4 | Vitoria-Gasteiz – Eibar (Arrate) 151
Stage 5 | Eibar – Markina-Xemein 160.2
Stage 6 (ITT) | Markina-Xemein – Markina-Xemein

 

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