This is the first win of the season for Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team)! The double world champion won the second leg of the Tour of the Basque Country, whose arrival was assessed in Viana. After Ibon Ruiz (Equipo Kern Pharma), the last survivor of the break of the day, was caught 500 meters from the finish, Remco Evenepoel threw his French teammate perfectly, who then easily got the upper hand Fabien Doubey (Team TotalEnergies), French cycling to win a double.
Video – Here’s Julian Alaphilippe’s First Win of the Season
Primoz Roglic stays in yellow
The podium of the day was completed by the Belgian Quinten Hermans (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), while Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech) and Orluis Aular (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) finished fourth and fifth. seventh, eighth and ninth respectively, Adam Yates (INEOS Grenadiers), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Remco Evenepoel finished in the top 10. Arriving in the pack, Primoz Roglici (Team Jumbo-Visma) retains the leader’s yellow jersey.
Exciting things from the Wolfpack at #Itzulia ~ƒ pic.twitter.com/GlDeyub4as
— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team (@qst_alphavinyl) Apr 5, 2022
Four riders in a 100% Spanish breakaway
As soon as the real start is given, four Spaniards are close behind: Julen Amezqueta (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Other Okamika (Burgos Bra), Ibai Azurmendic (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Ibon Ruiz (Equipo Kern Pharma). The peloton does not react, the first break of this 61st of the Tour of the Basque Country consists! She manages to get a margin of up to 5 minutes, after which this gap logically narrows over the kilometers. About forty terminals from the finish, at the foot of the last mentioned difficulty of the day, the long climb of Aguilar Gaina (12.6 km at 3.1%, the leading quartet is about 2 minutes ahead of the peloton.
As he climbs at a moderate pace, he is startled by an attack of Mauri Vansevenant (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), but the Belgian is quickly chased and no one comes out. On top, crossed at the head by Ibon Ruizwho will be the wearer of the best climbing jersey in the Tour of the Basque Country at the end of this 2nd stage the gap has not narrowed much – 1’35” – but there are still more than 25 kilometers to go. However, the four front ones are starting to believe it, especially as no teams are really chasing the inside themselves the pack.
“ Vianan sartu da tropela!
�’� @GipuzkoaKirolak
MORE INFO ‘‰ https://t.co/tm6yIyQeiO#Itzulia pic.twitter.com/rElvKzXDHw
—Itzulia Basque Country (@ehitzulia) Apr 5, 2022
Ibon Ruiz resumes after the red flame, Evenepoel launches Alaphilippe towards success
13 kilometers from the finish, Ruiz take advantage of a moment of vagueness in the breakout to set out on your own. After a few moments of hesitation, Okamika makes the effort and tries to return to his compatriot. He is followed by Azuremendia and Amezquetabut the last one won’t pass OkamikaCausing Ruiz to take the field. The end of the stage was interrupted by a few small bumps that hurt the legs of the front runners, and especially the leader, but he resisted.
At 6 terminals of the goal he has a 15 seconds lead on the chasing trio and 1 minute on a still disorganized peloton. However, it rolls behind very quickly, and Ibon Ruiz loses cluster of seconds by cluster of seconds. The pursuers were caught 2 kilometers from Viana, after which the leader suffered the same fate 500 meters from the finish. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) then turns into a pilot fish to Julian Alaphilippe, who puts the throttle 175 yards from the line to take his first win of the season. He’s ahead Fabien Doubey (Team TotalEnergies) and Quinten Hermans (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Materials).
What a team 🤩#Itzulia pic.twitter.com/iXSNBsEk4J
— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team (@qst_alphavinyl) Apr 5, 2022