Quick-Step Floor's wins UCI TTT

Quick-Step Floor's wins UCI Road World Championship team time trial after rounding off day one in Innsbruck by taking victory in the men’s team time trial.

Kasper Asgreen, Laurens De Plus, Bob Jungels, Yves Lampaert, Max Schachmann and Niki Terpstra destroyed the 62.8km course with a time of 1:07:26, beating
Team Sunweb by 18 seconds while BMC Racing finished third, 20 seconds down.

How it unfolded

Like to the women’s course, the men’s ran from the Area 47 waterpark in Ötztal to Innsbruck, but there was one rather large difference – the men had to deviate to tackle a 62.8km course that including a climb two-thirds of the way in.

The 4.6km Axams climb averages 5.7%, with sections of 10% on the lower slopes, and would prove to be the vital part of the route. Checkpoints came after the initial flat 22.8km, and at the top of the climb, 44.9km in.

Results

1, Quick - Step Floors 1:07:25,
2, Team Sunweb0:00:19,
3, BMC Racing Team0:00:20,
4, Team Sky 0:00:45,
5, Mitchelton - Scott0:00:57,
6, Movistar Team0:01:32,
7, Trek-Segafredo0:02:04,
8, Bora-Hansgrohe0:02:08,
9, CCC Sprandi Polkowice0:02:38,
10, Astana Pro Team0:02:54,
11,Team Katusha Alpecin0:02:56,
12, Elkov- Author0:03:18, 13,Team LottoNL - Jumbo0:03:28,
14, Team Vorarlberg Santic0:04:47,
15, AG2R La Mondiale0:05:19,
16, Team Felbermayr Simplon Wels0:05:40,
17, Tirol Cycling Team0:06:25, 18, Hrinkow Advarics Cycleang0:07:03,
19, Sangemini - Mg. K Vis - Vega0:07:06,
20, Team Lotto - Kern Haus0:07:34,
21, Dukla Banska Bystrica0:08:10 11WSA Pushbikers

Jelle Wallays (Lotto-Soudal) powers to stage 18 victory Vuelta a Espana.

Jelle Wallays (Lotto-Soudal) nabs sprinters day in a breathless finale in Lleida, Vuelta a Espana.
He out-sprinted his breakaway companion Sven Erik Bystrom (UAE Team Emirates) just as the peloton was bearing down upon them in the finishing straight.

How it unfolded

Few anticipated anything other than a bunch sprint on stage 18 when the Vuelta route was unveiled in January, and nothing about the opening phase of Thursday's stage suggested a deviation from that script.

Wallays, Bol and Bystrom escaped from the peloton after 3km, but their freedom came with rigorously designated limits. Sprint opportunities are few and far between at the modern Vuelta – witness the 'flat' day that finished on the climb to Caminito del Rey on stage 2 – and the fast men's teams kept a tight rein on the break's advantage throughout the afternoon.

Top Ten General Classification standings

1, Simon Yates (Great Britain) Mitchelton-Scott 73:02:37,
2, Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Movistar Team 00:00:25,
3, Enric Mas (Spain) Quick-Step Floors 00:01:22,
4, Miguel Angel Lopez (Colombia) Astana Pro Team 00:01:36,
5, Steven Kruijswijk (Netherland) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:01:48,
6, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 00:02:11
7, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida 00:04:09,
8, Rigoberto Uran (Colombia) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale 00:04:36,
9, Thibaut Pinot (France) Groupama-FDJ 00:05:31
10, Tony Gallopin (France) AG2R La Mondiale 00:06:05

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) wins stage 15 Vuelta a Espana

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) attacks to win fog-covered Lagos de Covadonga stage 15 Vuelta a Espana. Overshadowing the overrall contenders who marked each other closely, squabbled and so kept the status quo in the fight for the red leader’s jersey.
Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) took second on the stage, 28 seconds down on Pinot, with race leader Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) third at 30 seconds. Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana (Movistar), and Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) were just behind, meaning they are now the leading five overall contenders as the Vuelta enjoys the second rest day on Monday.

How it unfolded

The 178km stage to Lagos de Covadonga was considered the queen stage of this year’s race. It will not decide who wins the Vuelta, instead, it confirmed how closely matched the overall contenders are, despite three big days in the mountains of northern Spain.

Yet again a fast start and multiple attacks came, with a group of 12 getting away on the stage's first small climb. They held on to a gap of up to 5:30, with Mitchelton-Scott happy to let Astana take over the chase for the final 60km. Their hard work ensured the break was brought under control and gave Lopez a shot at a stage victory.

Top Ten General classification

1, Simon Yates (Great Britain) Mitchelton-Scott64:13:33,
2, Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Movistar Team 0:00:26,
 3, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 0:00:33,
4, Miguel Angel Lopez (Colombia) Astana Pro Team0:00:43,
5, Steven Kruijswijk (Netherland) LottoNL-Jumbo0:01:29,
6, Enric Mas (Spain) Quick-Step Floors0:01:55,
7, Thibaut Pinot (France) Groupama-FDJ0:02:10,
8, Rigoberto Uran (Colombia) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale0:02:27,
9, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida0:03:03,
10, Emanuel Buchmann (Germany) Bora-Hansgrohe0:03:15 

Simon Yates (Mitchellton-Scott) 14 victory and takes red in vuelta a Espana

Simon Yates (Mitchellton-Scott) solo's to stage 14 victory atop Alto Les Praeres and the overall lead in the Vuelta a Espana. He breakaway from a select group that formed on the steep climb and jumped within the last kilometer. Second went to Mikel Lopez (Astana) and third to Alejandro Valverde at two seconds.


How it unfolded

A six-rider break formed early on this difficult mountain stage, unexpectedly featuring Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky), a threat to the overall leader. The hard climbs took their toll and near the end, Kwiatkowski took off solo. With some 35 km to go, the peloton split, with red jersey Herrada on the wrong side. Vincenzo Nibali pulled the lead front part of the peloton, with Alejandro Valverde, Nairo Quintana, Simon Yates and the other top favourites all in the group.

Top General Classification standings

1, Simon Yates (Great Britain) Mitchelton-Scott 59:11:18,
2 Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Movistar Team 59:11:38,
3, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 59:11:43,
4, Miguel Angel Lopez (Colombia) Astana Pro Team 59:12:05,
5, Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo 59:12:41,
6, Rigoberto Uran (Colombia) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale 59:12:46,
7, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida 59:12:58
8, Enric Mas (Spain) Quick-Step Floors 59:13:05,
9, Tony Gallopin (Fr3a) AG2R La Mondiale 59:13:13,
10, Emanuel Buchmann (Germany) Bora-Hansgrohe 59:13:26

Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) wins stage 10 Vuelta a Espana.

Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) sprints to stage 10 victory Bermillo de Sayago, Vuelta a Espana. 

He described it as his most perfect lead-out of the season, and it was hard to argue with that assessment after the Italian champion scored an emphatic victory in the bunch sprint.

Meanwhile overrall race leader Simon Yates (Mitchellton-Scott) finished safely in the main peloton to retain the red jersey, though the Briton was one of a number of overall contenders to suffer a late scare when there was a spate of punctures in the closing kilometres.

How it unfolded

The Vuelta resumed after its first rest day with a 177km leg that brought the race to within touching distance of the Portuguese border, and it was perhaps no surprise to find Minho native Tiago Machado (Katusha-Alpecin) among the riders chasing earlier escapee Jesus Ezquerra (Burgos-BH).

Top Ten General Classification Standings

1, Simon Yates (Great Britain) Mitchelton-Scott41:03:00,
2, Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Movistar Team0:00:01,
3, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team0:00:14,
4, Emanuel Buchmann (Germany) Bora-Hansgrohe0:00:16,
5, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida0:00:17,
6, Tony Gallopin (France) AG2R La Mondiale0:00:24,
7, Miguel Angel Lopez (Colombia) Astana Pro Team0:00:27,
8, Rigoberto Uran (Colombia) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale0:00:32,
9, Steven Kruijswijk (Netherland) LottoNL-Jumbo0:00:43,
10, George Bennett (NewZealand) LottoNL-Jumbo0:00:47

Alejandro Valverde (Team Movistar) wins stage 8 vuelta a espana

Alejandro Valverde  (Team Movistar) out sprints world road race champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe)

to win his second stage victory on Saturday in Almadén, Vuelta a Espana.

Danny van Poppel, whose LottoNL-Jumbo team had dominated the tricky final kilometre - which also included a near-180-degree switchback on a roundabout - finished a more distant third.

How stage 8 unfolded

The 195km stage from Linares to Almadén was one of the flattest of the whole Vuelta, with just one categorized climb in the form of the Cat-3 Alto de Españares. However, the heat - nearing 40 degrees - combined with the distance to make it another tough day in the saddle, made all the more complicated by the finale, which included gradients of four per cent that started biting with two kilometres to go.

A breakaway formed after just a few kilometres, containing Thiago Machado (Katusha-Alpecin), Jorge Cubero (Burgos-BH), and Hector Saez (Euskadi-Murias). With just three representatives, it never posed much of a threat to the peloton, and the gap was allowed to yawn out to more than 12 minutes.

Top Ten General Classification Standings

1 Rudy Molard (France)Groupama-FDJ 31:20:34,
2, Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Movistar Team 00:00:37,
3, Emanuel Buchmann (Germany) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:48,
4, Simon Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott 00:00:51,
5, Tony Gallopin (France) AG2R La Mondiale 00:00:59,
6, Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) Team Sky 00:01:06,
7, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida 00:01:11,
8, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 00:01:14,
9, Steven Kruijswijk (Netherlands) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:01:18,
10, Enric Mas (Spain) Quick-Step Floors 00:01:23

Tony Gallopin (AG2R La Mondiale) solo's to stage 7 victory in Vuelta a Espana.

Tony Gallopin (AG2R La Mondiale) wins stage 7 of the Vuelta a Espana after attacking from a reduced group inside the final three kilometres. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) wins the bunch sprint from the chasing group with Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) in third place.

Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ) extended his race lead after Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) lost time following a crash in the final kilometres. 

An impressive ride from Gallopin. He jumped from the front with around 2km to go and took advantage of a disorganised chase. Sagan beat Valverde to second but the world champion, despite help from Majka, couldn't bring back the AG2R rider. Molard, he finished in the same group and will extend his lead on GC with Kwiatkowski losing time.

How it unfolded

For the second day in Murcia, the sprinters would get another chance but the lumpy course and gently rising finish meant that the puncheurs could upset the fast men. Stage 7 of the Vuelta a Espana would bring the peloton inland from Puerto Lumbreras to Pozo Alcon. After a chaotic finish to Thursday's stage, Molard had kept hold of his red jersey for at least another day and would be hoping for an easier route through the day.

The break was formed almost immediately as seven riders launched themselves off the front of the bunch in the early kilometres. Several more tried to join them but they were brought back by the peloton, who looked eager to make sure that the leading group didn't have too much strength in numbers.

Top Ten General Classification Standings.

1, Rudy Molard (France) Groupama-FDJ 26:44:40,
2, Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Movistar Team 0:00:47,
3, Emanuel Buchmann (Germany) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:48,
4, Simon Yates (Great Britain) Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:51,
5, Tony Gallopin (France) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:59,
6, Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) Team Sky 0:01:06,
7, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida 0:01:11,
8, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 0:01:14
9 Steven Kruijswijk (Netheland

) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:01:18

10, Enric Mas (Spain) Quick-Step Floors 0:01:23

Nacer Bouhanni (Team Cofidis) wins stage 6 Vuelta a Espana.

Nacer Bouhanni (Team Cofidis) powers to chaotic reduced bunch finale victory in San Javier, Vuelta a Espan

A day which seemingly was calm ended in tempest meanwhile Wilco Kelderman ( Team Sunweb) and
Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) conceded significant ground in the race for final overall victory.

Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ) finished safely in the front group to retain the red jersey, 41 seconds ahead of Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky), but the story of the day in the GC battle is the 1:45 conceded by Kelderman and Pinot when the bunch fragmented through a combination of a crash and crosswinds in the final 25 kilometres or so.

How it unfolded

After a fraught and high-speed opening to Wednesday's rugged leg to Roquetas de Mar, there was a rather more sedate beginning to stage 5. Once the flag dropped in Huércal-Overa, a trio of riders slipped clear and the peloton gladly granted them their freedom.

Top Ten General Classification Standing

Wilco Kelderman has dropped out of the top 10 after missing out on that split.

1, Rudy Molard (France) Groupama-FDJ 22:26:15,
2, Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) Team Sky 0:00:41,
3, Emanuel Buchmann (Germany) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:48,
4 Simon Yates (Great Britain) Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:51,
5, Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Movistar Team 0:00:53,
6, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida 0:01:11,
7, Tony Gallopin (France) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:14,
8, Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:01:14,
9, Steven Kruijswijk (Netherland) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:01:18,
10, Enric Mas (Spain) Quick-Step Floors 0:01:23

Simon Clarke (EF Education First-Drapac) wins stage 5 Vuelta a Espana

Simon Clarke (EF Education First-Drapac) wins stage victory in Roquetas de Mar in Vuelta a Espana.

It was another day for breakaway to excel for second day running. Clarke out-sprinted Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) and Alessandro De Marchi (BMC Racing), who had attacked from a sizeable breakaway with 60 kilometres remaining.
Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ), who finished in the group behind Clarke, was the surprise recipient of the red jersey, ousting Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) from the top spot. Molard holds a 1:01 advantage over Kwiatkowski with Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) in third place at 1:08.

How it unfolded

The challenging opening to the Vuelta a Espana with another lumpy affair from Granada to Roquetas de Mar, featuring two classified climbs. Kwiatkowski was once again in red after defending his jersey on the Vuelta's first summit finish.

Stage 5 Top Ten General Classification.

1, Rudy Molard (France) Groupama-FDJ 18:27:20,
2, Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) Team Sky 0:01:01,
3, Emanuel Buchmann (Germany) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:08,
4, Simon Yates (Great Britain) Mitchelton-Scott 0:01:11,
5, Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Movistar Team 0:01:13,
6, Wilco Kelderman (Netherland) Team Sunweb 0:01:26,
7, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida 0:01:31,
8, Tony Gallopin (France) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:34,
9, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 0:01:34,
10, Steven Kruijswijk (Netherland) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:01:38

Ben King (Dimension Data) wins stage 4 Vuelta a Espana.

Ben King (Dimension Data) wins two man up sprint against Nikita Stalnov (Astana Pro Team) in the summit of Puerto de Alfacar, Vuelta a Espana. While

race leader Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) did enough to retain his red jersey in the face of attacks from Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) and Emmanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe).

How it unfolded

Although Sunday's trek to Caminito del Rey finished just beyond the top of a category 3 climb, stage 4 was classed as the Vuelta's maiden summit finish. With the demanding finale above Granada in mind – not to mention the soaring temperatures – there was no great resistance to the day's opening attack.

King, Stalnov and Rolland were joined by Luis Angel Maté (Cofidis), Jelle Wallays (Lotto Soudal), Lars Boom (LottoNL-Jumbo), Oscar Cabedo Carda (Burgos BH), Aritz Bagues (Euskadi Basque Country-Murias) and Ben Gastauer (AG2R La Mondiale) in forging clear in the opening kilometres, and the peloton was more than content to leave them to it.

Top Ten General Classification

1, Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) Team Sky13:47:19,
2, Emanuel Buchmann (Germany) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:07,
3, Simon Yates (Great Britain) Mitchelton Scott0:00:10,
4, Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team0:00:12,
5, Wilco Kelderman (Netherland) Team Sunweb0:00:25,
6, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida0:00:30,
7, Tony Gallopin (France) AG2R La Mondiale0:00:33,
8, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team,
9, Steven Kruijswijk (Netherland) LottoNL-Jumbo0:00:37,
10, Enric Mas (Spain) Quick-Step Floors0:00:42

Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) wins stage 3 Vuelta a Espana

Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) wins messy finale by beating Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) to win in Alhaurin de la Torre while Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) finished just behind the Italian pair's to take third place.

The final run in was scary as there was no one team in control of the peloton in the final kilometres.

How it Unfolded

The peloton would descend on Mijas for the start of stage 3 with Kwiatkowski resplendent in red after taking the race lead the previous day. The 178.2km circuitous ride to Alhaurin de la Torre had been billed as one for the sprinters, but with a first category climb and another third category, only time would tell if the sprinters would succeed.

Meanwhile Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) finished safely with pack to keep his red jersey and maintain his 14 second lead over Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) with the rest of the top 10 remaining the same.

Top Ten General Classification Standings

1, Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) Team Sky9:10:52,
2, Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Movistar Team0:00:14,
3, Wilco Kelderman (Netherland) Team Sunweb0:00:25,
4, Laurens De Plus (Belgium) Quick-Step Floors0:00:28,
5, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida0:00:30,
6, Fabio Felline (Italy) Trek-Segafredo,
7, Emanuel Buchmann (Germany) Bora-Hansgrohe0:00:32,
8, Tony Gallopin (France) AG2R La Mondiale0:00:33,
9, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team,
10, Bauke Mollema (Netherland) Trek-Segafredo