The lack of a Spanish top team really hurts the NC field. All top favourites don`t have a team behind them.
LL Sanchez, Madrazo, Contador and Valverde are the riders to watch out for on this hilly course. Though all are alone but Contador, who has Sanz as single helper.
Only if those 4 leaders work together a break can be controlled.
Also help of Euskaltel is needed. 2 full teams with Valls and Cobo as leaders. But if those want to help the stronger leaders?
Pokerstars with a bit of support of I.Izagirre, while Once and Movistar have a bit of support for Landa/Anton or Barrio.
Not a surprise that such low balanced field sees a big breakaway. Many riders see a chance to trick the strongest leaders.
Gallego Martin (POK)
M.Sanz (BON, Only Contador helper)
Guerao (RBH)
Ablenado (ONC)
Rienda Segura (ELT)
MAS (PRP)
Benito (ONC)
E.Sanz (EAF)
Insausti (MUS)
Rojas Gil (MUS)
The leaders need to work themselves as we see Sanchez Gil and Madrazo at the front. Also the others are just behind. No team doing the work as a team. Once with 2 riders ahead just like Movistar while Euskaltel could be a big loser here with only one of the weaker in front. Also Valls as one of the first crashes. While he comes back, this surely did hurt the team.
Quickly the gap is up to 5min, which seems to be too much for leaders alone. 10 riders surely too much to control easily.
Also bad luck for Movistar. Both their riders in the break are dropped on the 2nd hill. None of them is really good on the uphill section and this way they lack real chances today.
The gap to the peloton is big enough. No chance for the lonely leaders behind.
Ablenado sees a chance and attacks. Behind him Gallego Martin and Benito immediately follow.
This makes it 2 Once riders and 1 Pokerstars.
The riders behind though haven`t given up yet and try to make it back to them. But we are already on the final climb.
Benito struggles making it a 1:1 between Once and Pokerstars. Only 1,1km left. So the later riders quickly need to do find better legs if they want to have a late impact.
No. It`s definitely between those 2. Gallego Martin doing all from the front. But he still keeps 1 bike length.
Last corner and Ablenado has the better side. Can he beat Gallego Martin?
The answer is no. The Pokerstars rider takes a big win ahead of him.
While Mas takes 3rd ahead of Benito, the favourites should ask their teams for some support riders for the years to come. This way it was impossible to control such a breakaway.
LL Sanchez was the strongest in the end beating Valverde, Madrazo, Contador and Izagirre for the peloton fight.
The TT couldn`t be more exciting. No clear favourite and lots of rides at about the same level.
Gonzalez Salas stat wise looks like the best. But just a little bit ahead of Madrazo, Intxausti, Fraile and Izagirre.
And also LLS, Verona, Plaza or Contador have shown good performances in the past.
Verona and Plaza made the early times with first being a bit quicker.
But Contador later did beat both of them at the 1st split.
Though he wasn`t the fastest there. 5th for him with all riders passing that point. 12s only though.
Neither was LLS, who only got the 7th best time at this point. Fraile came closer but still 6s off as 3rd.
Fastest after 1/3 was Intxausti. He found his rhytm late in the season but since then had a nice palmares and could crown it with the TT NC today.
Madrazo was 6th with +13. So a bit behind Contador. Izagirre the best of the rest. 5s to Intxausti though while Gonzalez Salas is 4th at 7s.
No big changes at the 2nd split. Madrazo though swapped with Contador for the 5th/6th battle.
3rd split and Intxausti still going strong keeping the lead there.
Fraile as 2nd is 19s behind...
...and different to first 2 splits, Izagirre can`t beat him a bit later. The Pokerstars riders struggled after half time and is 23s behind in 3rd now.
Salas still 4th at 36, Madrazo 42, Contador 43.
Fraile came in as provisional 1st but then quickly is beaten by Intxausti today, who looks like the winner. Not many riders left.
Madrazo in provisional 4th losing the fight against Contador again, who is 1s faster.
Izagirre kept on struggling and comes in 30s behind Intxausti. This also means 6s behind Fraile, who takes 2nd.
Salas in 4th at 47. So big win for RBC and Intxausti today.
Juan Abenhamar Gallego Martin
