National Road Championships of Armenia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Andora, the Faroe Islands and Sweden
No less than six national championships on cobbles combined today. Anderberg (Sweden), Darbinyan (Armenia), Pluchkin (Moldova) and Nielsen will almost surely win their nc, whereas the Andorran ( Ponce versus Xandri) and the Uzbeki ( Siddikov versus Medvedev) results are a bit less predictable.
Now this is interesting! No amateur attacks, but professionals who feel they aren’t the favourite for their country! Veyhe attacks in an attempt to win the Faroese title again, but Nielsen is also in the first group. Armenian underdog Grigrian is here as well, and so is Swedish favourite Anderberg. A bit further behind we see Tanovitchii for Moldova while his teammate Pluchkin is chilling in the peloton, and Andorran Xandri also making a move.
It’s a total mayhem as several teams don’t want to work, both in the peloton and the attack. As we leave the penultimate cobbled sector with 20 km to go, we’re left with four leaders from four different nationalities. Nielsen for the Faroe Islands still together with favourite Anderberg for Sweden, whereas the Andorran Ponce and the Uzbeki Medvedev joined them. Bertilsson (Sweden) and Xandri (Andorra) the first chasers. Won’t be easy to come back, but it isn’t over yet. Pluchkin now joining his teammate Tanovitchii a bit further behind, while the two Armenians Darbinyan and Grigrian are on the cobbles together even further.
We’ve got a fun nc here, as the leading group increases back to nine riders just before the last cobbled sector with 9 km to go. Bertilsson (Sweden) and Xandri (Andorra) came back, as well as the two Popo4Ever Moldovans and Gjensidige’s Uzbeki Siddikov!
Tanovitchii can kiss the Molodvan nc goodbye as he punctures on the cobbles. Anderberg gets a gap, but mostly thanks to his Swedish rival Bertilsson it gets closed with 3 km to go! We are going to see a sprint of dying swans for the daily win and several nc’s!
Is there anything he can’t do?! Pluchkin wins the sprint and is Moldovan champion and winner of the day! Bertilsson has really outdone himself and manages to finish just ahead of top favourite Anderberg to get the Swedish title to Carlsberg! Siddikov sprints to fourth, meaning he wins the Uzbeki title! Nielsen wins the Faroese title very easily and finishes fifth in this group. Xandri holds off Ponce, as the Andorran title goes to Indosat Ooredoo! Darbinyan comes in quite a bit later to ensure a second title for King Power in this race.
Result
1
Aleksandr Pluchkin
Team Popo4Ever p/b Nemiroff
1h19'48
2
Christian Bertilsson
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
s.t.
3
Hampus Anderberg
Aker - MOT
s.t.
4
Dilmurdjon Siddikov
Gjensidige Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
5
Joanis Albert Nielsen
King Power
s.t.
6
Jan Xandri
Indosat Ooredoo
s.t.
7
Sergey Medvedev
Nordstrom - CA Technologies
s.t.
8
Joel Ponce
Team Tinkoff - La Datcha
s.t.
9
Nicolae Tanovitchii
Team Popo4Ever p/b Nemiroff
+ 3'48
12
Varsham Darbinyan
King Power
+ 8'21
17
Philip Lindau
Gjensidige Pro Cycling Team
+ 11'21
18
Artur Grigrian
Team UBS
+ 14'22
21
Torkil Veyhe
Bakkafrost
s.t.
National Time Trial Championships of Armenia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Andora, the Faroe Islands and Sweden
The same countries as in the road race with a clear favourite (although that favourite might be different, as is the case with Armenia), whereas Andorra and Uzebekistan could have a tight battle again.
Nielsen with the infamous Faroese double, as he finishes in 1h09’32”, which is 1’36” faster than Veyhe.
Siddikov also with a double, as he beats his compatriot Medvedev by 25”.
And another one! Xandri is 55” faster than Ponce and wins the Andoran time trial championship.
Grigrian is 5’30” faster than road champion Darbinyan, winning the Armenian time trial championship.
Anderberg disappointed on the cobbles, but easily snatches away the Swedish time trial win, more than 3’ faster than any other Swede.
But the man of the day is once again Pluchkin, winning both the combined and the Moldovan title!
