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2016 Vuelta a España Stage 7: Big win for van Genechten

Three Grand Tour wins for IAM Cycling this year

August 26, 2016
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Another Belgian took a stage win in the Vuelta a España Friday, with IAM Cycling’s Jonas van Genechten scooping the victory in a chaotic finale. It was his first Grand Tour triumph and the first top honour of the season. Belgians have now won half of the road stages. Darwin Atapuma (Colombia/BMC) stays in red.


It was another relentlessly lumpy day, with three Cat. 3’s and several uncategorized climbs. Once again Friday was roasting.


Very soon after the start one time race leader Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland/Sky) stepped off the bike, and a breakaway of six flashed away. By the time Luis Angel Mate (Spain/Cofidis) crested the first Cat. 3 climb in the lead, the gap was 3:20, with Giant-Alpecin and Trek-Segafredo driving the peloton.

Mate also tipped over the next Cat. 3, the Alto de Fumaces, first, and was no doubt hoping that the sextet would survive until the last categorized climb. However, the gap was only 1:30, with Etixx-QuickStep contributing.

After fugitive Vegard Stake Laengen (Norway/IAM), Astana really cranked up the pace. The peloton split under the pressure and BMC’s Tejay Van Garderen and Sammy Sanchez both went out the back, Sanchez managing to make it back. But the breakaway was over.

Tinkoff joined Astana and the peloton continued to zoom towards the last Cat. 3 and the finish town of Puebla de Sanabria. On one of the short 12% before the Cat. 3, Dario Cataldo (Italy/Astana) escaped with four others, including Mate, who took the maximum KOM points and is now one point behind category leader Alexandre Geniez (France/FDJ).

With 12-km to go and a 13-second lead, the new break’s chances weren’t good. Simon Clarke (Australia/Cannondale-Drapac) and LL Sanchez (Spain/Astana) were the final fugitives standing and had 18-seconds on the peloton with 3-km remaining.

The duo came under the red kite together. The final 500-metres had a section of 9%. A crash involving Alberto Contador in the peloton disrupted the chase but Sanchez and Clarke were hauled in. Out of the remaining riders, Van Genechten surged ahead for the win.

Cofidis’s team car hit Katusha’s Rein Taaramae and the Estonian had to retire from the race.

Saturday’s profile rises almost imperceptibly all day until a Cat. 1 summit finish. The fur will fly.

2016 Vuelta a España Stage 7
1) Jonas van Genechten (Belgium/IAM Cycling) 3:55:44
2) Danielle Bennati (Italy/Tinkoff) s.t.
3) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) s.t.
134) Ryan Anderson (Canada/Direct Energie) +11:09
141) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-BikeExchange) s.t.

2016 Vuelta a España GC
1) Darwin Atapuma (Colombia/BMC) 25:41:21
2) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +0:24
3) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) +0:32
158) Ryan Anderson (Canada/Direct Energie) +1:01:07
177) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-BikeExchange) +1:14:31

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