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Astana on fire last week

Eight victories in three continents

February 18, 2019
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Last February 18, Canadian Cycling Magazine reported on Team Sky killing it in the Colombia Oro y Paz, the Volta ao Algarve and the Ruta Del Sol during the previous week. Today, CCM reveals that it’s Astana that had the wicked (extended) week of February 10-18, with seven victories on three continents.

Sunday, February 10: Jon Izagirre (Spain) – Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (2.1) GC
Friday, February 15: Pello Bilbao (Spain) – Vuelta Ciclista de Murcia (2.1) Stage 1
Saturday, February 16: LL Sanchez (Spain) – Vuelta Ciclista de Murcia (2.1) Stage 2 and GC
Sunday, February 17: Gorka Izagirre (Spain) – Tour de la Provence (2.1) GC
Sunday, February 17: Angel Lopez (Colombia) – Tour of Colombia 2.1 (2.1) GC
Sunday, February 17: Andrey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) – Tour of Oman (2.HC) Stage 2
Monday, February 18: Andrey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) – Tour of Oman (2.HC) Stage 3

Gorka Izagirre’s first victory for Astana was 13 hundreds of a second over Australian Simon Clarke of EF Education First, a team that’s also been putting up the winds in the earliest part of 2018. The Tour de la Provence’s leader’s jersey is reminiscent of the classic La Vie Claire jersey of the 1980s.

Tour De La Provence winner Gorka Izagirre and chilly teammates. Photo: Sirotti

Lutsenko, the Tour of Oman’s title holder, will have to hold off Rui Costa, Greg van Avermaet, Jesus Herrada and Domenico Pozzovivo on Wednesday’s stage up Green Mountain is he wants to keep his title.

LL Sanchez already has 15 days of racing completed this season. He’s won the Vuelta Ciclista de Murcia two times in a row.

Angel “Superman” Lopez’s Tour of Colombia title came after Sunday’s final queen stage that ended atop the Alto de Palmas. Lopez was third behind Nairo Quintana and Sky’s new climbing ace Ivan Sosa. Quintana earned his 37th professional win despite being knocked from his bike by an overenthusiastic, clumsy fan.