Europe Roundup: Thomas and Valverde win titles on Iberian Peninsula

On Sunday, while Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) was taking his first Tour of Oman title in the Middle East, three stage races concluded in Europe. The highlights were Brit Geraint Thomas (Sky) nabbing his second Volta ao Algarve crown in Portugal, while Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) put in a withering, bold attack to nick the Vuelta a Andulacia Ruta del Sol honours from Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) in Spain.

Besides the action on the Iberian Peninsula this weekend, there was a two-stage race in France. The 48th Tour Cycliste International du Haut Var-matin was two days long, but that was long enough for Arthur Vichot (France/FDJ) to grab the win. Vichot was runner-up to Tom Jelte-Slagter (The Netherlands/Cannondale) on Saturday and victor of Sunday’s stage to take his second title.

Canadians Antoine Duchesne and Ryan Anderson were both in action for Direct Energie at the Haut Var. They placed 80th and 86th respectively. Duchesne will be in the mix of Saturday’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, while both will race Sunday’s Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne.

Alberto Contador’s final stage win nearly upstaged Thomas’s second consecutive Volta Algarve title. The Spaniard wrecked the field on Alto do Malhão, finishing 20-seconds ahead of fellow Tour de France favourites Fabio Aru (Italy/Astana) and Thibaut Pinot (France/FDJ) and 28-seconds faster than Thomas. Contador stood third on the final podium, one step lower than Ion Izagirre (Spain/Movistar).

Thomas didn’t garner a stage win, but his second place to LL Sanchez (Spain/Astana) on Stage 2’s summit finish at Alto da Fóia and third place in the next day’s 18-km time trial ensured that Contador wouldn’t be able to topple him.

Toppling was the first order in Sunday’s conclusion of the Vuelta a Andulacia Ruta del Sol. Tejay Van Garderen led the race two-seconds ahead of Dutchman Wilco Kelderman (BMC) after winning Saturday’s time trial, with Valverde in 8th spot 22-seconds adrift.

But Valverde’s bold thrust with 7-km remaining of the 11-km Peñas Blancas climb quickly put the American on the back foot: Valverde clawed back 15-seconds in one-kilometre. By the end, Valverde had pulled out 48-seconds over Van Garderen, though the Spaniard didn’t celebrate at the line, not knowing how big the gap was. It was until the announcer declared it over the tannoy that Valverde realized he had taken this fourth win of the Ruta del Sol in five editions.