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Remco Evenepoel steals Itzulia Basque Country lead from Roglič on penultimate day

Two consecutive stage wins for Ineos Grenadiers

Photo by: Sirotti
April 8, 2022
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Race leader Primož Roglič didn’t have a great day on Friday’s penultimate stage of the 61st Itzulia Basque Country. He couldn’t respond to a high-powered late move and is now in eighth place, giving himself little chance to win the race with a stage remaining. Remco Evenepoel moved into the race lead by coming third. Fugitive Carlos Rodriguez’s win was Ineos Grenadiers’ second consecutive stage victory. Michael Woods was top Canadian, a performance that lifted him to 21st in the GC.

This was the GC situation going into Friday’s stage:
1) Primož Roglič (Slovenia/Jumbo-Visma) 14:05:10
2) Remco Evenepoel (Belgium/Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) +0:05
3) Dani Martinez (Colombia/Ineos Grenadiers) +0:11
4) Alexandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:14
5) Adam Yates (Great Britain/Ineos) +0:18
6) Pello Bilbao (Spain/Bahrain-Victorious) +0:19
7) Jonan Vingegaard (Denmark/Jumbo-Visma) s.t.

The Course

Six categorized climbs were spread out evenly along a 163.8-km route. The final two climbs would prove to be decisive. Karabieta was 6.8 km at 5.4 percent cresting 13 km from the line in Mallabia. The final ascent was 2.9 km of of 4.5 percent with the last 600 metres 10.5 percent.

There were many failed escape attempts in the first hour and a half of racing. On the second climb Bedarona stage 3 winner Pello Bilbao went clear and a group of seven formed around him. Bilbao was only 19 seconds in arrears of Roglič. The rest of the breakaways must have said something to Bilbao because he dropped out of the group and it carried on.

On Cat. 3 Gontzegaraigana the break began to fragment. Back in the peloton Jumbo-Visma lost a worker when the excellently-named Milan Vader crashed out. With 50 km to go, there were only Marc Soler, 1:08 off the race lead, and Carlos Rodriguez at the front 3:50 in front of the peloton, Rodriguez clearly sitting on. Jumbo-Visma and Quick Step worked to bring back the duo.

Soler and Rodriguez had a four minute gap with 50 km to go.

Vlasov’s Bora-Hansgrohe and Bilbao’s Bahrain-Victorious began to contribute to the pace making. At the base of Karabieta, the gap was 2:10. Evenepoel attacked, drawing a strong group of six with him. Martinez was there, as were Vlasov, Vingegaard and Bilbao. Having sat on, Rodriguez surged away from Soler.

With 5 km to go Rodriguez was 30 seconds ahead of the Evenepoel chase and the Roglič group was over a minute back.

Rodriguez barely hung on to win. Martinez was second and Evenepoel third. Vlasov and Vingegaard had to push their bikes across the line after a crash brought both of them down.

After a crash that brought both of them down in the final 50 metres, Vlasov and Vingegaard had to push their machines over the line.

The action wraps up on Saturday with the queen stage: seven categorized climbs shoehorned into 135.7 km. Evenepoel faces an almost impossible task in warding off Martinez.

2022 Itzulia Basque Country Stage 5
1) Carol Rodriguez (Spain/Ineos Grenadiers) 4:07:09
2) Dani Martinez (Colombia/Ineos Grenadiers) +0:07
3) Remco Evenepoel (Belgium/Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) +0:09
15) Michael Woods (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +1:15
38) James Piccoli (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +3:19
58) Hugo Houle (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +6:36

2022 Itzulia Basque Country GC
1) Remco Evenepoel (Belgium/Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) +0:05
2) Dani Martinez (Colombia/Ineos Grenadiers) +0:11
3) Jon Izagirre (Spain/Cofidis) +0:21
21) Michael Woods (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +4:31
53) James Piccoli (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +26:56
56) Hugo Houle (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +32:46