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Vuelta a España: another breakaway winner as Philippe Gilbert rolls back the years

Belgian vet earns Wolfpack its 59th victory of the season

September 5, 2019
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Philippe Gilbert (Belgium/Deceuninck-Quick Step) showed that be might be peaking just before the World Championships as he took his sixth stage victory of the Vuelta a España on Thursday. Gilbert is the fifth rider to win out of a breakaway in 11 road race stages, with the first three coming from separate wild card squads. The GC competition was “as you were” before Friday’s big showdown on Los Machucos.

The Course

Stage 12 was a real Basque Country special, although the first two thirds were fairly straightforward. Three sharp climbs would define the race. First came the Barrio de la Goitioltza, 1.9 km of 11.9 percent. Up next was the Alto El Vivero, 4 km of 7.7 percent. Peaking with 7 km remaining, the Arraiz Igoera slammed the riders with 1.9 km of 12.6 percent. The peloton would descend into Bilbao for the finish.

Late Break

The first hour of racing done at full gallop, no break was able to stay away. After 100 km, the average speed was 47 km/h even in the rain and there was still no breakaway. Finally, on a long descent nineteen riders scampered away. In short order, Gilbert and the other fugitives had rolled up a 3:00 gap.

The breakaway survived the Barrio de la Goitioltza intact. On the longer Alto El Vivero, Felix “Three S” Grossschartner pushed clear from his breakmates. Tsgabu Grmay bridged over with 27 km to go. Jumbo-Visma pulled along the peloton.

Endgame

Going through Bilbao the first time, G and G had only 13-seconds over the chasers but 3:30 over the peloton. One climb remained.

The two riders couldn’t stay clear of their breakmates. Gilbert, heading back to Lotto-Soudal next year after three years at Deceuninck-Quick Step , punched ahead on the Arraiz Igoera and pried open a big gap. Back in the peloton Angel Lopez attacked but this sword thrust accomplished little but to streamline his group. Behind Gilbert, two wild card riders were coming hard but they would not catch the 37-year-old Belgian.

2019 Vuelta a Esapaña Stage 12
1) Philippe Gilbert (Belgium/Deceuninck-Quick Step) 3:48:18
2) Alex Aranburu (Spain/Caja Rural) +0:02
3) Fernando Barcelo (Spain/Euskadi Basque Country-Murias) s.t.

2019 Vuelta a España GC
1) Primož Roglič (Slovenia/Jumbo-Visma) 44:52:08
2) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +1:52
3) Angel Lopez (Colombia/Astana) +2:11
4) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) +3:00
5) Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) +3:05