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August 22/16 21:11 pm - Vuelta a Espana: Stage 2 and 3


Posted by Editoress on 08/22/16
 

FDJ's Alexandre Geniez wins stage three

Winner of a Vuelta stage in Peyragudes in 2013, Alexandre Geniez reminded he's still a solid Grand Tour rider with his victory at the Ezaro Viewpoint overlooking the Atlantic on Monday. In the steep final climb, the Frenchman took a lone win,  avenging his season woes after being forced out of the Giro when the leader of his FDJ team. In the race between the leading contenders, Alberto Contador again lost ground over his rivals, who finished together behind Spain's Ruben Fernandez (Movistar), second in the stage and the new overall leader of the Vuelta.

The 198 riders took the start, Angel Madrazo (Caja Rural) was the first rider on the move. He was reined in and four riders broke clear at kilometre 14 – Jerome Cousin (Cofidis), Simon Pellaud (IAM Cycling), David Arroyo (Caja Rural), and Gatis Smukulis (Astana). Four kilometres further down the road, they were joined by Alexandre Geniez (FDJ), Rudiger Selig (Bora-Argon 18) and Pieter Serry (Etixx-Quick Step). Simon Pellaud, lying 1:13 adrift overall, was the best-placed rider of the breakaway, whose lead topped at 5:30 at kilometre 115.

Warren Barguil, who started the Vuelta in poor shape with a lingering sinusitis, was the first rider to drop out of this 71st edition.

In the ascent of Alto de Lestaio (Km 118), the leading group split and Pellaud was first at the top of the 3rd category climb, foiiowed by Geniez. The peloton recached the summit seven minutes behind as Pellaud attacked on his own in the descent.

One kilometre from the top of the second category Alto Das Paxareiras (km 155.4), the former under-23 Swiss champion faltered and was caught and dropped by Geniez and Serry, the Frenchman collecting the KOM points to rid his team-mate Laurent Pichon of his polka dot jersey.

Pellaud made it back in the descent, Serry won the intermediate sprint of the day (Km 166) and the three led the pack by 2:00 at the bottom of the last climb in Ezaro, 1.6 kilometres from the finish line. In the pack, Tour de Suisse winner Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) was involved in a bad crash 8 km from the finish.

Geniez quickly dropped Pellaud and parted with Serry with one kilometre to go to reach the top on his own. Behind, Movistar displayed a formidable collective strength to launch Ruben Fernandez, who sprinted to second place to take the red jersey off Michal Kwiatkwowski's back.

Alejandro Valverde, Chris Froome and Esteban Chaves finished together at 26 seconds behind Geniez, with Nairo Quintana another six second adrift. Alberto Contador again lost precious ground, finishing 28 seconds behind his leading rivals.

 

 

Results from the second and third stages of the Vuelta a España, in Spain

Stage 2 (August 21st): Ourense to Baiona, 160.8 km
1 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step 4:16:39
2 Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
3 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-BikeExchange
4 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
5 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) IAM Cycling
6 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Dimension Data
7 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
8 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Team Katusha
9 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
10 Lorenzo Manzin (Fra) FDJ
11 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-BikeExchange
12 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Esp) Movistar Team
13 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha
14 Eduard Prades Reverte (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
15 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Lampre - Merida
16 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step
17 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
18 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
19 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
20 Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits all s.t.
 
185 Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie 2:47
 
Stage 3: Marin to Mirador Ezaro, 176.4 km
1 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ 4:28:36
2 Ruben Fernandez (Esp) Movistar Team at 0:21
3 Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team 0:26
4 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
5 Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-BikeExchange
6 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:32
7 Igor Anton Hernandez (Esp) Dimension Data 0:44
8 Samuel Sanchez (Esp) BMC Racing Team 0:54
9 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff Team
10 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx - Quick-Step
11 Rudy Molard (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
12 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:56
13 Louis Meintjes (RSA) Lampre - Merida
14 Pierre-Roger Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
15 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky 1:02
16 Leopold Konig (Cze) Team Sky 1:06
17 David De La Cruz (Esp) Etixx - Quick-Step
18 José Gonçalves (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
19 Mathias Frank (Sui) IAM Cycling 1:11
20 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team
 
141 Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie 14:43
 
GC
1 Ruben Fernandez (Esp) Movistar Team 9:16:07
2 Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team at 0:07
3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:11
4 Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-BikeExchange 0:17
5 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team s.t.
6 Samuel Sanchez (Esp) BMC Racing Team 0:46
7 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky 0:47
8 Leopold Konig (Cze) Team Sky 0:51
9 Daniel Moreno (Esp) Movistar Team 0:58
10 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx - Quick-Step 1:01
11 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-BikeExchange 1:23
12 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff Team 1:31
13 David De La Cruz (Esp) Etixx - Quick-Step 1:34
14 Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC Racing Team 1:35
15 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team 1:43
16 Igor Anton Hernandez (Esp) Dimension Data 1:46
17 Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac 1:50
18 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Drapac 1:52
19 Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Bora-Argon 18 2:01
20 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team 2:03
 
144 Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie 16:23

 

 

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