Stage 5: Soler Bounces Back
A huge bounce back effort from Marc Soler (UAE) holds off the breakaway for a win on Stage 5. After a Stage 4 that saw him lose ten minutes in the GC battle, the Spanish rider struck out from the peloton in today’s stage to try to make up time and go for the stage win. He caught the breakaway midrace, took the solo lead, and fended off chasers during a harrowing run up to the finish line.
Stage 5Stage 5 brought the race to the hill, dale, and mountains of the Basque country. Observers projected a day for the breakaway with a series of category-3 and -2 climbs for determined riders to gain time on the peloton. The observers were correct, and the breakaway sailed across the finish line about five minutes before the peloton.
Lawson Craddock
Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ) nabs the red jersey with the main contenders in the peloton hanging back.
Sam Bennett (BOH) retains the green jersey.
Victor Langellotti slides into the polka dot jersey for Burgos-BH.
Tomorrow’s Stage 6 ramps up the grades further with the first category-1 climb. Two of them, in fact, including an uphill finish of Ascensión al Pico Jano. The finish will start the process of weeding out the pretenders from the contenders in the mountains.
American Lawson Craddock (BEX) fought valiantly in the breakaway group for most of the day, but failed along with all the chasers to capture Marc Soler.
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