Circuito de Getxo

Triple top-ten for Movistar Team -Rojas, 4th; Visconti, 7th; Intxausti, 9th- in Basque race as Blues keep offensive attitude to break bunch up. Barbero (EUK) victorious in Arkotxa uphill

Spaniard Carlos Barbero (EUK) won the 69th Circuito de Getxo on Thursday after overcoming apparent Movistar Team superiority at the end of the 170-kilometer, ten-lap urban course near Bilbao. Despite having two strong contenders in José Joaquín Rojas and Giovanni Visconti for the sprint up the Arkotxa court climb, the Blues went on the attack in the finale.

A four-man breakaway formed by Molina (CJR), Zuazubiskar (EUK), Bagot (COF) and Delle Stele (MGK) was tightly controlled by the telephone squad, which started sending riders off the front with three laps to go. A first attack by local boy Jonathan Castroviejo -always fighting when riding at home- left room to a following move by Rojas, Intxausti and Izagirre. The three, caugh alongside Chirico (MGK), preceeded a more dangerous, seven-rider attempt with three other Movistar riders: again Castroviejo, joined by Colombian Dayer Quintana and Jesús Herrada.

The group was caught right before the final slope, where Barbero won a close sprint against Chirico while Pello Bilbao (CJR) beat Rojas for third place. Visconti (7th) and Intxausti (10th) also featued in a race acting as prelude of Saturday’s Clásica San Sebastián.