The 'Big Week' in Basque-Navarran cycling -GP Indurain, Vuelta al País Vasco and Klasika Primavera- has been closed with yet another podium for Movistar Team thanks to the second place by David López, only beaten in Amorebiet'a finish by Frenchman Jonathan Hivert (SAU), the fastest into a 15-man group breaking apart after a hard 171km race on Biscayne soil, including the traditional three-lap loop around the climbs of Muniketa and Autzagane.
The squad directed by José Luis Jaimerena had another important role in the race as all their ten riders made part of the 70-man group that started the final lap, with three members –López, Intxausti and Lastras- into the group selected in the last ascent after attacks where youngsters Enrique Sanz and Jesús Herrada had attempted to break away. A really active Pablo Lastras took command for Movistar Team into the group in the finale with several attacks before the final sprint, where climber López surprised faster riders like Nuyens to claim the second place into the podium. Movistar Team took this way another podium to crown their big appearance in the Northern races in Spain, where they’ve earned the teams’ victory in the GP Indurain and the Vuelta al País Vasco -the virtual teams’ classification of today was also won by the telephone squad-, the triumph by Kiryienka in País Vasco’s stage 2, as well as two top-10 finishes in Estella, four in the ‘Itzulia’ and three riders into Klasika Primavera’s top-15.
Fine performance by Erviti in Paris-Roubaix
In turn, the 109th Paris-Roubaix came into another piece of grand spectacle in the legendary cobbled sections of the French classic. Belgian Johan Vansummeren took a surprising win after a long escape formed out just after the attempt by Spaniard Luis Pasamontes, who led the race for around twenty kilometers in what seemed to be the TV-break of the day. Imanol Erviti was the best from the riders directed by Yvon Ledanois, always making part of the front of the main group behind the escapees, which saw the main favourites jumping in the finale.