Movistar Team have obtained their 12th victory of the season and their second GC success as Rui Costa, the last man to come into Blue discipline, obtained the win for the telephone squad in the 25th Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid, only a month after entering back to the squad directed by Eusebio Unzué.
The Portuguese finished in 2nd place in the race’s Queen stage, the third ride in the Madrilian tour into the slopes of the Puerto de Morcuera, where Colombian Giovanny Báez (UPM) grabbed the day’s honours. Meanwhile, the Movistar Team leader dropped former leader Castroviejo (EUS) in the final 2k and claimed his first victory of the season to crown a huge load of teamwork from the group directed by Yvon Ledanois, whose dual representation -Imanol Erviti and yesterday’s brilliant victor in the evening sector, Enrique Sanz- in the day’s breakaway released the squad from leading roles. It was also remarkable the role by the team’s youngest rider, Spaniard Jesús Herrada, 6th into the finish line and 5th in the GC at the age of only 20.
Rui Costa: “It’s a very important win for me, because after so much time without riding it’s a huge boost for my confidence. I had done well in the classics and Romandie and knew I had chances here. Yesterday’s ITT was key so as not to lose much time, and when I saw that only Castroviejo was above me, I was hoping I could drop him into the climb. The break by Erviti and Sanz was phenomenal for us since we went calm behind, and I managed to keep the leaders unattentive to me at the climb and analyze their moves, but I saw Castroviejo was resisting all the attacks and, if I wanted to win, it had to be with some attack. I jumped with 3 kilometers from the finish and did not stopped pushing from there. It was hard because I had to keep the Colombian under control so he couldn’t gain much time; and, on the other hand, keep Castroviejo behind and also avoid Javi Moreno, coming into my wheel in the final meters, attacking me. I got it and now it’s time to think of the next races for me, which will be, in principle, Lorraine and Switzerland.”
Ventoso 14th in first Giro sprint
In turn, Movistar Team completed another uneventful race during the second day in the 94th Giro d’Italia, the first road stage and the longest in this year’s Corsa Rosa over 244 kilometers from Alba to Parma. A crash by Vasil Kiryienka with 39 kilometers from the finish, fortunately with no consequences, was the only remarkable fact of a day covered under sun, heat and led by a long break by Lang (OLO), caught in the final 25k after starting his move right from the starting flag. Briton Mark Cavendish (THR) is the new leader of the race after coming second into the mass sprint won by Petacchi (LAM), a bunch kick where Spaniard Fran Ventoso could not defend the chances by the telephone squad after getting boxed in the final stage. A tricky finish is expected at the end of the third stage, a 173km trek from Reggio Emilia to Rapallo.