Tour de l'Ain (st. 5)

Spanish rider from Movistar Team fights until the very end, eventually surrenders to Talansky (GRS) at Queen stage of the Tour de l'Ain; Plaza takes 7th after long breakaway

Sergio Pardilla and Movistar Team were unable to bridge the 12-second gap to American Andrew Talansky (GRS) at the final day of the 24th Tour de l’Ain, over 132 kilometers to Lélex and five categorized climbs in the Jura mountains. The telephone squad played their cards on the attack as they set two of their pieces, José Herrada and Rubén Plaza, in the moves leading to a 14-rider breakaway including the man from Ibi. Plaza’s group would gain almost five minutes of advantage before the two final climbs, Giron (Cat. 1) and Menthières (Cat. 1).

In the finale, and with Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) en route to stage victory, the work by Movistar Team to make things harder into the bunch left the favourites’ group down to just eight riders, with Beñat Intxausti as last helped of Pardilla, who attacked halfway through the climb. His moves did not stick and the Spaniard, 2nd at the final overall, took the day’s 10th place -with Plaza in 7º- into the 12-rider group coming two minutes behind Pinot.

Foto (c): James Startt – Agence Zoom