Vuelta a Burgos (st. 2)
Movistar Team takes 2nd place behind Astana in good test before Vuelta a España; Rojas remains 6th overall as Gorka sits in 9th, with Dimitry Gruzdev in purple
Under temperatures peaking up to 32ºC and a demanding, 10.7km course in the province's capital, including the climb of the famous Castillo de Burgos, the Movistar Team took on an important test before the Vuelta a España starts with a TTT in Ourense later in the month. The Blues will keep a good feeling before that, as they finished only 3" down on Astana for second place. The squad directed by José Luis Jaimerena took on a progressive effort, well behind the leaders through the intermediate after 5.5km before massive turns by their eight-man squad in the second part brought them into the provisional lead, 11" ahead of Alberto Contador's Tinkoff team.
Astana soon bested the Spanish squad's clock at the finish to claim a narrow win on stage two, with Dimitry Gruzdev as new purple leader's jersey. The Movistar Team remains at the fore as José Joaquín Rojas (6th) and Gorka (9th) sit within the best ten before stage three, another reasonably flat route (192km) towards Villarcayo with two climbs of the Alto de la Retuerta (Cat-3) in the finale.
Picture © | Home: Photo Gomez Sport / Luis Ángel Gómez – Inner: Foz / Vuelta a Burgos