Prueba Villafranca
Spaniard takes 4th place at unusual sprint finish in Ordizia -dominated by Sergey Shilov (LOK)- as Gorka Izagirre (15th) goes into late attack in pursuit of Adam Yates (ORS), caught at the finishing straight
The return into racing after the 'summer break' for eight of the Movistar Team's riders at the 94th Prueba Villafranca -165.7km in Ordizia, with five climbs of Abaltzisketa and two additional ascents to Altzo in the finale- brought a good result with José Herrada placing in 4th at a thirteen-man elite field, led home by a strong Sergey Shilov (LOK).
The roster directed by José Luis Jaimerena had two members –Rory Sutherland and Antonio Pedrero- into the 23-rider breakaway leading the race until the fourth of five laps in the Basque Country. The work by Israel, Kuwait, Orica or the Movistar Team itself, which picked up the pace after the first climb to Altzo, brought back both this group and the subsequent, solo adventure by Magnus Cort (ORS).
A strong move by Adam Yates (ORS) into the last uphill section of Abaltzisketa, 11km from the finish, split the peloton and forced local hero Gorka Izagirre to go on a desperate pursuit alongside Julien Loubet (ECA). Their group was caught into the descent before the finish, while Yates saw his chances ruined only into the final sprint. Gorka, a three-time winner in Ordizia, was the second Movistar performer in 15th (+8").