Vuelta a San Juan (st. 1)

Gaviria (UAD) wins first bunch sprint in Pocito as all six Movistar Team riders stay into main bunch - no troubles for Quintana, Carapaz.

Closing in – just like in the eve’s acclimatisation training ride – on 40ºC at the first stage of the 2019 Vuelta a San Juan, the Movistar Team riders covered with no incidents the 159km route from the province’s capital to Pocito, which only featured a couple of minor climbs to the Cuesta de las Vacas (Cat-3).

A couple of attempted echelons into crosswinds halfway through the race -which caught the first of two significant breaks alive during the stage- were the only main attack to the leaders, as Nairo Quintana, Richard Carapaz and Eduardo Sepúlveda kept their powder dry for Monday’s Punta Negra circuit (5x 1km, 8% climb – 160km, st. 2). A very solid Jorge Arcas and Winner Anacona worked well for their team-mates.

Carlos Barbero wasn’t able this time to get into good position for the bunch sprint, won by first race leader Fernando Gaviria (UAD). The fastest legs in the peloton will be back not before next weekend, with GC guys set to hold all protagonism through Friday.