Challenge Mallorca (day 2)

Roelandts (8th), Valverde (10th) lead Movistar Team's performance at landslide-modified Trofeo Andratx - Lloseta, with plenty of madness from start to finish.

The rain and wind -with provoked a landslide over the road of the Coll de Sa Batalla, the last descent on Friday’s route at the 2019 Challenge de Mallorca- made for several chaotic phases in the Trofeo Andratx – Lloseta, held over a modified 172km with the Puig Major (Cat-1) as biggest ascent of the day.

Numerous crashes in the early descent took down many contenders, including Carlos Verona (Movistar Team), who couldn’t complete today’s race yet only suffered minor blows and bruises. The Telefónica-backed squad controlled the bunch later on, bringing back the early break as well as the attacks into the Puigmajor climb, crested with a main leading group of 25 riders which featured Nelson Oliveira, Alejandro Valverde and Jürgen Roelandts.

The end of the descent once again created havoc inside the leading bunch, a flurry of attacks serving a launchpad for Emanuel Buchmann (BOH). The German won in front of two pursuit groups including Roelandts, 8th over the line. Valverde led home the rest of the field to take his second top-ten finish of the week (10th) before Saturday’s demanding Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana.

** Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana lineup (Saturday 2nd February): Valverde, Bennati, Erviti, Mas, Oliveira, Pedrero, Rojas.

Cover picture (c): Photo Gomez Sport