Prades (3rd) scores first podium for Blues in ‘2020 2.0’ season

Circuito de Getxo

Gran esfuerzo colectivo de los 'telefónicos', con Oliveira en la fuga vencedora de Caruso (TBM) y el sprint final del tarraconense.

/ Today’s route

The 177km route in Bizkaia, the Basque Country, was harder than in last year’s race. Together with the ascents to Akarlanda / Quirón (600m, 5%) and Txomintxu / Arkotxa (900m, 7%), the latter as race finish, the peloton also had to tackle a final loop around the Pike Bidea climb, 2.2km at 9.4%, 16km from the end.

/ Weather report

For the first time since the Movistar Team’s UCI calendar resumed, the riders faced the rain for a portion of the race. The light showers, known as ‘sirimiri’ in northern Spain, added extra risks to a circuit with several urban sections. Temepratures were always around 20ºC.

/ Keys to the race

Olympic track duo Albert Torres and Sebastián Mora raced together in Movistar Team colours for the first time in Getxo. (c) Photo Gomez Sport

Just after the end of the first lap, an eight-man breakaway formed with Madrazo (BBH), Cobo (EKP), Lazkano (CJR), Irizar (EUS), Taminiaux (WVA), Pacioni (ANS), Carvalho (EFP) and Verza (KTX). At the peloton, UAE Team Emirates took the reins early, together with Nippo-Delko, Trek-Segafredo and, inside the last three laps, Bahrain.

Oliveira was on the attack near the end. (c) Photo Gomez Sport

Lazkano was the final survivor from the break, caught as the final loop started (-34km) by a peloton where Jorge Arcas, Iñigo Elosegui and Albert Torres tried to follow the subsequent attacks. At Pike Bidea, Nelson Oliveira crested at short distance from a dangerous, six-man lead group, yet his strength on the flat allowed him bridging back and go on the move again.
A crash reduced the leading group to just three riders, with Oliveira surrounded by Bahrain’s Bilbao and Caruso. The latter took advantage from the ‘2 vs. 1’ situation to attack and leave behind a 20-man pursuit where Nelson, once caught, took some final turns for Edu Prades. The Catalan, into a group also featuring José Joaquín Rojas, scored the Movistar Team’s first podium in nearly six months, only beaten by Caruso and a world-class sprinter, Giacomo Nizzolo (NTT).

The podium was set up by the Getxo city council at its town hall to avoid big crowds. (c) Visual Sport TV

/ Upcoming goals

As no women’s races are scheduled until August 15th, the Movistar Team’s men’s squad gathers all attention, with two different fronts: the Italian one, with the Grande Trittico Lombardo (Monday 3rd), Milano-Torino (Wednesday 5th) and Milano-Sanremo (Saturday 8th); and the Tour de Pologne, August 5th-9th.

Cover picture (c): Photo Gomez Sport