After four hard days of racing, it was all going to come down to the final stage of the Vuelta a Burgos. With forty seconds separating the top fifty GC riders, anyone could take the win on the toughest day of the race. Going into the day in 25th spot, Alberto Contador was looking confident and strong on the final ascent of the day, before a late attack from earnt the Spanish Tinkoff leader second position on the stage, taking the GC win by a second.
The race’s final stage – the Queen Stage – saw riders tackle a 163km route with no fewer than seven categorised climbs. The toughest ascents, not to mention some challenging downhills, coming in the final 60km, this was where the real racing would happen – riding a finishing circuit twice – before the mountaintop finish in Lagunas de Neila.
Breaking away early on, a group of six worked to build up an advantage of a little over two minutes early in the day. With the bigger climbs of the day still to come, the peloton was happy to let the group go on up the road. The difficulty of the parcours and the pace of the break eventually splintered the group, leaving only three riders up the road, with the gap between them growing as the race neared its conclusion.
The team’s Technical Coordinator, Ivan Basso, saw how hard the guys worked throughout the stage, making sure the outcome went in their favour. “We had a really hard start today – our strategy was to put the race in our way. Every big group that went, we pulled. This meant we had to work hard. At the end the guys looked after Alberto, and Trofimov was there at the end. He did a great job at the end pulling to catch the break and finally Alberto did a great ride.”
With a little over 30km remaining, the three-man break was maintaining a gap of thirty seconds on the chasers, but this was falling swiftly, and by the 25km point, as the race began to climb the first category Pasil de Rozavientos, the gap was shrinking. The long descent on the back of the climb enabled the break to hold their lead a little longer, increasing the gap to almost a minute with 15km to go, although having caught sight of the escapees, the chasers redoubled their efforts and the gap fell swiftly to forty seconds.
The breakaway riders were unable to maintain their efforts and gradually dropped back to the peloton, where Alberto Contador was to be found keeping safe before the final push on the second ascent of the climb to the finish. With it all back together, it was all going to come down to these final few kilometres, and with a little more than 5km to go, the attacks came. Countering these attacks with confidence and strength in his trademark pedalling style, Alberto showed how his recovery has continued over the five days of the race.
In the final 2km, with one rider up the road, Alberto attacked, taking a companion with him. Coming into the final kilometre of the race, Alberto went again, the Spanish rider showing strength, style and confidence as the finish line approached. Crossing the line in second, it was an anxious wait for the confirmation of the GC race, with it all coming down to Alberto, his breakaway companion and the stage’s winner. The results in, Alberto was confirmed as the race’s winner by one second – an amazing comeback from the injuries he’d sustained at the Tour de France.
Going into the final day with such a close GC group, Alberto knew he would have to make a calculated, well thought-out move. “It was an extremely close race and I knew the last kilometre would be very tough and complicated. I had to approach it in a cold-blooded way. I was very surprised when I saw the BMC rider initiate a very strong attack. Initially, I thought it was Samuel Sanchez but then I realised it wasn’t him. I started calculating his time in the GC. I knew he was at 30 seconds and I was aware the final result would be very close. When I crossed the finish line, I looked back and saw 18 seconds on the board. I realised I must have crossed at 17. I won by a mere second and I’m very satisfied.”
The Vuelta a Burgos being the Tinkoff leader’s first stage race after the Tour de France, Basso was pleased to see the Spanish rider perform so well in the race. “Our pre-race plan was respected – we wanted to go day-by-day and we finished on top, so it’s the best way to finish the week. I think we saw today how well Alberto has come back from injury. He was out of training for many days and yet he arrived here in good shape. Yesterday we saw in the crosswinds he was there and today he did a perfect job. He couldn’t win the stage but the GC is a great result.”
Having only raced in a one-day race before the Vuelta a Burgos, Alberto was unsure of how his form would be in a stage race situation. “I wasn’t able to train much before coming here because I had to recover after the Tour. In the first four stages we were able to take it calm and I knew in the final stage we could have options. In the end, we did it, and I’m very happy”
The race having previously been absent from his list of victories, Alberto had unfinished business here, having crashed in the race earlier in his career. “It was a victory missing from my palmares and I was looking forward to it. I also see it as a victory that compensates in a certain way the crash that I suffered here in 2006. When I told my family that I would race here to prepare the Vuelta they didn’t like it.”
The outcome of the race was once again an example of the Tinkoff team’s strong teamwork – both for the riders and for the management – as they prepare for their next big race, Basso explained. “We are happy as we go towards the Vuelta with confidence. What Alberto’s done here is big. Once again thanks to all the boys and the staff – my second race as first Sport Director, and another great result. Thanks to Jan Valach and also to the support of Steven De Jongh and Sean Yates.”
Alberto, as well, was full of praise at the level of support he had received. “I’d like to thank the spectators and fans from the bottom of my heart. My teammates and myself were greatly surprised by the warm welcome we received here. It was a wonderful feeling”
With the next race in Alberto’s calendar being the Vuelta a España, he was now looking to work on his form and final recovery before the race. “This race was undoubtedly a positive test heading to the Vuelta. With regard to my form, I’m gradually improving. I am still racing with my heart beating fast but this is a sign I am fresh. We now have to fine-tune my preparation before the Vuelta.”
Stage Result
1. Sergio Pardilla (SPA) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 04:13:34
2. Alberto Contador (SPA) Tinkoff +00:00:17
3. Ben Hermans (BEL) BMC Racing Team +00:00:22
4. Simon Yates (GBR) Orica-BikeExchange +00:00:24
5. Anton Igor (SPA) Dimension Data +00:00:31
21. Yuri Trofimov (RUS) Tinkoff +00:03:02
54. Jésus Hernández (SPA) Tinkoff +00:14:09
98. Sergio Paulinho (POR) Tinkoff +00:21:21
99. Ivan Rovny (RUS) Tinkoff +00:21:21
DNF Jay McCarthy (AUS) Tinkoff
DNF Michael Gogl (AUT) Tinkoff
DNF Adam Blythe (GBR) Tinkoff
GC Overall Standings After Stage 5
1. Alberto Contador (SPA) Tinkoff 15:50:50
2. Ben Hermans (BEL) BMC Racing Team +00:00:01
3. Sergio Pardilla (SPA) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA +00:00:01
4. Simon Yates (GBR) Orica-BikeExchange +00:00:04
5. Peter Kennaugh (GBR) Team Sky +00:00:11
29. Yuri Trofimov (RUS) Tinkoff +00:04:49
76. Jésus Hernández (SPA) Tinkoff +00:21:30
115. Ivan Rovny (RUS) Tinkoff +00:32:01
128. Sergio Paulinho (POR) Tinkoff +00:39:26
