Show of power, stage and Itzulia for Jonas Vingegaard

Three one-week races held in 2023 and two generals and six stages won, not counting another team time trial achieved. is the balance of Jonas Vingegaardwho won this Saturday the Basque tour by Basque which shows that, in many cases, the best defense is a good attack. The reigning Tour de France champion achieved one of the most prestigious victories of his career after taking one of the most important one-week laps on the calendar. In addition, in a big way, included a third-leg win on the final day at Eibar.

There are greats of the peloton who constantly challenge each other in the distance, almost had a streak of success in every race they competed in. Vingegaard missed nothing at Itzulia, where he will leave with that total and three stages to add to the overall and another three stages won at the end of February at O ​​Gran Camiño. add now eight wins so far this season and has reached twenty as a professional after another display of power in the difficult closing day of testing, where he secured his victory in the world classification in 1:12 away from a Mikel Landa no options to fight for first place and included 1:29 in Ion Izagirre.

I look forward to the final episode of 137.8 kilometers starting and ending in Eibar and constant punishment for the legs. In total, three first class ports, one second and three third, a ‘leg-breaking’ terrain with maximum degradation for the cyclists in the sixth stage of the week. A desirable setting for a getaway, despite the fact that it took time to develop. The Jumbo-Visma control did the rest to allow their leader to finish with a great victory to make his yellow jersey definitive and, after his second place in the 2021 edition and his second place in Tirreno-Adriatico and in the Dauphiné last year, to finally ending one of the great weeks on his record.

vingegaard He was the winner on a day where many tried to win from a breakaway. Despite the attempts, the peloton passed Elkorrieta together, the first port of the day, a third of 2.6 kilometers at 6.2%. It was on Azurki, the first of 5.1 kilometers at 7.4%, when the first breakaway of the day was formed.

After a few kilometers to try to hold on to the leading group and meet the new riders coming from the back, the escape must have been accompanied by the ascent of the twelve men: Valentin Paret-Peintre (AG2R), Emanuel Buchmann (Bora), Harm Vanhoucke (DSM), Esteban Chaves (EF), Bruno Armirail (Groupama), Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar), Attila Valter (Jumbo-Visma), Eddie Dunbar ( Jayco), Rein Taaramae (Intermarché), Daniel Felipe Martínez (Ineos), Marc Hirschi (UAE) and Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo). Of course, from behind, the peloton remained hopeful.

It was an immense leak, which caused various attacks to try to reduce the group, taking advantage of the difficult terrain of the day. About seventy kilometers from the finish line, on the climb to the fourth port of the day, Krabelin (first in 5 kilometers at 9.5%), Guerreiro, Chaves, Valter and Kruijswijk accelerated while the platoon did the same to begin capturing the other men who had gone on the run.

Offense as the best defense

It was on the way to Trabakua when I led the attack from the rear Mauro Schmidt (Soudal), trying to unsettle the leader’s Jumbo-Visma. This one reached the break on the climb to Izua, the last first part of the day (4.1 kilometers at 9.1%) and he alone claimed another point from Vingegaard’s men. So, in the face of a dangerous situation, the Dane chose to launch a solo attack about 29 kilometers from the finish line.where he reached the group ahead.

I tried to follow him enric mas, but without success. Vingegaard went down in the last early part of the day alone with a profit of around half a minute on the other favourites, with the notables following him Landa, Knox, Mas, Ion Izagirre, Chaves and Higuita. But the Tour champion showed he still has the energy to keep shooting at final ascent to Urkaregi (third of 5 kilometers at 4.6%), with a goal of thirteen kilometers.

Vingegaard established a difference of more than a minute on the descent and in the last level to the finish line and invited his pursuers to fight for the podium of the stage and the general. The second place of the day was taken by James Knox with the final attack (at 47 seconds), while Ion Izagirre He crossed the finish line in third by leading the pack of favourites, 49 seconds behind the winner.

The overall podium was also contested and they kept it Michael Landa (1:12 behind the winner) and Ion Izagirre (at 1:29). What did not admit of doubt was the last yellow jersey, which was not removed from the body of a Jonas Vingegaard redone in a big way after succumbing to the rivalry with Tadej Pogacar in Paris-Nice and continues to add victories going into the Tour de France. La Itzulia is already on his record and his preparations for the gala round continue at full capacity.

classifications

6th stage, Eibar-Eibar, 137.8 kilometers
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Jumbo-Visma) 3h36’42”
2. James Knox (Great Britain/Soudal Quick-Step) at 47″
3. Ion Izagirre (Spain/Cofidis) at 49″
4. Brandon McNulty (United States/UAE Emirates) id.
5. Sergio Higuita (Colombia/Bora-hansgrohe) id.
6. David Gaudu (France/Groupama-FDJ) id.
7. Mauro Schmid (Switzerland/Soudal-Quick Step) id.
8. Simon Yates (Great Britain/Team Jayco-AlUla) id.
9. Enric Mas (Spain/Movistar) id.
10. Felix Gall (Austria/AG2R Citroën) id.
11. Mikel Landa (Spain/Bahrain Victorious) id.
The
General
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Jumbo-Visma) 24h45’24”
2. Mikel Landa (Spain/Bahrain Victorious) at 1’12”
3. Ion Izagirre (Spain/Cofidis) at 1’29”
4. David Gaudu (France/Groupama-FDJ) at 1’31”
5. Enric Mas (Spain/Movistar) at 1’36”
6. Sergio Higuita (Colombia/Bora-hansgrohe) at 1’37”
7. Brandon McNulty (United States/UAE Emirates) at 1’38”
8. James Knox (Great Britain/Soudal Quick-Step) id.
9. Simon Yates (Great Britain/Team Jayco-AlUla) at 1’39”
10. Felix Gall (Austria/AG2R Citroën) at 1’50”