A late attack landed a first Grand Tour stage win for Italian Francesco Gavazzi, who took the 18th stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Thursday.
Watched by holidaymakers wearing swimsuits and clutching towels on a warm afternoon, Gavazzi outdueled Belgium’s Kristof Vandewalle in the coastal resort of Noja for his fourth win of this year. France’s Alexandre Geniez was third, while Spaniard Juan Jose Cobo retained his overall lead.
On a 174km trek through rugged terrain in the northern province of Cantabria, the main contenders eased back letting a 17 rider break go clear.
Photo: Reuters
The 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sergio Paulinho tried a long distance attack that fizzled out 3km from the line, then when Vandewallle zipped away on a slight rise, Gavazzi was the quickest to follow.
After finishing safely in the main pack in 18th place, Cobo remains in the overall lead for a fourth straight day, with his 13-second lead over Britain’s Christopher Froome intact.
“My team could control the stage well,” Cobo told reporters. “It was pretty straightforward and I didn’t feel too nervous. I’m far more worried about tomorrow’s stage, it’s got a difficult last section and I’m sure Froome will attack there.”
The next stage from Noja to Bilbao will see the Vuelta make its first return to the Basque Country after a 33-year absence.
In its last visit in 1978, separatist protestors barricaded parts of the route and the last stage of the race was canceled.
The Vuelta finishes tomorrow in Madrid.
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