photo: vuelta
Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) claimed on Friday his second summit victory of La Vuelta-18 after an intense ascent up the Coll de la Rabassa (Andorra).
Photo: all-andorra.com
The French climber doubles down one week after his win at Lagos de Covadonga. Second of the stage, Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) is the other winner of the day after a dominant performance that saw him win more than a minute on Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team). The British climber’s lead on GC is bigger than ever on the eve of a brutal stage 20 in Andorra.
19th stage:
1. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ)
2. Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) + 0’05”
3. Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) + ’13”
4. Rigoberto Urán (Education First-Drapac) + 0’52”
5. Miguel Ángel López (Astana) + 0’52”
Andorra, Coll de la Rabassa, 2000 m
Many riders were willing to go at the front of the race but Alejandro Valverde’s Movistar Team wouldn’t let any attempt go for more than 70 kilometres. Benjamin Thomas (Groupama-FDJ) and Jonathan Castroviejo (Team Sky) eventually got away with 80km to go. Tom Van Asbroeck (Education First-Drapac) had gone with them but he waited for the bunch when he realised Movistar were not giving this breakaway much of a margin as they were setting the battle in the Coll de la Rabassa.
