Yves Lampaert takes second stage at Vuelta a España
Aug 20 2017 11:29 pm CET
Photo of Yves Lampaert © Quick-Step Floors Cycling Team/Tim De Waele
Quick-Step Floors' Yves Lampaert has won the second stage of the Vuelta a España. The rider attacked in the last meters and crossed the finish line ahead of the pack.
The second stage of the Spanish Grand Tour was 203.4 kilometres long between Nimes and Gruissan, still on French territory.
The stage was bound to feature crosswinds which forced the teams of the favourites to control the peloton, avoiding any escapes throughout the day.
Around 60 kilometres to go, there was a crash that had UAE Team Emirates' Annas Ait El Abdia and Bahrain-Merida's Javier Moreno as its main victims. The Moroccan seemed to have pain in the arm and the Spaniard suffered a heavy hit in the face. Both had to be taken away by ambulance, putting an end to their Grand Tour ambitions.
At around seven kilometres to go, the wind came from the side which, also due to the high pace, caused a split. The front group was led by Team Sky and the rest of the pack struggled to keep up with the speed set by the British squad.
Three riders of Quick-Step Floors attacked in the last kilometre and helped by the wind they managed to create a gap. Yves Lampaert then went ahead and left all the others behind, managing to cross the finish line alone.
His teammate Matteo Trentin and Aqua Blue Sports' Adam Blythe were second and third on the stage, respectively.
The stage victory was also enough for Lampaert to take the overall lead at the expense of BMC's Rohan Dennis.
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