Brandon McNulty takes gutsy win at Gran Premio Miguel Indurain 2024
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Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) added his name to a long list of champions to win Gran Premio Miguel Indurain in Estella.
The American ignited a late-race solo breakaway with 10km to go but was then joined by bridger Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny) over the final ascent, Alto de Ibarra.
Van Gils distanced McNulty over the top of the short climb, but the UAE Team Emirates rider used his superior time trial strength to reconnect with his rival in the final few hundred metres of the race and then won a two-up sprint to the finish line.
“I attacked on the last long climb, and he caught me on the last steep kicker. He caught me, and I thought I was done, but then I came back on the downhill and won the sprint. It was crazy, but it was a good day,” McNulty said.
Gran Premio Miguel Indurain’s nearly 200km hilly challenge across multiple circuits in and around Estella. Once on the final local lap in Estella, the peloton faced Alto de Irache, Alto de Eraul, Alto de Muru and finally Alto de Ibarra before a short and tricky descent into the finish line.
An early breakaway of seven included Louis Leidert (Lidl-Trek Future Racing), Txomin Juaristi (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Xabier Mikel Azparren (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Jose Maria Garcia (Iles Balears Arabay), and Julius Johansen (Sabgal-Anicolor), Jetse Bol (Burgos-BH) and Javier Serrano (Polti Kometa).
Israel-Premier Tech led the field and held the gap at about…