The second stage of Itzulia Basque Country and its downhill finish into Leitza looked as though it might herald the opening blows of the GC race, but instead the fast descent to the finish brought with it multiple complaints from the peloton on rider safety.
Ide Schelling (Bora-Hansgrohe) sprinted to his first career WorldTour victory at the end of the race’s longest day, leading the way into the final 500 metres at high speed with none of his rivals able to get past on the final bends in the town.
The fast and technical descent off the gradual climb to Arkiskil lead directly into the finish town, with several riders reportedly falling on the way down en route to an all-out dash around a roundabout located just 100 metres from the line.
After the finish, Schelling was among a number of riders to express their concerns over the safety of the descent.
“It’s a bit strange that the UCI allows this final because it’s way too dangerous in my opinion. You see it also with crashes in the final kilometres on the downhill,” Schelling told Eurosport after celebrating his victory.
“The last kilometre was OK, but just to send a full peloton in a downhill like this is just asking for problems. It’s not good,” he added.
“Most teams were not expecting a sprint, I believe, but still I saw it coming with a final climb this easy. It is what it is. For me it wasn’t too dangerous, and I was lucky I could find a gap in the final kilometre.”
Richard Plugge, the CEO of Jumbo-Visma and head of the AIGCP teams’ organisation, said, “How was this finish approved and possible? Pfew, glad nothing happened.”
The race has run into trouble over rider safety in the past, notably in 2015 when exposed metal poles on the finishing straight of the opening stage saw several riders hospitalised following crashes.
This time around, it seems as though riders have avoided similar carnage, though UAE Team Emirates rider Marc Soler is one rider confirmed to have crashed on the way down, with TotalEnergies’ Lilian Calmejane writing on Twitter (opens in new tab) that he was, “still able to keep a high positioning in the last descent but Soler’s crash ruined my chance.”
Groupama-FDJ rider David Gaudu, who placed third on the stage from a select lead group, told Eurosport that it was a “shameful” final.
“It was a bit shameful for a final, I’m not going to hide it,” he said. “Frankly, I think it was more than borderline.”
Movistar’s Alex Aranburu, who finished fourth, also called the final “dangerous and…
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