After handing around the red jersey like a wineskin at an outdoor Foghat concert in 1977, Jumbo-Visma let the Vuelta a España race lead go on Wednesday’s fifth stage and second day in the Basque Country. The breakaway prevailed, with Marc Soler taking his second career Vuelta victory–and becoming the first Spanish stage winner of the 77th edition–and Rudy Molard took over the red jersey from Primož Roglič. Roglič is now over four minutes in arrears.
🎉🎉🎉VAMOS MARC🔥🔥🔥
🥇 @solermarc93 wins the stage 5 of #LaVuelta22 !!! #WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/AYbSMWPC0l
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) August 24, 2022
You can watch the 77th Vuelta a España at FloBikes.
The Course
Wednesday’s fare was hilly, with five categorized climbs. The two ascents to pay particular attention to were the double clambers of Cat. 2 Alto del Vivero in a circuit around Bilbao. The Alto del Vivero was 4.6 km of 7.9 percent, the second climb peaking 14 km from the finish line. It was a very hot day in northern Spain.
When in the Basque Country…
Who else is excited about this #LaVuelta22 stage 5, one which many riders will find to their liking? pic.twitter.com/5JsD4b1zzv
— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (@qst_alphavinyl) August 24, 2022
The first hour was raced at a relentless pace of 50.1 km/h, no breakaway able to slip free despite relentless attacking. With the first climb, Cat. 3 Puerto de Gontzagarigana, looming in the distance, a 14-rider break was established, and it grew on the Gontzagarigana. Rudy Molard (France/Groupama-FDJ) was suddenly the virtual race leader.
A very rare Monacan rider, Victor Langellotti (Burgos-BH) climbed his way into the virtual blue polka dots on Cat. 3 Balcón de Bizkaia. By the middle climb Alto de Morga, the gap was 4:00 at the start and 5:00 at the peak, where Langellotti again took the maximum KOM points.
On the first passage of Alto del Vivero, Lawson Craddock (U.S.A./BikeExchange-Jayco) attacked his breakmates, and Langellotti joined him.
Molard had to worry about a couple of fellows in the escape who could frustrate his desire to take the red jersey: Fred Wright (Great Britain/Bahrain-Victorious), who was +1:02 of Roglič to Molard’s +0:58, and Nikias Arndt (Germany/DSM), +2:05. By the time the reduced escapee group crossed the finish line in Bilbao for the first time, with 29 km and one more…
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