Rovolcón in the Tour of the Basque Country: Rigo and Rivera climbed positions after an eventful stage

It was not a quiet stage in the Return to the Basque Country, the 159-kilometer section of mid-mountain seemed to be a procedure for the favorites, but that was not the case. The three candidates for the title withdrew.

With 25 kilometers to go, the leader of the race until that moment, Primoz Roglic, lost control of his bicycle in a curve to the right and fell to the ground.

The same thing happened to the Dane Jonas Vingegaard and the Belgian Remco Eevenepoel, who were the most affected by the massive fall in which several riders were involved. The two-time champion of Tour de France He had to be evacuated by helicopter to a hospital.

Automatically, the race was neutralized due to lack of ambulance and the six fleeing runners were forced to slow down. The stewards decided that the Untzilla mountain pass was canceled and the competition until Eskoriatza was neutralized and the times in the general classification were not going to change.

More than half an hour later, the race resumed after the notice canceling the bonuses. Louis Meintjes (UAE Team Emirates) took the victory of the rugged stage after the last 20 kilometers in which he disputed the victory with the other five runners who escaped.

For their part, Colombians Rigoberto Urán and Brandon Rivera climbed several places in the general classification after the withdrawals of several riders from the top-10.

The Ineos rider is the best classified Colombian, he is in box 12 after moving up two positions, 22 seconds behind the new leader Mattias Skjelmose. While Santiago Buitrago is 37 seconds away and Rigo 39 seconds away.

Classifications

Stage

1. Lous Meintjes (LDS/Intermarché) – 4:21:15

2. Reuben Thompson (NZL/Groupama) – mt

3. Karel Vacek (CZE/Burgos) – mt

4. Mikel Retegui (ESP/Kern Pharma) – mt

5. Mathieu Burgaudeau (FRA/TotalEnergies) – mt

6. Joseba López (ESP/Caja Rural) – mt

57. Esteban Chaves (COL/EF Education) – mt

100. Santiago Buitrago (COL/Bahrain) – mt

108. Rigoberto Urán (COL/EF Education) – mt

142. Brandon Rivera (COL/Ineos) – mt

Did not finish: Jay Vine (AUS/UAE Emirates)

Did not finish: Stefano Oldani (ITA/Cofidis)

Did not finish: Pau Miquel (ESP/Cofidis)

Did not finish: Jonathan Lastra (ESP/Cofidis)

Not finished: Steff Cras (BEL/TotalEnergies)

Did not finish: Primoz Roglic (SLO/Bora)

Did not finish: Omar Fraile (ESP/Ineos)

Not finished: Nathael Tesfatsion (ERI/Lidi)

Not finished: Elie Gesbert (FRA/Arkéa)

Not finished: Lukasz Owsian (POL/Arkéa)

Not finished: Sea Quinn (USA/EF Education)

Did not finish: Remco Evenepoel (BEL/Soudal-Quick Step)

Not finished: Jonas Vingegaard (DEN/Visma-Lease a Bike)

General

1. Mattias Skjelmose (DEN/Lidi-Trek) – 8:36:11

2. Juan Ayuso (ESP/UAE Emirates) at 0:04

3. Kevin Vauquelin (FRA/Arkea) at 0:06

4. Maximilian Schachmann (GER/Bora) at 0:06

5. Brandon McNulty (USA/UAE Emirates) at 0:13

6. Bruno Armirail (FRA/Decathlon) at 0:14

7. Pello Bilbao (ESP/Bahrain) at 0:15

8. Paul Lapeira (FRA/Decathlon) at 0:16

9. Nelson Oliveira (POR/Movistar) at 0:18

10. Romain Grégoire (FRA/Groupama) at 0:18

12. Brandon Rivera (COL/Ineos) at 0:22

23. Santiago Buitrago (COL/Bahrain) at 0:37

24. Rigoberto Urán (COL/EF Education) at 0:39

100. Esteban Chaves (COL/EF Education) at 2:29