La Vuelta a España Stage 15: Brambilla 19th, Verona 26th on Alto de Sotres
Etixx - Quick-Step riders Carlos Verona and Gianluca Brambilla did a great job staying with a blistering tempo on the Category 1 summit finale of 175.8km La Vuelta a España Stage 15 on Sunday, which dropped many riders of the peloton as Movistar controlled the front for the final actions among the GC favorites.
Brambilla finished 19th, and Carlos Verona 26th, at the top of Alto de Sotres. The duo remained with the group at 5.6km to go and a solo rider still ahead out of the original nine-rider breakaway. However, once the actions of the GC favorites began, a select group formed at a pace that even distanced GC favorite Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin).
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) attacked with less than 1.2km to go out of the small group left to contend the stage, and he went on to win solo. Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) was 2nd, 12" down, and Daniel Moreno (Katusha) was 3rd, 14" down.
Etixx - Quick-Step rider Nikolas Maes was a member of the original breakaway, and he also did well in staying with the leaders until the last climb of the stage.
Brambilla is now 13th in the overall classification.
Etixx - Quick-Step looks next to 185km Stage 16, from Luarca to Ermita de Alba. Quiros, on Monday. It is the last stage of La Vuelta week two, with the final rest day on Tuesday. This stage will surely feature fireworks again, as there is an HC summit finale — the third summit finish in a row at La Vuelta.
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