Etixx - Quick-Step was again one of the most active teams in the peloton in the 146.6km 10th Stage of La Vuelta a España on Monday, with several riders of the team joining the large breakaway of almost 40 riders, and attacks by Carlos Verona, as well as Niki Terpstra, in the original escape group that constantly splintered.
The peloton reeled in riders from the group kilometer-by-kilometer. Verona, who won the Combativity/Most Aggressive Rider Award, went away with Riccardo Zoidl (Trek Factory Racing) at the 44km mark, but the duo was brought back by the large group of chasers at the 67km mark.
Terpstra was the next to try his chance, and this time a much smaller group was left behind chasing. At 42km to go Terpstra had 15" on teammate Iljo Keisse and four chasers, as well as 41" on the peloton. However, the race came completely back together with 34km left to race.
More attacks came from the peloton at 25km to go, with Alessandro De Marchi (BMC Racing Team) launching, and Romain Sicard (Europcar) joining him. Soon Kenny Elissonde (FDJ) bridged and tried to go solo. Etixx - Quick-Step was far from finished with their role as protagonist. Gianluca Brambilla tried to chase solo with 18km remaining. Elissonde was rejoined by Sicard and De Marchi, while Brambilla remained behind in pursuit. Brambilla was brought back with about 6km to go. Sicard, De Marchi, and Elissonde were caught with 4.4km to go.
The peloton was reduced heading into the bunch sprint after the high tempo of the stage, and a large numbers of riders having already used a lot of energy in the original breakaway. Etixx - Quick-Step rider Pieter Serry finished 9th behind stage winner Kristian Sbaragli (MTN - Qhubeka), 2nd place finisher John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin), and 3rd place finisher JJ Rojas (Movistar).
"This morning it was really a fight to enter the breakaway," Verona said. "We tried a lot but it was impossible for a while. We finally got a breakaway going on the climb of 3rd Category, and it was a big breakaway of 38 riders. But there was no collaboration in the group, so it was really difficult. As a team we tried several times to go away and maybe get a small group in front to try and go to the finish. I went away and took an advantage with Zoidl, but we were brought back. There was also a headwind, so that made the effort even harder. But we tried our best, even because there was nothing to lose today. Tomorrow is the rest day, and it is an important day to recover. The day after is the queen stage, with 5000 meters of climbing, and six mountain passes, in 140 kilometers. It is a completely up-and-down Andorran parcours. But I trained on these roads a lot in training and know them well. I have to say it will be really challenging, but we will of course try to get into the breakaway with our usual aggressive style, and see what we can do as a team."
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Etixx - Quick-Step riders Nikolas Maes, Pieter Serry, and Maxime Bouet made sure the team was well represented in the breakaway of the day at 168.3km La Vuelta a España Stage 9, from Torrevieja to Cumbre del Sol. Benitatxell, on Sunday.
The trio of Etixx - Quick-Step riders made the 14-man breakaway. Maes eventually lost contact, but Serry and Bouet pushed on in anticipation of the Category 1 summit finale.
Inside 13km to go, after the intermediate sprint, Bouet launched an attack. He was followed by Pavel Brutt (Tinkoff-Saxo), and eventually Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) bridged to the two leaders. It seemed the peloton might let the breakaway slip away inside the final 10 kilometers, with the gap at about a minute. But once the breakaway approached the roughly 4 kilometer climb, with very steep ramps, the gap dropped drastically. All riders of the original breakaway were swept up with 3.4km remaining.
Attacks flew out of the peloton and a select group of GC contenders formed. Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) attacked twice, but his second acceleration with 1.7km to go was the one that actually gave him a gap.
Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) tried to bridge alone but he was joined by Chris Froome (Team Sky) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). Eventually Rodriguez tried to launch an attack, but Froome went over the top of him, and it looked like Froome could win the stage, But Dumoulin was not finished, as he passed Rodriguez and then went over the top of Froome to get the stage victory. Froome finished 2nd, and Rodriguez took 3rd place. Gianluca Brambilla of Etixx - Quick-Step finished 19th, 1'21" down.
Etixx - Quick-Step looks next to the final stage of week 1 before the rest day: 146.6km Stage 10, from Valencia to Borja. There is a Category 3 and Category 2 climb to pass, but the final kilometers are flat.
"I was the last one of the last riders to enter in the breakaway," Serry said. "I really wanted to be there today. I did a few training camps in the area of the finale, so it is well known to me, and it was my goal to be there. We worked really well together. Nikolas Maes also did a great job in the time he could follow the tempo. But unfortunately, behind us Katusha decided to lead the chase. So we didn't have enough space to try and do something in the final. But considering everything I am happy. Today we were there and sooner or later we will make it."
"This morning I was a little under pressure (laughs)," Bouet said. "I was one of the few riders of the team to not get in a breakaway yet. I tried a few times in the last stages, but it was impossible. Today I managed to enter, and I was really happy to be there. We worked really well. We had a lot of headwind during the race, so it was also hard work. In the final I did what I could, but I knew the group was coming. I am satisfied, though. Earlier this year I didn't ride at the level I was supposed to be at. I had a few small problems. But now I feel I am better. I still miss something in my condition, but I am in the right way to do a good rest of La Vuelta, and rest of the season. I want to do it for the team that believes in me. I think I can make some good performances and will try in the next days. Until now we are the team with the most guys in the breakaway, and we want to continue like that. I will do my best to help the cause."
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Etixx - Quick-Step rider Tom Boonen finished 17th, and teammates Julien Vermote and Matteo Trentin finished close behind in 23rd and 24th, at the end of 229.1km GP Ouest France - Plouay on Sunday.
Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) won the race, sprinting in ideal position with a leadout from a teammate. Simone Ponzi (Southeast) was 2nd, and Ramunas Navardauskas (Cannondale-Garmin) finished 3rd.
The race came back together in the final kilometers after the peloton launched a flurry of attacks, particularly in the finishing circuit of 13.9 kilometers. Etixx - Quick-Step contributed to much of the chasing throughout the day.
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Etixx - Quick-Step rider Pieter Serry finished 8th in an unexpectedly chaotic 182.5km Stage 8 of La Vuelta a España, from Puebla de Don Fadrique to Murcia, on Saturday. Iljo Keisse, Niki Terpstra, and Gianluca Brambilla also played protagonists as Etixx - Quick-Step was constantly in the actions.
Jasper Stuyven (Trek Factory Racing) won, with Pello Bilbao (Caja Rural) placing 2nd, and Kevin Reza (FDJ) finishing 3rd.
Iljo Keisse started out the active day for Etixx - Quick-Step, entering into a six-man breakaway. However, that breakaway was caught earlier than expected after a crash in the peloton at 50km remaining in the race, which forced several key riders to abandon. A split formed in the peloton soon after, and the pace of the front group cut deeply into the advantage of the breakaway. Two riders of the breakaway went ahead, but after the first passage out of two on a Category 3 climb, Alex Howes (Cannondale-Garmin), after going solo ahead of Angel Madrazo (Caja Rural) crashed on a descent. This allowed Madrazo to pass him and go solo instead. But that was also short lived.
Niki Terpstra was the next Etixx - Quick-Step rider to animate the race. He accelerated with 20.8km left, and teammate Gianluca Brambilla used him as a slingshot to go over the top as a solo leader. Eventually Brambilla was joined by several riders, but the fast pace of the race did not leave much room for the select group to get a decent advantage.
Kenny Elissonde (FDJ), Jose Goncalves (Caja Rural), and Alberto Losada (Katusha) were the only riders left ahead with 9km to go, and the gap at 22 seconds. However, even that move was unsuccessful. At 3km remaining the race was back together. Adam Hansen (Lotto Soudal) tried one last attack, but the race ended in a group arrival.
Gianluca Brambilla was also 15th in the stage. Terpstra crashed on a downhill section, but fortunately without consequences.
Etixx - Quick-Step looks next to 168.3km Stage 9, from Torrevieja to Cumbre del Sol. Benitachell, on Sunday. This stage promises to be selective for the finale, as there is a Category 1 summit finale.
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Etixx - Quick-Step has announced the selection that will participate in GP Ouest France - Plouay, a one-day race on Sunday, the 30th of August. The French race in Bretagne is known for its circuit format, with the 229.1km 2015 edition including 8 laps of a 26.9km circuit, and then a finishing circuit of 13.9 kilometers. Both circuits feature two main climbs: Cote du Lezot, which is a little more than a kilometer in length, with some ramps at 7 percent. There is also Cote de Ty Merrec, which slightly less than a kilometer in distance, with ramps of 10% gradient.
GP Ouest France - Plouay is an aggressive race, with plenty of opportunities to attack and the chance for a breakaway to hold off teams who are fighting for a bunch arrival. The race has been known for many French victors in past editions.
Riders selection for Etixx - Quick-Step include French rider Julian Alaphilippe, Tom Boonen, Yves Lampaert, Tony Martin, Fabio Sabatini, Matteo Trentin, Stijn Vandenbergh, and Julien Vermote. Tony Martin takes the start just two days after winning the Tour du Poitou Charentes overall, and Matteo Trentin will participate after winning two stages of Tour du Poitou Charentes. Boonen will be racing GP Ouest France - Plouay for the first time in his career.
"It will be my first time in Plouay," Martin said. "I'm really looking forward to this race. This year I'm discovering a lot of races that I never rode before. It's a nice race program. Concerning the race on Sunday, I will see what I can do. I worked really hard at Poitou Charantes, so I hope to recover fast before Sunday. In any case I will be there to give my contribution to the team that is really strong. "
"Last year this race was an important moment in my season," Alaphilippe said. "I finished 5th and I have great memories. This year I will try to do my best to be a protagonist again. The circuit is the same of last year and I like it. The team is strong, and we can also count on the sprint of guys like Tom and Matteo. We are ready to play a role in the race."
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