2014 Vuelta a Espana: Stage 7 Results

Cannondale’s Alessandro De Marchi survives long breakaway to go for solo win in Alcuadete in the 2014 Vuelta a Espana.

Stage seven of this year’s Vuelta a España sat between easy and hard. Yesterday was a brutal mountaintop finish. Tomorrow’s course is tailor-made for sprinters. Likewise, the 169km (105mi) route from Alhendin to Alcuadete was between easy and hard, with mountains, but gentle ones, and an uphill finish on which still gain momentum.

The temperature was still hot during stage 7 in the low 30′s Celsius (90′s Fahrenheit), but not roasting.

Cannondale Pro Cycling knew that they wanted to be animators today. Damiano Caruso and George Bennett are situated well enough on the overall to rest up for harder days ahead, but the remaining seven needed to be on high alert for escapes.

Because few feared the course, lots wanted to be in that early move. Attacks started from the gun. Groups got away, only to be chased down, only to go again, only to be chased down again. It took nearly 40km (25mi) for the day’s move to get established.

Four riders, and Cannondale’s Alessandro De Marchi was among them. He was joined by Garmin-Sharp’s Ryder Hesjedal, IAM’s Johann Tschopp, and AG2R’s Hubert DuPont. De Marchi, the most aggressive rider of this year’s Tour de France, has developed into a rider who can get in the early move and ride hard all day ahead of the pack.

While the pack let them go, they only let out the leash slowly. It took over 60km (37.3mi) for the break to expand their lead to over seven minutes, and the field had almost 65km (40.4mi) to reduce that lead to zero. In pro racing, there’s a belief that gaps on flat stages can be reduced by a minute every ten kilometers. If that math is accurate, the break could just make it.

Trek and Lampre-Merida took over from Movistar at the front and started chasing hard. But the four up front kept their rhythm, relaying each other well. Despite the efforts of the field, the gap was coming down slowly.

With fifteen kilometers (9.3mi) remaining and a lead of nearly three-and-a-half minutes, DuPont was too tired to continue the effort and faded. It was down to three.

Then Hesjedal slid out in a corner, down to two. De Marchi and Tschopp stopped their effort, looked back, trying to decide what to do. After giving Hesjedal a brief moment to come back, and not seeing him, the two continued. De Marchi picked up the pace on the hill, and a small gap opened. He kept riding. The gap grew.

Suddenly De Marchi was on his own with ten kilometers (6.2mi) remaining and a 3:23 lead on the field. His three former companions were together and chasing, but not making up any time.

On the uphill run to the finish, De Marchi kept his pace steady, and punched the air as he crossed the line, nobody else in the picture. Hesjedal lead the next two across and then the field came in. While the odds were that the sprint was a formality for the fast men, the uphill punchers attacked, and Sky’s Chris Froome stole three seconds from his rivals in the hunt for the overall.

For all the unbridled joy he demonstrated at the finish line, De Marchi was more circumspect afterwards. “I was lucky in the final. I had one chance to play in the final and I played it. The start was fast; I knew I had to wait to the climb to make one attack to try. I was lucky to make one attack. I am really happy. I don’t win so much; I have to work for the team. I don’t have a lot of days for me. When I do, I have to play good. The Tour was a hard race, and I tried lots of times, but it’s destiny. Now, in the Vuelta I win; I’m happy. I have to say thanks to the team for my life.”

Tomorrow, the racers will travel from Baeza to Albacete. The 207km stage is the longest of this year’s Vuelta and one of the flattest. Because sprint opportunities are relatively rare in this Vuelta, all the big sprinters will want their shot in Albacete. Cannondale will put Oscar Gatto into position in the finale to give him a chance to mix it up with the fast men.

Stage 7 Brief Results:

1. Alessandro De Marchi (Italy / Cannondale) 4:01:52″
2. Ryder Hesjedal (Canada / Garmin) +1:34″
3. Hubert Dupont (France / AG2R) +1:35″
4. Johann Tschopp (Switzerland / IAM Cycling)
5. Philippe Gilbert (Belgium / BMC Racing) +2:17″
6. Daniel Martin (Ireland / Garmin)
7. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) +2:18″
8. Gianluca Brambilla (Italy / Omega Pharma – Quick-Step) +2:20″
9. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Movistar)
10. Alberto Contador (Spain / Tinkoff – Saxo)

General Classification After Stage 7:

1. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Movistar) 26:52:20″
2. Nairo Quintana (Colombia / Movistar) +15″
3. Alberto Contador (Spain / Tinkoff – Saxo) +18″
4. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) +20″
5. Esteban Chaves (Colombia / Orica) +41″
6. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain / Katusha) +45″
7. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / Belkin) +55″
8. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) +58″
9. Warren Barguil (France / Giant) +1:02″
10. Wilco Kelderman (Netherlands / Belkin) +1:06″