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2020 Vuelta a Burgos: Stage 1 Results

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Felix Großschartner takes stunning Vuelta a Burgos stage win with dramatic late attack

Hilly terrain, strong winds and a difficult finale with a steep climb on the last kilometre – today’s first stage of the Vuelta a Burgos 2020 was a tough opener for the five-day-long race in Northern Spain. After a quiet beginning, the 157km long stage which started and finished in Burgos was mostly dominated by a group of four escapees who led the race temporarily with an advantage of nearly four minutes. With the winds becoming stronger in the second half of the day, the peloton became more nervous and there were several crashes along the way. Unfortunately, BORA-hansgrohe rider Rafal Majka was caught in one of them with 53km to go. He suffered scrapes and bruises but could continue the race. In the last kilometres, after the escapees had been caught, BORA-hansgrohe prepared the finale for Jay McCarthy. However, in the final kilometre, it was Felix Großschartner who surprised all the favourites with a dramatic attack and secured a stunning opening victory for the German team. Jay McCarthy completed a perfect day for BORA-hansgrohe in 8th position.

“I’m very happy about this victory,” Großschartner commented after the stage. “During yesterday’s training ride we did a recon on the race course, that’s why I already knew before the start that the finish would be a good one for me. The team brought me into a perfect position during the final kilometres and when the other riders reduced their speed a little bit at the final kilometre mark, I took my chance and attacked. From then on, it was just going all in. Luckily, no one caught me and I could cross the finish line even a few seconds ahead of the chasers.”

“During today’s team meeting in the morning, I told the boys that there is nothing to wait for if we get the chance to attack on the final kilometre,” added Steffen Radochla, Sports Director. “Our original plan was to ride for Jay McCarthy and we also didn’t want to lose time with Felix Großschartner, Lennard Kämna and Rafal Majka for the general classification. In the last kilometre, Felix was in a very good position and took his chance. He did a really brilliant job and we are very happy about his performance. Jay also showed his good form with the 8th position. Tomorrow is a day for the sprinters before we’re going to the mountains. We will try to keep the leader’s jersey as long as possible.”

Stage 1 Results

  1. Felix Großschartner @ 3h40’21”
  2. J.Almeida @ 8″
  3. Alejandro Valverde s.t.
Tags: Alejandro Valverde, Felix Großschartner, Jay McCarthy, Lennard Kämna, Rafal Majka, sports director, Steffen Radochla, Vuelta a Burgos
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