A chaotic bunch sprint in Elche de la Sierra.
The final Grand Tour of the season resumed Tuesday after a well-deserved rest day. The hilly terrain suited a breakaway, but also the fast men with a bit of punch who could overcome the demanding uphill drag to the line, and this led to a spectacular finale.
Seven riders made it into the breakaway - after a flurry of attacks that featured also Gianmarco Garofoli, Valentin Paret-Peintre and Fabio Van den Bossche - and the peloton had to work hard in order to bring them back, the catch being made only inside ten kilometers to go. As the final climb to the line started, two riders went clear and put more than 50 meters into the chasers, who lacked a team to set the pace and keep things together. Rounding out the last corner, the duo looked on their way to victory, but the bunch came back at an incredible pace and passed them within meters of the line, with the win going to Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ).
Wednesday, the race will continue with a 151km stage to Lorca, on another course suiting both the baroudeurs and the fast men that can make it over the climbs.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
