Tour of the Basque Country 2018 Stage 5: Fraile wins seven-up sprint, Roglic cements lead

The Tour of the Basque's 5th stage takes in three intermediate climbs in the second half of the race. Mikel Landa strikes on the penultimate ascent, but leader Primoz Roglic is not impressed. They gobble up the leaders in the race, after which Omar Fraile wins the sprint ahead of Roglic. The Slovenian cements his lead, while Landa moves into second overall. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 5th stage 2018 Tour of the Basque Country

1. Omar Fraile (spa)
2. Primoz Roglic (slo) s.t.
3. Ion Izagirre (spa) s.t.
4. Carlos Verona (spa) s.t.
5. Jose Herrada (spa) s.t.
6. Mikel Landa (spa) s.t.
7. Mark Padun (ukr) + 0.15
8. Pello Bilbao (spa) + 1.27
9. Rui Costa (por) s.t.
10. Jai Hindley (aus) s.t.

12. David de la Cruz (spa) s.t.
13. Emanuel Buchmann (ger) s.t.
14. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
15. Rigoberto Uran (col) s.t.
17. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
20. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) + 2.15

GC after the 5th stage
1. Primoz Roglic (slo)
2. Mikel Landa (spa) + 1.57
3. Ion Izagirre (spa) + 2.13
4. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) + 2.55
5. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 3.06
6. Emanual Buchmann (ger) + 3.21
7. Pello Bilbao (spa) + 3.30
8. Nairo Quintana (col) + 3.41
9. David de la Cruz (spa) + 3.49
10. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 3.57

Race report
A group with McCarthy, Albasini, Rojas, Latour, Fraile, Herrada (José), Teklehaimanot, Padun, Verona, Howes, Castroviego, Van der Sande, Hindley en Bono escapes after approximately 10 km. Teklehaimanot struggles and gets dropped, so the break is down to thirteen riders. They race to a maximum lead of more than 5 minutes.

On the first climb, Elosua, the gap falls below 3 minutes. Only Rojas, Latour, Fraile, Padun, Verona and Castroviejo left at the front. Padun is the first rider to reach the crest, thus taking the KOM-lead.

In the valley Herrada, MaCarthy, Hindley, Albasini, Howes and Van der Sande make it back to the front group. The gap once again widens to almost 4 minutes.

On the Endoia – 7 kilometres at 5.1% – Landa accelerates in the main group and Quintana is dropped. They are closing in on the leaders.

Then Landa speeds up again. Roglic and Izagirre (Ion) jump to his wheel, the other contenders can’t follow the pace. At the crest, they are 30 seconds in arrears.

On the Azurki – 5.5 kilometres at 7.6% – the group Roglic is 20 seconds behind the remaining leader, Carlos Verona. On the climb, Alaphilippe gets dropped from the chasing group, who are 1 minute down on Roglic et al. Meanwhile, the GC leader’s group gobbles up the remains of the front group.

With 16 kms to go Verona is caught and on the false flat run-in to the line the front group of seven distance the chasers to 1’27”. In the ensuing sprint home-rider Omar Fraile bests Roglic and Izagirre.

Alaphilippe drops to fourth place, while Landa and Izagirre are now second and third behind Roglic, who cements his overall lead.