Rigoberto Uran (EF Education First-Drapac) proved to have the fastest finishing kick in the summit finish to Salento, outsprinting a select group of climbers to win the fifth stage of the Colombia Oro y Paz. He ended Quick-Step Floors’ streak of four consecutive stage wins.
Uran was the fastest out of the select five-rider group that formed after Nairo Quintana (Movistar) put in a blistering attacked inside the final kilometer of the three-kilometer climb to the finish. The Team Sky duo of Egan Bernal and Sergio Henao, as well as Uran, were the only ones able to follow Quintana. Positioning was key in the final few hundred meters of stage five, as the finish line was located inside the city-center of Salento and the streets were very narrow.
Bernal was leading the group as the finish line came within sight, trying to set-up Henao. The top of the general classification was extremely tight and there were 10, six, and four bonus seconds for the top three on the stage. Uran jumped around the left side of Bernal and Quintana jumped on his right, as Henao was left watching the sprint unfold. The road was too narrow for him to get around. Uran proved to have the power and took the stage win and with it a 10-second bonus. Quintana finished second with Bernal third.
Quintana took over the lead in the general classification, as overnight GC leader and stage four winner, Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) could not hold the pace in the final moments of the race. He leapfrogged Henao in the GC due to the six bonus seconds he earned by finishing second. Uran sits second overall at three seconds with Henao in third at four seconds behind. Bernal is fourth at nine seconds.
“At the sprint, I thought Sergio would launch his move earlier, but he was a bit boxed in against the barriers,” Quintana said. “I was maybe a bit too optimistic with my sprint, though Rigo is a more powerful rider for such finishes anyway, and he bested me by a bit. Happily, those bonus seconds got us to the GC lead.
“Tomorrow? We all, myself and the team, will have to make a great compromise to defend that jersey. We’ve seen Egan’s great work to help Sergio out today, so one would expect that Sky won’t make things easy for us tomorrow, and neither will the other teams. The break will also try to go get close to the finish with a chance. Plus, there are many teams who haven’t got a win and there’s only Sunday’s stage left. We try to control the race until we run out of energy, keep a good pace on the climb and watch those attacks to defend ourselves and keep this jersey with us at the end of tomorrow.”
The sixth and final stage of the race on Sunday is sure to decide the general classification with a 19.8-kilometer climb to the finish at the Chipre Tower in Manizales. The 187.7-kilometer stage has three climbs in the final 80 kilometers, including the long haul to the finish. With the general classification so close, a flurry of fireworks should be expected to finish off the inaugural edition of the race.
Top 10, stage 5
- 1. Rigoberto Uran, (COL) TEAM EF EDUCATION FIRST – DRAPAC P/B CANNONDALE, in 03:42:33
- 2. Nairo Quintana, (COL) MOVISTAR TEAM, s.t.
- 3. Egan Arley Bernal Gomez, (COL) TEAM SKY, s.t
- 4. Sergio Luis Henao Montoya, (COL) TEAM SKY, s.t.
- 5. Ivan Ramiro Sosa Cuervo, (COL) ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 00:17
- 6. Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda, (COL) TEAM EF EDUCATION FIRST – DRAPAC P/B CANNONDALE, at 00:17
- 7. Jhonnatan Narvaez, (ECU) QUICK – STEP FLOORS, at 00:29
- 8. Oscar Miguel Sevilla Rivera, (ESP) MEDELLIN, at 00:29
- 9. Aristobulo Cala Cala, (COL) BICICLETAS STRONGMAN COLOMBIA COLDEPORTES, at 00:34
- 10. Richard Carapaz, (ECU) MOVISTAR TEAM, at 00:37
GC after stage 5
- 1. Nairo Quintana, (COL) MOVISTAR TEAM, in 16:26:39
- 2. Rigoberto Uran, (COL) TEAM EF EDUCATION FIRST – DRAPAC P/B CANNONDALE, at 00:03
- 3. Sergio Luis Henao Montoya, (COL) TEAM SKY, at 00:04
- 4. Egan Arley Bernal Gomez, (COL) TEAM SKY, at 00:09
- 5. Ivan Ramiro Sosa Cuervo, (COL) ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 00:30
- 6. Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda, (COL) TEAM EF EDUCATION FIRST – DRAPAC P/B CANNONDALE, at 00:38
- 7. Julian Alaphilippe, (FRA) QUICK – STEP FLOORS, at 00:39
- 8. Jhonnatan Narvaez, (ECU) QUICK – STEP FLOORS, at 00:41
- 9. Aristobulo Cala Cala, (COL) BICICLETAS STRONGMAN COLOMBIA COLDEPORTES, at 00:55
- 10. Dany Alberto Osorio Calle, (COL) EQUIPO CONTINENTAL ORGULLO PAISA, at 00:57
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