Jelle Wallays (Lotto Soudal) captured the sixth stage of the 2018 Vuelta a San Juan in solo fashion on Saturday. The Belgian attacked his breakaway companions less than five kilometers from the finish and just held them off to take the victory. Robigzon Oyola (Medellin-Inder) led home the sprint for second amongst the remaining breakaway riders two seconds behind Wallays. American Travis McCabe (UnitedHealthcare) rounded out the podium.
There was no change in the general classification with local Argentine rider Gonzalo Najar (Sindicato Empleados Públicos of San Juan) still atop the standings. He holds a 1:58 advantage over Oscar Sevilla (Medellin-Inder) with one stage remaining. Rodolfo Andres Torres (Androni-Sidermec-Bottecchia) is third in the general classification at 2:05 behind Najar.
After Friday’s queen stage, which finished atop the brutal Alto Colorado, the peloton was content to let a large breakaway go up the road. The penultimate stage of the race was an out-and-back 152.6-kilometer jaunt that started and finished in San Juan. The riders had the luxury of a tailwind on the way back into town.
A massive 17-rider breakaway dominated the stage and featured many of the top teams in the race. However, Bora-Hansgrohe put in a hard effort in the latter part of the stage in an effort to bring the race back together.
Heading back to San Juan, collaboration in the breakaway group became non-existent. The riders began attacking each other in an attempt to increase their odds of winning the stage.
With less than five kilometers to go, Wallays attacked from the front of the group and opened a gap, as the other breakaway riders looked to one another to chase. He would just hold off the other riders in the breakaway to take the stage win. Oyola took the sprint for second with McCabe rounding out the podium.
The Vuelta a San Juan concludes Sunday with a circuit race around the host city. The riders will a tackle 15.7-kilometer circuit nine times. The circuit is flat, so a bunch sprint is expected. Although, a bunch sprint was expected Saturday and the breakaway survived to steal the stage win.
Top, 10, stage 6
- 1. Jelle Wallays, LOTTO SOUDAL, in 03:15:28
- 2. Robigzon Leandro Oyola, MEDELLIN – INDER, at 0:02
- 3. Travis Mccabe, UNITEDHEALTHCARE PRO CYCLING TEAM, at 0:02
- 4. Iljo Keisse, QUICK-STEP FLOORS, at 0:02
- 5. Eduardo Sepulveda, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 0:02
- 6. Miguel Angel Rubiano, COLDEPORTES – CLARO, at 0:02
- 7. Gerardo Tivani, EQUIPO CONTINENTAL MUNICIPALIDAD DE POCITO, at 0:02
- 8. Eugenio Alafaci, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 0:02
- 9. Fausto Masnada, ANDRONI – SIDERMEC – BOTTECCHIA, at 0:02
- 10. Mattia Bais, ITALY, at 0:08
Top 10, GC after stage 6
- 1. Gonzalo Najar, SINDICATO EMPLEADOS PúBLICOS OF SAN JUAN, in 19:03:43
- 2. Oscar Sevilla, MEDELLIN – INDER, at 0:51
- 3. Filippo Ganna, UAE-TEAM EMIRATES, at 1:11
- 4. Rodolfo Andres Torres, ANDRONI – SIDERMEC – BOTTECCHIA, at 1:41
- 5. Rafał Majka, BORA – HANSGROHE, at 2:00
- 6. Tiesj Benoot, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 2:01
- 7. Omar Mendoza, MEDELLIN – INDER, at 2:11
- 8. Dayer Quintana, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 2:58
- 9. Kanstantsin Siutsou, BAHRAIN MERIDA PRO CYCLING TEAM, at 3:19
- 10. Rémi Cavangna, QUICK-STEP FLOORS, at 3:26
Full results to come
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