Pau Miquel came close to victory at the Circuito de Getxo, finishing second after a strong team performance in the Basque one day race.
Natnael Tesfatsion (Movistar Team) took victory in the 81st edition of the race, with Miquel finishing second and Alex Aranburu (Cofidis) completing the podium.
The 172.2 kilometre race started in the famous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao before heading to Getxo, where the riders completed six laps of the finishing circuit. An early breakaway built up a lead before being brought back as the race entered the closing laps. The repeated climbs gradually reduced the front group, and after several late attacks only a small group remained in contention for victory. Miquel was among those fighting for the win and crossed the line in second place.
Pau said after the race:
“I’m really happy with this second place, even if it wasn’t the win we came here for. That was our goal as a team, but everyone rode a perfect race and every teammate did exactly what they had to do. That gave me the chance to fight for the victory in the end. I especially want to thank Pello and Jakob, who did an incredible job to put me in a position to contest the sprint. Personally, I had really good sensations after all the work we’ve done at altitude in preparation for these races. Of course, I’m a bit disappointed not to have taken the win in Pello’s home race, but I think we can be satisfied with this result. We’ll keep working and fighting until that victory comes.”
Sports Director Enrico Gasparotto added:
“The goal today was to win with Pau. We knew the final climbs could split the race, and the team stayed around him all day and brought him back every time he needed it. In the end, we had a bit of luck on our side as well. Pello and Jakob were both really strong, but Jakob punctured with four kilometres to go after Pau had made it back to the front. UAE Team Emirates XRG and Lidl-Trek controlled the race for a long time, and despite a small crash for Max, everyone stayed committed to the plan. Pello did a great job as road captain on his home roads, and the team delivered exactly the race we wanted. It’s a shame to miss the win, but second place is still a strong result.”
