Primoz Roglic wins Itzulia Basque Country in long range attack with David Gaudu

Primoz Roglic powered to victory in the Tour of the Basque Country on Saturday, coasting across the line behind stage winner David Gaudu as race leader Brandon McNulty was distanced

Gaudu won the mountainous 111.9 km stage to Arrate in 3:05:42. Roglic finished in the same time.

Fourty-year-old Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, led home a quartet of chasers, which included Tadej Pogacar, 35 seconds later. Roglic won the overall race  52 seconds ahead of Jumbo-Visma teammate Jonas Vingegaard. Pogacar was third overall, a further 15 seconds back. Roglic exploited tactical confusion in Pogacar’s UAE team. Pogacar’s young American team-mate Brandon McNulty started the final day in the overall lead.

Roglic was second with the Dane Vingegaard third and Pogacar fifth. When the McNulty struggled on the second of the day’s four first-category climbs, Pogacar dropped back to help. Sensing weakness, the Astana team launched an attack on the descent. Roglic and other leading riders went with it. Pogacar dropped McNulty and gave chase, but could not close the gap. Roglic powered on, gradually shedding all the other members of the group except Briton Hugh Carthy of Education First and Gaudu of Groupama. Behind him Pogacar, who beat his Slovenian compatriot in the time-trial on the penultimate day of the 2020 Tour de France, became visibly irked.

He shook his head unhappily after a conversation with the team car. Then, as his group grew, gestured to rival riders to help him as they sat on his wheel knowing he had to chase.

Gaudu attacked on the final climb and dropped Carthy but not Roglic who was happy to cruise to line behind the Frenchman, flapping one hand to draw cheers and urge on the winner.

VIDEO: 2021 Itzulia Basque Country Stage 6 Highlights

2021 Itzulia Basque Country Stage 6 Top 10

1 David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 3:05:42
2 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:35
4 Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
5 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
6 Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma
7 Pello Bilbao Lopez De Armentia (Spa) Bahrain Victorious 0:01:03
8 Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Team BikeExchange 0:01:05
9 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Bahrain Victorious
10 Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:01:55

2021 Itzulia Basque Country GC after Stage 6

1 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma 19:11:36
2 Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:52
3 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
4 Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:01:26
5 David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:27
6 Pello Bilbao Lopez De Armentia (Spa) Bahrain Victorious 0:01:28
7 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:33
8 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Bahrain Victorious 0:02:17
9 Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Team BikeExchange 0:02:38
10 Ion Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech 0:02:59