Brandon McNulty's breakthrough ride at Itzulia Basque Country continued on Thursday's stage 4 when the 23-year-old American took the yellow jersey.
After claiming 2nd to Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) on the opening stage TT on Monday, McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) has climbed better than ever and when clear in a late breakaway today to seize the race lead.
He had started the day in 3rd place overall, some 30 seconds down on Roglic. McNulty's team mate, Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar, was in 2nd place this morning and 20 seconds down on Roglic.
In the closing stages today McNulty went clear with Esteban Chaves (BikeExchange), Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe), Ion Izagirre (Astana), Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma) and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious).
That group formed in the attacks that characterised the racing over the top of the 4km final climb, which was crested with just over 20km to go to the finish.
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The peloton was reduced to a large select group after the final climb on the 189.2km stage into Hondarribia. And the breakaway gained a maximum of one minute in the absence of an organised chase in the group behind.
The teams of main protagonists Roglic and
Pogacar both had men up the road, who may be able to win the race overall, in
the shape of McNulty and Vingegaard, making for an unusual finale.
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That played into the hands of the escapees, who reached the line intact after a late attack by Chaves was neutralised deep inside the final kilometre.
Izagirre won a very tight sprint to take stage honours from Bilbao, with McNulty 3rd and Vingegaard, who did not contribute to the workload up front, in 4th place. The escapees finished 49 seconds ahead of the large chase group containing 27 men, with the main favourites among them.
McNulty (23) took the race lead from Roglic and now has an advantage of 23 seconds over him. Vingegaard is up to 3rd at 28 seconds while Bilbao moved up to 4th at 36 seconds and Pogacar is in 5th; and now 43 seconds down on his team mate in yellow.
Eddie Dunbar’s Ineos Grenadiers was one of the losers today as its only well-placed rider overall, Adam Yates, was stuck in the chasing group with team mate Richard Carapaz. And that means Yates is now 6th overall some 1:02 off the race lead.
Unless Yates can do something special on the final two stages – particularly Saturday’s very tough concluding day of racing - it appears the overall title is between Jumbo Visma and UAE Team Emirates.
However, the overall victory could come from one of four men; Roglic or Vingegaard for Jumbo Visma and Pogacar or race leader McNulty for UAE Team Emirates.
The smart money is perhaps on Roglic getting rid of McNulty at some point to reclaim yellow, though the young American rider is clearly on great form at present, while Pogacar also cannot be counted out.
Eddie Dunbar today finished in the second chase group on the road; one of 16 riders at 5:42 after the Irishman was consigned to team duties in the service of Yates.
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