Nicolas Roche's Saxo-Tinkoff seize the day to shred field in Vuelta crosswinds

Nicolas Roche's Saxo-Tinkoff put the hammer down in the Spanish crosswinds today, pulling the race apart and helping the Irishman into his target zone of a top five placing overall.

By Gavin McLoughlin

Saxo-Tinkoff leader Nicolas Roche jumped into the top five overall as Domenico Pozzovivo was caught out by crosswinds on stage 17 of the Vuelta a Espana today, Wednesday.

Roche managed to bag tenth place on the stage after being well-positioned when the peloton was shredded to bits on a long, straight section of exposed road with about 30 kilometres to go.

Unlike the Irishman, Pozzovivo was stuck near the rear of the bunch at the critical moment and would pay dearly for it. The AG2R-La Mondiale rider, who began the day in fifth overall at five seconds ahead of Roche, ultimately surrendered 1:31 to the Saxo-Tinkoff leader.

Roche’s teammates rode furiously to maintain the split and the winner of stage 2 owes them a debt for their efforts today. He is now fifth on general classification, 3:43 off the red jersey of Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)

Prior to the race, the Irishman’s avowed goal was to finish in the top 5, and tonight he sits 1:26 ahead of the sixth-placed Pozzovivo. It is a sizeable gap, but three tough mountain stages lie ahead and the diminutive Italian is no mean climber.

The podium remains an outside possibility for Roche, but it is tough to see him clawing back a 2:29 deficit to third-placed Alejandro Valverde (Movistar). The top 3 became a realistic ambition after the Irishman’s heroics in the first week of this Vuelta, but as of now it looks like the attainment of this goal will have to wait.

Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) and Francisco Javier Aramendia (Caja Rural) were the initial escapees on today’s 189-kilometre ride from Calahorra to Burgos.

Lampre-Merida and Orica-Green Edge did the early work on the front, and for much of the stage the rest of the riders were able to conserve their energy. But when the wind hit in the final 30 kilometres, the action was frantic as Saxo-Tinkoff performed their duty for Roche.

With the breakaway swallowed up and Pozzovivo languishing in one of many small contingents left behind, the Irishman’s teammates took to the front and enthusiastically drilled the lead group all the way to the foot of a steep little ramp that occurred with about 9 kilometres left.

This hill served as a springboard for an unsuccessful speculative attack from Diego Ulissi (Lampre- Merida), and as the riders passed under the flamme rouge a mass gallop looked inevitable. But Bauke Mollema (Belkin) had other plans and the Dutchman was able to outsmart everyone by darting clear with 800 metres to go and holding on for a cheeky stage victory.

Tomorrow’s leg is dotted with five categorised ascents and finishes atop the first-category Peña Cabarga climb. Roche took a second from Pozzovivo on the last mountain stage, and for the Irishman a repeat of that result would do very nicely indeed.

@gavmcloughlin