This was the first major crash in a pro race of 2016. And when we say 'big', we mean it.
It may have been a day billed as being perfect for the sprinters, but it was the opportunists who took the honours on stage 5 of the Tour de San Luis in Argentina on Friday.
It was also marked by a massive crash, as the clip below shows.
German Tivani (Argentina) took victory in a three-up sprint to the finish line from breakaway companions; last year’s victor Dani Diaz (Deklo Marseile Provence KTM), and Emiliano Ibarra (S.E.P San Juan).
They got clear early with Ramiro Cabrera (Uruguay) and while the speed really cranked up behind in the last hour of racing, the massive crash in the clip below slowed the bunch’s momentum and the breakaway held on.
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Their maximum lead, at 5 minutes, was not insurmountable but when they still had four of those minutes with just over 20km remaining it was clear the sprinters’ teams had left it too late.
And at the finish they still had just over 1:30 on the peloton led home by Team Sky’s Elia Viviani
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Eduardo Sepulveda, the Argentine riding for Fortuneo Vital Concept kept his lead of 3 seconds over Dayer Quintana (Movistar) whose brother Nairo is in 3rd a further 39 seconds back.
Updates to follow on those injured if there are any big names in a bad way.
First huge pro crash of 2016
Stage 5: Tour de San Luis
1 German N. Tivani (Arg) Argentina 3:37:39
2 Daniel Diaz (Arg) Delko-Marseille-KTM
3 Emiliano Ibarra (Arg) S.E.P. San Juan
4 Elia Viviani (Ita) Italy 0:01:34
5 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Jamis
6 Eduard M. Grosu (Rom) Nippo Vini Fantini
7 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre-Merida
8 Yannick Martinez (Fra) Delko-Marseille-KTM
9 Marco Canola (Ita) Unitedhealthcare
10 Grega Bole (Slo) Nippo Vini Fantini
General Classification
1 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Fortuneo Vital Concept 15:39:29
2 Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:03
3 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:42
4 Miguel A. Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team 0:00:51
5 Roman Villalobos (CRc) Costa Rica 0:01:06
6 Janier Acevedo (Col) Team Jamis 0:01:09
7 Ilia Koshevoy (Blr) Lampre-Merida 0:01:22
8 Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:01:36
9 Andre Cardoso (Por) Cannondale 0:01:37
10 Rodolfo Torres (Col) Androni Giocattoli
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