Bilbao’s one-two punch in Lana: stage and jersey

The Tour of the Alps’ format never disappoints. The GS Alto Garda race’s technical profile, composed of short, challenging, and thrilling stages, offered another spectacular day in stage two of the 2022 edition: 154.1 km from Primiero-San Martino di Castrozza to Lana, on Tuesday, April 19.

Those who know and love the Tour of the Alps know it well. When the celebrated racers of world cycling arrive in the Euregion, they call on every tactic, and they race to win with both their physical and mental abilities. Today’s ambition was set by Pavel Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers), Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana-Qazaqstan), and the other racers who launched the attack on Passo Rolle after 11 km of racing. The legs – the best so far in this Tour of the Alps – belonged to Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), who won another sprint in Lana, after yesterday’s sprint in Primiero/San Martino di Castrozza, which was only worth second place.

This is the third stage victory at #TotA for the Bahrain-Victorious athlete, who has likely forged an affinity with the Italian-Austrian race after today. The Basque rider won both the stage and the jersey in a bunch sprint, which saw him finish ahead of another of the day’s favourites, the transalpine Romain Bardet (Team DSM), and the young Magyar, Attila Valter (Groupama-FDJ). But so much happened before the race was resolved in a bunch sprint.

A STAGE UNDER ATTACK

Thanks to exceptional performers like Lopez and Sivakov (INEOS Grenadiers), together with Pernsteiner (Bahrain), Pronskiy (Astana), Gall (Ag2r), Uijtdebroeks (Bora), Caicedo (Education-First), Arensman (Team DSM), Hagen (Israel), Storer and Badilatti (Groupama), they livened up the race with an attack at Km 11 on the climb up Passo Rolle.

The breakaway stretched the gap to its maximum 3'58" ahead of the chasers at Km 50. Behind them, the Ag2r Citroen team of GC leader, Bouchard, tried to control the situation, but the skills of the leaders compelled Bahrain-Victorious to take over the situation at the head of the group, despite the presence of Tyrolean racer, Pernsteiner, in the group.

As the kilometres ticked by, the small group of leaders lost precious seconds on the approach to the day’s second climb, the Passo della Mendola, and shattered under attacks by Pavel Sivakov to leave Pernsteiner, Storer and Arensman.

Arensman relented to another attack by Sivakov on the Passo Palade, while Pernstener obeyed team orders to make himself available to captain Bilbao. At the top of the last pass of the day, Sivakov and Storer were more than a minute back, but a concerted group effort on the descent allowed them to pursue the break at the beginning of the final circuit, and reel them in with 10 km to go. Geoffrey Bouchard lost contact with the Bilbao group on the descent and finished 35 seconds down from the leader, causing him to bid farewell to the green jersey.

Bahrain-Victorious took the situation in hand in the final metres and gave Bilbao a lead-out worthy of a sprinter. The Spaniard exploited the opportunity to perfection.

Among the day's victors, Sivakov and Lopez were rewarded respectively with the blue Gruppo Cassa Centrale jersey for the Best Climber and the red PMG Sport jersey for Best Intermediate Sprinter, while another Team Bahrain-Victorious athlete, Santiago Buitrago, is the new wearer of the white Würth Modyf jersey for the Best Young Rider.

BILBAO: "MY BEST FORM EVER? MAYBE YES..."

"We knew it would be a tough stage, it always is at the Tour of the Alps, but we didn't expect attacks from rival riders so early. I could count on a very strong team; after pulling all day, I don't know where they found the strength to pull me to the sprint," Bilbao said.

"In my career I've worked for my teammates a lot, but slowly I've shown that I can be the one to watch in some races on the road. My teammates are happy to help me, and the results show it. For me it was a great start to the season, and, at the Tour of the Alps, I always find the ideal conditions to express my best self."

"If I'm in the best moment of my career? Yes, maybe so. I’m in great form, but I don't want to put pressure on myself. We'll take this one day at a time."

Something to note – in the last two Tour of the Alps, the winner of the second stage has won the overall GC. It happened with Pavel Sivakov in 2019, winner in Schenna/Scena, and with Simon Yates in 2021, his arms raised in Feichten im Kaunertal.

TOMORROW: STAGE 3, LANA - NIEDERDORF/VILLABASSA, 154.6 KM

On Wednesday, April 20, the Tour of the Alps reaches its halfway mark. The third stage takes place entirely in South Tyrol, from Lana to Niederdorf/Villabassa, a distance of 154.6 km. This stage presents what’s perhaps the most feared climb in this edition of the Euroregional race: the Furkelpass/Passo Furcia (1st category), 7.9 km with a 7.6% average gradient, and just 23 km from the finish. First however, the climb is followed by a long and technical descent before the final, slightly uphill 10 km ascent toward Niederdorf/Villabassa.

From the start, the peloton will climb gradually but steadily to Klausen/Chiusa. From there the challenge begins with the short climbs to Feldthurns/Velturno (flying finish) and Natz Schiabs/Naz Sciaves, and the GPM of Terenten/Terento (2nd category), just after the stage’s midpoint.

THE TOUR OF THE ALPS ON TV

Tomorrow, Wednesday, the Tour of the Alps will be live starting at 1:00 p.m. CEST on RaiSport, Eurosport 1, L'Equipe Tv (France), and TV2 (Denmark).