UAE Team Emirates’ Gaviria wins at Vuelta a Burgos’ second stage
- 30 Jul 2020
Fernando Gaviria gave the UAE Team Emirates their latest win on the second day of the Vuelta a Burgos after the resumption of the racing calendar.
Gaviria dominated the final sprint on the 2nd stage of the Vuelta a Burgos, 168 km from Castrojeriz to Villadiego with Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) and Sam Bennett (Deceunick-Quick Step) rounding out the podium.
The team had to stay versatile on the stage, having to deal with the reduced number of riders. This didn’t hamper Gaviria, and the Colombian finished off the day with a clear victory.
A delighted Gaviria said: “The compactness of the team was exceptional. We had to do without three riders, therefore not being able to work to keep the escape at bay, but we counted in the final on our good legs and a little luck to finish off a good sprint.
I thank my teammates, who looked after me the whole stage and delivered me for the win.”
The third stage will be one for the climbers and departs from Sargentes de Lora and finishes at Picón Blanco (150 km).
Earlier, Sebastian Molano, Cristian Munoz and Camilo Ardila did not start the second stage of the Vuelta a Burgos.
The three Colombian athletes on Saturday had been in recent contact with a person who turned out to be positive for COVID-19. Following the protocol of the Team and the UCI, the three riders were isolated,sent home and will all undergo another test.
All three riders returned 2 negative tests in the days prior to the race.
Meanwhile, few races on the cycling calendar are as iconic as Strade Bianche, a one day event which takes place on the white gravel roads of the stunning Tuscan landscape.
Despite this only being its 14th edition, the Italian ‘Spring Classic’ has quickly captured the imagination of cycling fans from around the world and this year its significance is greater than ever as it signals the restart of the World Tour season.
The 2020 edition, which was postponed in March due to the global pandemic, returns on Aug.1 and UAE Team Emirates has assembled an all-star cast to take on the 184km route, which starts and finishes in Sienna.
Tadej Pogacar, whose last WorldTour race saw him win on top of Jebel Hafeet at the UAE Tour in February, joins a team of seven that includes his fellow countryman Jan Polanc, the Italian trio of Diego Ulissi, Valerio Conti and Davide Formolo as well as Sergio Henao and the 2013 World Road Race Champion, Rui Costa.
Diego Ulissi said: “It will be unusual racing on the white roads in August rather than March but regardless of that I’m sure it will be a beautiful race. It will be a little unpredictable for sure, because it is several months since we last raced, but I know me and my teammates have been preparing well. We are all just really happy and motivated to be pinning on a race number again”.
The team will be guided by Sports Director Marco Marzano, who added: “It will be a big moment to finally return to competition after the long period away. It has been a challenging time but the riders have stayed positive throughout the break and managed to prepare very well for these first races. It could be an unpredictable race, but we have a number of cards to play”.
The races come in quick succession for UAE Team Emirates following Strade Bianche with two different squads heading to back to back one day events in Italy with the Gran Trittico Lombardo (199.7km, Legnano – Varese) and Milano Torino (198km, Mesero – Stupinigi) taking place on Aug.3rd and Aug.5th respectively.
Earlier, Pogacar had expressed his happiness when he was named in the squad for Italian Tour and Tour de France.
“I was thrilled to find out last week that I will be part of the team’s roster who will be heading to Nice in August and racing in the Tour de France. The Tour de France is the biggest and most well-known race in the world and the pinnacle of any rider’s career. I’m super excited to be in the team and can’t wait to test myself against the best riders in the world at one of the hardest Tours,” said Pogacar.
“We’re now just six weeks away from the start of the revised UCI 2020 race calendar and I am looking forward to getting back to competitive racing. Knowing that I will be racing in the Tour de France means I can finally train with a specific goal in mind.
“I am feeling fit and strong and I am happy with the team at the moment. We’ve got a good mix of attributes for our Grand Tour line ups – having that balance of climbers, sprinters and stage hunters.
