Kyle Murphy wins solo, takes points lead in Portugal
Stage 2 of the Volta a Portugal was supposed to be one for the sprinters. Good thing no one told Kyle Murphy. As part of an original three-rider breakaway, Murphy dispatched his companions in the final kilometers to win the stage solo ahead of a charging field.
Kyle Murphy finished off a massive breakaway effort to win stage two of the Volta a Portugal. With the peloton bearing down on his breakaway group of three, Murphy kicked clear in the final kilometers to claim his first professional victory. It was the first stage win by an American at “A Grandíssima” since 2013.
“All I could think about is how rare these opportunities are and how badly I wanted to capitalize on it,” recalled Murphy. “When I crossed the line I was thinking about my family at home and how much I miss them. I was also thinking about how important a win in Portugal is for our staff and our sponsors.”
The breakaway formed in the first hour of racing and was comprised entirely of riders who were more than nine minutes down in the general classification. This allowed them to grow their advantage to nearly 10 minutes until the sprinter’s teams started their chase. They were clearly unaware of Murphy’s quality and he had plenty of time to relish his victory on the finish stretch.
“As soon as we had nine minutes I knew they had underestimated us,” said Murphy. “It was touch and go the last 10 kilometers, but we turned into a ripping tailwind and hot damn, that Felt AR just absolutely rips at speed.”
|
