Brilliant late attack seals victory for Simon Yates on stage six of La Vuelta a Espana

Ordiziako Klasika winner Simon Yates unleashed a blistering late attack to win stage six of the Vuelta a Espana today after some strong teamwork from ORICA-BikeExchange instigated the intense chase of the breakaway.

The first Grand Tour stage win for the 24-year-old Briton was beautifully executed. After following an attack by Dani Moreno (Movistar) in the closing kilometres Yates took the initiative and dropped his competitors as he accelerated away to a superb solo victory.

”The team did some great work in the beginning and set things up really well for me,” said Yates. ”We wanted to go in there and try to make a hard race. There were lots of twists and turns in the finale, but I managed to take my opportunity and I’m very happy with the result.”

Read the full report here.

Photo Gallery - Stage 6 La Vuelta

It was a full team effort once again to deliver Simon Yates his first Grand Tour stage victory.

Re-live all of the action from stage six via the photos, courtesy of Graham Watson.

Durasek, l’uomo giusto al momento giusto per Meintjes

Durasek, the best man in the best place for Meintjes

25 agosto 2016 

L'importanza dei compagni.
Nel finale della 6^ tappa della Vuelta a Espana, la Monforte de Lemos-Luintra di 163,2 km con 1 Gpm di 2^categoria a -47,3 km dal traguardo, Louis Meintjes ha potuto constatare direttamente quanto sia fondamentale poter avere al proprio fianco un compagno di squadra reattivo.

Lo scalatore sudafricano, mentre pedalava a 15 km dal traguardo in compagnia dei principali uomini di classifica, non ha potuto evitare un atleta caduto proprio davanti alla sua ruota: finito a terra riportando vaste escoriazioni sul lato sinistro del corpo, Meintjes è stato prontamente assistito da Durasek che lo ha rimesso in piedi e gli ha ceduto la sua bicicletta.
Meintjes ha potuto così concludere la tappa con il drappello della maglia rossa, cogliendo il 30° posto a 29” dal vincitore Simon Yates.

La frazione era iniziata con un'altra caduta di un corridore blu-fucsia-verde: al 15° km di gara, Koshevoy era rimasto coinvolto in un incidente nel quale si era procurato 5 punti all'arcata sopracciliare destra, oltre a escoriazioni (foto Bettini).
Lo scalatore bielorusso ha coraggiosamente completato la tappa.

Ci aveva poi pensato Conti a offrire note positive alla LAMPRE-MERIDA, unendosi alla fuga di 11 corridori che è riuscita a vincere la resistenza del gruppo dopo 40 km di continui attacchi.
Il giovane laziale ha alzato bandiera bianca nell'approccio alla vetta del Gpm.

Meintjes è 24° in classifica generale, a 3'10" da Atapuma.

ORDINE D'ARRIVO
1- Yates S. 4h50'00"
2- Sanches L. 20"
3- Felline 22"
4- Hermans s.t.
5- Helissonde s.t.
30- Meintjes 29"
58- Durasek 6'21", 90- Cattaneo 15'54", 100- Conti s.t., 109- Grmay 19'51", 118- Mario Costa 23'01", 147- Arashiro s.t., 179- Koshevoy s.t.

CLASSIFICA GENERALE
1- Atapuma 21h45'21"
2- Valverde 28"
3- Froome 32"
4- Quintana 38"
5- Chaves s.t.
24- Meintjes 3'10"

The importance of the team mates.
In the final part of the 6th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, Monforte de Lemos-Luintra of 163,2 km with one categorized climb of 2nd category at 47,3 km from the arrival, Louis Meintjes could appreciate directly how fundamental is to be able to rely on a responsive mate.

The South African rider was pedaling in the group of the main contenders for the general classification when, at 15 km to the arrival, he could not avoid a rider who had crashed and so he hit thr ground too, suffering large abrasions on the left side of the body.
He was immediately assisted by Durasek, who was pedaling in the same group, who gave Meintjes his own bike, allowing him to reach the arrival in the red jersey group at 29” to the winner Simon Yates.

The stage began with another crash of a blue-fuchsia-green cyclist: 15 km in the race, Koshevoy crashed and he was treated with five stitches on the right eyebrow (photo Bettini). He also suffered abrasions, which however did not prevent him to complete the stage.

Conti gave to LAMPRE-MERIDA some satisfactions by joining the main breakawaway of the stage, going clear from the bunch at 40th km in the stage after a long series of attack attempts.
The Italian rider was dropped in the approach of the summit of the categorized climb.

Meintjes is 24th in the general classification at 3'10” from Atapuma.

STAGE RESULTS
1- Yates S. 4h50'00"
2- Sanches L. 20"
3- Felline 22"
4- Hermans s.t.
5- Helissonde s.t.
30- Meintjes 29"
58- Durasek 6'21", 90- Cattaneo 15'54", 100- Conti s.t., 109- Grmay 19'51", 118- Mario Costa 23'01", 147- Arashiro s.t., 179- Koshevoy s.t.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1- Atapuma 21h45'21"
2- Valverde 28"
3- Froome 32"
4- Quintana 38"
5- Chaves s.t.
24- Meintjes 3'10"

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