The Itzulia Basque Country Tour, which was unfortunately overshadowed by severe crashes, concluded with its Queen Stage in Eibar. Following two crashes, the then-leader and winner of the opening time trial, Primož Roglič had to abandon the race. Fortunately, however, he escaped without any fractures. On the penultimate stage, it seemed that the tide was turning for the team from Raubling. Maximilian Schachmann demonstrated that he is regaining his old strength after battling through injuries and illness. The German headed into the final stage having taken a podium place and sitting in second overall. The final day of racing around Eibar was poised to be decisive in the battle for the overall victory, with the top eight riders being separated by only 15 seconds. Maximilian managed to stay in the leading group until about 30 km before the finish. However, as the race fragmented on the penultimate demanding Izua climb, he had to let his competitors go up the road. Ultimately, with Carlos Rodríguez claiming victory, Maximilian finished in 26th place. This secured him the 13th position in the overall standings, while teammate Jai Hindley finished the stage in 14th place, improving to 12th position in the general classification.
From the Finish Line
"Overall, this past week presented a mixed bag of outcomes for our team in the Basque Country. Our week started on a high note with a commendable team effort resulting in a win in the individual time trial with Primož. As the race progressed, our strategy focused on maintaining a safe position until the final stage. We successfully defended the yellow jersey across three stages. However, our fortunes took a turn for the worse when an unfortunate crash disrupted our plans. Stage 5 presented a daunting task as we had to swiftly regroup after the departure of Primož. Despite the setback, our team rallied admirably, securing a strong third place finish and only narrowly missing out on claiming the yellow jersey. Heading into the final stage, our objective was to defend our second position overall. Unfortunately, the challenging penultimate climb proved to be too tough, and we struggled to find our best legs. Nevertheless, the collective effort displayed by our team members was commendable, with each rider giving their best. While our final result may have been less than what we had hoped for, the Tour of the Basque Country provided invaluable lessons as well as a strong sense of team spirit." - Patxi Vila, Sportlicher Leiter
Photos: Sprintcycling