With climbing as the main feature of this 144km race between Malaga and Lucena, the team was led by newly-hired Directeur sportif Michael Carter, a former professional climber. The stage unfolded as everyone had expected. The peloton was very active with riders from each of the 18 teams wanted a place in the opening break, and as a result the break was difficult to accomplish.
Team SpiderTech protected their two climbers in the race, Caleb Fairly and Lucas Euser, in order to best position them for the climb and put them in the best possible General Classification positioning.
Ultimately, it’s Lucas Euser who climbed his way as the top SpiderTech rider, taking the 18th spot of the tough race as he crossed the finish line just 30 seconds after the stage winner and new race leader Alejandrom Valverde of UCI World squad Movistar Team.
Euser was thankful for his teammate cooperation after the completion of the stage: “The team did a great job to position Caleb and I heading into the climb. We started the final climb top 20. The way the wind was today made the lower part of the climb a bit dicey, I didn’t like that. The headwind slowed the pace and I’d have preferred if it was a bit more full-throttle from the beginning to the end. I paid attention to Gesink today – he climbs smooth and I thought he’d be a good wheel for me to gauge myself off.”
Carter added: “That was a dirty climb today, and was much harder than the race book seemed to indicate. The final pitch was over 15% and the wind on the exposed climb made it really difficult.”
The team also had as an objective to protect Will Routley’s position in the Meta Volantes Classification. Routley, who stepped on the podium in yesterday’s race, is currently sitting in fourth place of the Meta Volantes classification, with two points.
The stage-races resumes tomorrow for the third stage, a 157 kilometer ride between Montemayor and Las Gabias.
Results
1. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Esp) Movistar Team 4:02:37
2. Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team 00:10
3. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
4. Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan
5. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:13
6. Igor Anton Hernandez (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:15
7. Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:21
8. Adrian Palomares Villaplana (Esp) Andalucia
9. Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:23
10. Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 00:24
11. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
12. Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha Team
13. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Project 1t4i 00:26
14. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 00:30
15. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi
16. Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan
17. Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 00:32
18. Lucas Euser (USA) Spidertech Powered By C10
19. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Esp) Katusha Team
20. Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
21. David Lelay (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
22. Matthias Brandle (Aut) Team NetApp
23. Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha Team 00:36
24. Javier Moreno Bazan (Esp) Movistar Team
25. Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
26. Leopold Konig (Cze) Team NetApp
27. Fabricio Ferrari (Uru) Caja Rural
28. Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan
29. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
30. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
31. Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Esp) Movistar Team
32. David De La Fuente Rasilla (Esp) Caja Rural 00:41
33. Andreas Dietziker (Sui) Team NetApp 00:43
34. Juan Manuel Garate (Esp) Rabobank Cycling Team
35. Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:50
36. Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Project 1t4i 00:51
37. Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan
38. Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha Team
39. Antonio Piedra Perez (Esp) Caja Rural 00:58
40. Brian Bulgac (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team 00:59
41. Simon Geschke (Ger) Project 1t4i 01:00
42. Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team
43. Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi
44. Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
45. Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Esp) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 01:05
46. Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team NetApp
47. Reto Hollenstein (Sui) Team NetApp 01:16
48. Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi 01:20
49. Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi
50. Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 01:22
51. Thomas Degand (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
52. Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Project 1t4i 01:23
53. Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 01:25
54. Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 01:36
55. Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Project 1t4i 01:38
56. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 01:46
57. Oleg Chuzhda (Ukr) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s 01:51
58. Linus Gerdemann (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan
59. Javier Ramirez Abeja (Esp) Andalucia 01:55
60. Flavio De Luna (Mex) Spidertech Powered By C10 01:57
61. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 02:00
62. Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
63. Caleb Fairly (USA) Spidertech Powered By C10 02:02
64. Raymond Kunzli (Sui) Spidertech Powered By C10 02:05
65. Daniel Dominguez Barragan (Esp) Team NSP – Ghost 02:11
66. Gregory Habeaux (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
67. Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
68. René Hooghiemster (Ned) Team NSP – Ghost 02:14
69. Aitor Galdos Alonso (Esp) Caja Rural 02:24
70. Gert Dockx (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 02:30
71. Jorge Azanza Soto (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi 02:36
72. Oscar Freire Gomez (Esp) Katusha Team 02:45
73. Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
74. Markel Irizar Aranburu (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan
75. Yann Huguet (Fra) Project 1t4i 02:51
76. Javier Francisco Aramendia Lorente (Esp) Caja Rural
77. Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Esp) Andalucia 02:57
78. Sergej Fuchs (Ger) Team NSP – Ghost 03:19
79. Igor Romero Etxebarria (Esp) Caja Rural 03:32
80. Imanol Erviti (Esp) Movistar Team 04:33
81. José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Esp) Movistar Team
82. Jesus Rosendo Prado (Esp) Andalucia
83. Ryan Roth (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10 04:39
84. Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
85. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Movistar Team 04:43
86. Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Esp) Andalucia 04:45
87. Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
88. Markus Fothen (Ger) Team NSP – Ghost 04:57
89. Daniel Schorn (Aut) Team NetApp 05:23
90. Daniele Bennati (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
91. Ryan Anderson (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
92. Jan Barta (Cze) Team NetApp 05:26
93. Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team 05:35
94. Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team 05:53
95. Gaetan Bille (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
96. Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
97. Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
98. Steven Caethoven (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
99. Will Routley (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
100. Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team 06:05
101. Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Project 1t4i
102. Antonio Cabello Baena (Esp) Andalucia 06:29
103. Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s 07:12
104. Léo Menville (Fra) Team NSP – Ghost 07:14
105. Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 07:19
106. Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
107. Leonardo Fabio Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 08:02
108. Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Caja Rural
109. Jacob Fiedler (Ger) Team NSP – Ghost 08:06
110. Steffen Radochla (Ger) Team NSP – Ghost 09:29
111. Pablo Lechuga Rodriguez (Esp) Andalucia 09:49
112. Nikita Novikov (Rus) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 10:17
GC after Stage 2
1. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Esp) Movistar Team 9:11:58
2. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 00:03
3. Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 00:08
4. Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team 00:14
5. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:15
6. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Project 1t4i 00:18
7. Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:21
8. Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 00:22
9. Matthias Brandle (Aut) Team NetApp 00:23
10. Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan 00:26
11. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:27
12. Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan
13. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 00:28
14. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
15. Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:29
16. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
17. Adrian Palomares Villaplana (Esp) Andalucia 00:31
18. Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha Team 00:34
19. Igor Anton Hernandez (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:35
20. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 00:36
21. Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 00:37
22. David Lelay (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 00:38
23. Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha Team
24. Javier Moreno Bazan (Esp) Movistar Team 00:40
25. Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Esp) Movistar Team 00:41
26. Juan Manuel Garate (Esp) Rabobank Cycling Team 00:42
27. Leopold Konig (Cze) Team NetApp
28. Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 00:44
29. Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 00:46
30. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Esp) Katusha Team 00:47
31. Lucas Euser (USA) Spidertech Powered By C10 00:48
32. Andreas Dietziker (Sui) Team NetApp 00:50
33. Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 00:54
34. Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team 00:56
35. Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 01:00
36. Brian Bulgac (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team 01:04
37. Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi
38. Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha Team 01:06
39. Simon Geschke (Ger) Project 1t4i 01:08
40. Antonio Piedra Perez (Esp) Caja Rural 01:11
41. Reto Hollenstein (Sui) Team NetApp 01:13
42. Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Project 1t4i
43. Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Esp) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 01:18
44. Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team NetApp 01:19
45. Fabricio Ferrari (Uru) Caja Rural 01:21
46. Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 01:22
47. Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi 01:29
48. Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Project 1t4i 01:31
49. Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 01:37
50. Thomas Degand (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s 01:40
51. Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi 01:41
52. Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 01:43
53. David De La Fuente Rasilla (Esp) Caja Rural 01:47
54. Linus Gerdemann (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 01:50
55. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 01:57
56. Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 02:00
57. Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Project 1t4i 02:03
58. Caleb Fairly (USA) Spidertech Powered By C10 02:04
59. Oleg Chuzhda (Ukr) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s 02:08
60. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 02:16
61. Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 02:17
62. Javier Ramirez Abeja (Esp) Andalucia 02:18
63. Flavio De Luna (Mex) Spidertech Powered By C10 02:19
64. Raymond Kunzli (Sui) Spidertech Powered By C10 02:20
65. René Hooghiemster (Ned) Team NSP – Ghost 02:27
66. Markel Irizar Aranburu (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan 02:28
67. Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s 02:33
68. Gert Dockx (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 02:50
69. Jorge Azanza Soto (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi 02:58
70. Yann Huguet (Fra) Project 1t4i 03:00
71. Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Esp) Andalucia
72. Oscar Freire Gomez (Esp) Katusha Team 03:03
73. Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 03:05
74. Aitor Galdos Alonso (Esp) Caja Rural 03:18
75. Javier Francisco Aramendia Lorente (Esp) Caja Rural 03:20
76. Gregory Habeaux (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
77. Daniel Dominguez Barragan (Esp) Team NSP – Ghost 03:24
78. Sergej Fuchs (Ger) Team NSP – Ghost 04:08
79. José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Esp) Movistar Team 04:26
80. Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team 04:32
81. Ryan Roth (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10 04:36
82. Imanol Erviti (Esp) Movistar Team 04:39
83. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Movistar Team 04:44
84. Markus Fothen (Ger) Team NSP – Ghost 05:02
85. Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Esp) Andalucia 05:06
86. Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 05:08
87. Daniele Bennati (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan 05:16
88. Jesus Rosendo Prado (Esp) Andalucia 05:17
89. Igor Romero Etxebarria (Esp) Caja Rural 05:20
90. Daniel Schorn (Aut) Team NetApp 05:26
91. Ryan Anderson (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10 05:27
92. Jan Barta (Cze) Team NetApp 05:40
93. Gaetan Bille (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 05:42
94. Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team 05:46
95. Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Project 1t4i
96. Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team 05:52
97. Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s 06:06
98. Will Routley (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
99. Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 06:07
100. Steven Caethoven (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s 06:10
101. Antonio Cabello Baena (Esp) Andalucia 06:59
102. Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 07:28
103. Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s 07:41
104. Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team 08:00
105. Léo Menville (Fra) Team NSP – Ghost 08:14
106. Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Saur – Sojasun 08:22
107. Jacob Fiedler (Ger) Team NSP – Ghost 08:23
108. Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Caja Rural 08:26
109. Leonardo Fabio Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 08:57
110. Steffen Radochla (Ger) Team NSP – Ghost 09:58
111. Pablo Lechuga Rodriguez (Esp) Andalucia 10:00
112. Nikita Novikov (Rus) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 10:50