In a very fast finish, Venezuelan Orluis Aular (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA) came in second behind Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ) in the fifth stage of the Vuelta al País Vasco 2024, contested over 175.9 kilometers between Vitoria-Gasteiz and Amorebieta-Etxano. However, Scandinavian Mattias Skjelmose (lidl-Trek) remained the leader.
After about 70 kilometers of racing, the peloton was surprised by another crash. This time it was Spaniard Mikel Landa (Soudal-Quick Step), who crashed hard to the ground. His teammate Gil Gelders and two Movistar men, Pelayo Sanchez and Gonzalo Serrano, also had to abandon the race.
The first climb of the day provoked the first attacks. American Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike) decided to test his legs alongside Mexican Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates). The duo stayed a few minutes ahead of the peloton, but finally could not consolidate this difference on the descent and were chased by the group of favorites.
In the closing, Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain – Victorious) was very active and tried several times, however, failed to distance himself and in the end everything was defined by the sprint in which the Frenchman Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ) achieved his first victory as a professional.
This Saturday, April 6, the sixth and last stage of the Itzulia will be held, starting and finishing in Eibar, on a 137.8 kilometers route on undulating terrain, where we will know the successor of the Danish Jonas Vingegaard, last year’s champion.
Itzulia Basque Country 2024 (2.UWT)
Results Stage 5 | Vitoria-Gasteiz – Amorebieta-Etxano (175, 9 km)
| 1 | Romain Grégoire | Groupama – FDJ | 3:43:28 |
| 2 | Orluis Aular | Caja Rural – Seguros RGA | ,, |
| 3 | Maximilian Schachmann | BORA – hansgrohe | ,, |
| 4 | Quentin Pacher | Groupama – FDJ | ,, |
| 5 | Alex Aranburu | Movistar Team | ,, |
| 6 | Santiago Buitrago | Bahrain – Victorious | ,, |
| 7 | Pello Bilbao | Bahrain – Victorious | ,, |
| 8 | Damien Howson | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | ,, |
| 9 | Samuele Battistella | Astana Qazaqstan Team | ,, |
| 10 | Carlos Rodríguez | INEOS Grenadiers | ,, |
Ranking General
| 1 | Mattias Skjelmose | Lidl – Trek | 12:19:39 |
| 2 | Maximilian Schachmann | BORA – hansgrohe | 0:02 |
| 3 | Juan Ayuso | UAE Team Emirates | 0:04 |
| 4 | Kévin Vauquelin | Arkéa – B&B Hotels | 0:06 |
| 5 | Romain Grégoire | Groupama – FDJ | 0:08 |
| 6 | Brandon McNulty | UAE Team Emirates | 0:13 |
| 7 | Bruno Armirail | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | 0:14 |
| 8 | Pello Bilbao | Bahrain – Victorious | 0:15 |
| 9 | Alex Aranburu | Movistar Team | 0:23 |
| 10 | Jordan Jegat | TotalEnergies | 0:30 |
Source: Revista Mundo Ciclístico