Fabio Christen takes stunning upset win to continue Q36.5's successful start to 2025 at Vuelta a Murcia
Cycling
The Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team continues to boom in 2025! Fabio Christen has denied the big names to take victory at the 2025 Vuelta a Murcia from an elite-reduced bunch sprint.
The race started with several attacks that didn't manage to cause real splits. The big move happened 180 km from the finish line, on the climb to the Alto El Portazgo. Four riders launched an attack, and quickly formed the breakaway. Joel Francisco Peñuela (Caja Rural), Samuel Fernández (Caja Rural), José Luis Faura (Burgos Burpellet BH), José María García (Illes Balears Arabay) and Filippo D'Aiuto (Petrolike) quickly took 2 and a half minutes from the peloton.
The break's biggest lead over the peloton came with 142 km to go, when the five escapees were 3:45 clear of the main bunch. However, they were soon to suffer the consequences of the tough mountain course. With 102 km to go, just before the climb to the Alto Collado Bermejo, the gap had been reduced to almost 2 minutes. As expected, the climb to the Alto Collado Bermejo destroyed the breakaway. Isaac del Toro took advantage of this to attack from the peloton. That move by the Mexican completely revolutionised the race.
Heading into the final 30km though, it was Del Toro's teammate, Tim Wellens who was off the front, part of a four-man group around 50 seconds clear of the peloton alongside Clement Berthet, Simone Velasco and Eric Antonio Fagúndez. As soon as the day's final climb began, Wellens attacked his companions, going clear solo, but the peloton was breathing down the neck of the Belgian. Just before the summit of the climb, a counter attack from Christan Scaroni gave Wellens some company at the front.
The duo's time at the front didn't last too long though, and at 7km to go, Wellens and Scaroni had been caught by the chase group. UAE Team Emirates - XRG and the XDS Astana Team both had strong numbers in the group and were repeatedly attempting to launch attacks. At 3km to go, the 10-man group was still together though. As such, it was a reduced sprint that decided things and in the fight for the line, it was Fabio Christen who upset the big names to take a brilliant win.
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- They went into the race as co-leaders!frieders323-03-2025
- He can win that sprint if he plays it right but leaving tha gap was ridiculous ! A spring after 6+ hours isn't a guarantee for MVDPfrieders323-03-2025
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- All 3 of them went to doping control
Front24223-03-2025