04/04/2023

Ide Schelling shows downhill expertise to claim victory on stage two of Itzulia Basque Country

Ide Schelling took victory in a frantic downhill finale of stage two on the Itzulia Basque Country whilst overnight race leader Ethan Hayter lost his leader's jersey.

After Ethan Hayter took victory on stage 1 and the leader's jersey with it, his prospects of keeping the race lead looked low as a course with numerous mountains meant a tough finale for the riders. Opting to try their luck in the breakaway were a quintet of Spaniards, Javier Romo (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Jesús Ezquerra (Burgos-BH), Jon Barrenetxea (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Carlos García Pierna (Equipo Kern Pharma) and Txomin Juaristi (Euskaltel - Euskadi) alongside Frenchman, Alan Jousseaume (TotalEnergies).

Ethan Hayter powers to victory on stage one of the Itzulia Basque Country

With INEOS Grenadiers looking to begin reeling in the breakaway, Hayter in his leader's jersey took to the front of the peloton, perhaps showing that his team thought he was sure to lose the race lead by the end of the day.

King of the Mountains leader Jon Barrenetxea was fighting hard to boost his points tally, leading the breakaway up each of the first three climbs. With around 48kms to go, EF Education-EasyPost's Richard Carapaz made the first GC attack and although he was swiftly brought back, Hayter dropped out the back of the peloton.

Mikel Landa was the next of the big riders to make a move and it turned out to be more decisive than that of Carapaz, getting a gap and catching the remaining breakaway riders, Romo, Barrenetxea and Jousseaume. With the group's lead maintaining long enough to reach the intermediate sprint, Landa was able to claim three bonus seconds which could prove key in the battle for overall victory.

As the race reached the bottom of the final ascent of the Arkiskil, Landa and the remaining riders were reeled in by a Movistar and INEOS powered peloton. Lilian Calmejane, who had crashed earlier in the day, made a probing attack and was soon joined by Abel Balderstone.

Another counter attack, this time from David De La Cruz meant that two became three at the front of the race and as the Spaniard picked up the pace again, Calmejane and Balderstone couldn't match him, leaving a sole race leader.

De La Cruz's time out front proved to be short lived however as Luke Plapp, on the front of the peloton for INEOS stepped up the pace and reeled in the Astana Qazaqstan rider meaning the top of the final climb would be crested as a bunch.

With the steep descent beginning, disaster struck for Daniel Martinez and INEOS as the Colombian suffering a mechanical issue. Meanwhile at the front of the race, the likes of Alex Aranburu and Marc Soler were battling it out for the lead. As the final sprints opened up it was Ide Schelling who started his efforts earliest and as it turned out he could not be passed. With Matteo Sobrero and David Gaudu 2nd and 3rd respectively.