Live coverage of stage 5 of the Tour of the Basque Country
Hello there and welcome back to the Cyclingnews live race centre for coverage of stage 5 of the Tour of the Basque Country, running 150 kilometres from Arrigorriaga to Arrate.
90km remaining from 149km
Here's the stage profile
Four riders have attacked over the top of the climb and hold a slim advantage over the rest of the field. They are:
De Marchi, who was in the break yesterday, has been out for mountains points today. He has claimed the maximum at each climb so far.
82km remaining from 149km
Earlier on we had a four-man breakaway (Monfort, King, Stetina, Saenz) but they were caught just before the summit of the first climb. A little later a group of 20 briefly went clear, but that didn't last too long. There have been plenty of attacks and counter-attacks but nothing has stuck just yet.
80km remaining from 149km
78km remaining from 149km
This has been Max Schachmann's race so far. The German has won three of the four stages, and placed 6th on the other one. Extraordinary stuff. Here's how he completed the hattrick yesterday. Report, results, photos - the usual - in the link below.
And here's how things stand on GC after yesterday and ahead of the crucial action to come shortly.
67km remaining from 149km
The peloton has split in two on the approach.
It doesn't look like many - if any - big names have been caught out in the second peloton. Sky's Diego Rosa is on the front there.
The riders are on the climb and despite being a short one, it's really starting to bite.
Mas attacks!
QuickStep's leader takes flight as the road narrows through the trees. This is a bold move, some 64km from the line. He started the day 26th overall at 2:40.
Astana are leading the chase behind now.
It's splitting up on these steep narrow roads. A group of 20 have emerged behind Mas. Schachmann is in there.
Mas crests the climb with a lead of 13 seconds. Behind him that chase group has splintered.
Mas is caught as Astana shut it down on the descent.
Mas leads a group of 15 down the descent. Three more are just behind.
Tsgabu Gramy has crashed dramatically and been sent over a fence. He's back on his feet.
Schachmann is present and correct up front and comes through to pile on the pace.
58km remaining from 149km
Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) and Gregor Muhlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) have clipped off the front of that lead group.
Muhlberger, teammate of overall leader Schachmann, is not working in that duo.
Dani Martinez (EF) is in that front group. We'll bring you the rest of the names shortly.
54km remaining from 149km
Just prior to that a handful of riders had come back to that group, to make it around 25.
Sanchez and Muhlberger have built a lead of 35 seconds. Neither is a real threat on GC.
The Izua climb is looming. It's a beast, with an average gradient of 13% and stretches in the 20's.
Madouas is shut down.
There's a third group on the road, with around 15 riders in. No time gap for now.
51km remaining from 149km
The favourites group has split, with eight riders slipping clear.
The eight riders behind Sanchez and Muhlberger are:
Behind them, the rest of that group of favourites has been joined by that other group of 15 I mentioned earlier.
44km remaining from 149km
That group of eight is caught as they turn towards the climb.
The climb begins and Bora hit the front of the reduced peloton.
The gradients immediately begin to bite. This is a short climb, at just under 4km, but it's brutally steep.
Mas attacks again. He was named as 'the next Contador' after all.
Mas sits back down and is reabsorbed back into the group.
Schachmann is holding on for now but is slipping back
Schachmann in real trouble now.
Still over 3km to the summit and the race leader is losing his grip.
That reduced peloton is thinning out once more.
Mas springs out of the saddle and raises the pace once more. Around 15 riders with him.
Sanchez has dropped Muhlberger and is going it alone.
Gorka Izaguirre comes through with Ion on his wheel.
Schachmann comes back!
The race leader is managing his effort and is hanging just off the back of this group of favourites.
Still 2.5km to the summit. Schachmann is digging in here. He's off the back of this group but isn't really dropped as it stands.
Still Gorka leads it for Ion. Mas just behind.
Muhlberger is caught by that group. He'll assist Schachmann now.
Astana looking strong here. They have Sanchez up the road, then the Izaguirre brothers in command of this GC group. They also have Fuglsang there.
41km remaining from 149km
Schachmann is still not on the wheel of the back of this group of favourites but he's not losing any ground. The slipstream counts for nothing on gradients that consistently near 20%.
The fanatic Basque crowds are out in force on this climb. Among the best in the world.
Ion Izaguirre attacks!
The Spaniard, third overall at 52 seconds, springs clear on a more gentle section.
The group strings out and Schachmann loses a few metres...
40km remaining from 149km
39km remaining from 149km
A 10km descent coming up now. Schachmann works his way back on.
38km remaining from 149km
Schachmann makes his way through to the front of the lead group, reasserting his authority.
A few of the riders dropped towards the top of that climb, including Hugh Carthy, have made their way back on. So we have around 20 out front.
Sam Oomen did not start today, adding to a long list of abandons from this race. He was unwell and, after Wilco Kelderman has ruled out of the Giro through illness, Sunweb are considering changing Oomen's plans and sending him to Italy to support Tom Dumoulin. More on that here.
The road levels out and Sanchez is back at it, attacking with Emmanuel Buchmann - another member of this strong Bora team. Sergio Henao is trying to follow.
A big lull in the group behind, but now we have some counter attacks.
29km remaining from 149km
Madouas has again set off in pursuit of the leaders.
Madouas reaches them and breezes past them, as they were in something of a lull themselves. Sanchez and Buchmann weren't really working there.
Once again the group of favourites has swelled following the selection on Izua.
Next up, the third-category ascent of Trabakua.
Bora take command of the main group now, but they're not exactly pushing on.
Buchmann is sixth overall at 1:10, so Bora can play on that.
26km remaining from 149km
Buchmann, Henao, Madouas, and Sanchez take advantage of the lull behind and have built a lead of 57 seconds.
It looks like Sanchez has been called back by Astana.
Sanchez doesn't look too happy but Astana need him to chase as Bora have piled the pressure on nicely with Buchmann. Sanchez wasn't a danger man on GC so has no tactical function up in the break, apart from his own interests of winning the stage.
24km remaining from 149km
Trabakua in numbers
Sanchez slots in behind Gorka Izaguirre at the front of the main group, which now contains some 30 riders.
For the most part, this is a steady, big-ring climb on a nice wide road.
22km remaining from 149km
Buchmann attacks!
The German, sixth overall, has left Henao and Madouas for dead.
Buchmann has decided he didn't want to be with Henao and Madouas. Both, however, have teammates in the group behind. Henao in particular, with Martin and Pogacar back there.
Buchmann is now 1:17 ahead of the main group with his teammate Schachmann, making him the provisional overall leader.
20km remaining from 149km
18km remaining from 149km
Henao and Madouas are in between at 55 seconds
Astana are still on the front of the main group of favourites as the descent continues.
16km remaining from 149km
Gorka Izaguirre sprints out of the saddle as the main group reaches the incline. Sanchez is done for the day and slips back.
Muhlberger is also done.
14km remaining from 149km
No big absentees from the main group, which is starting to thin out again now, with riders like Skujins losing contact.
Henao and Madouas are slipping back. They're 1:05 down on Buchmann now.
12km remaining from 149km
That's 1:50 over the main group of favourites, which includes his teammate and overall leader Schachmann. Henao and Madouas are still in between but won't be for long.
Just under 30 riders left in that group now ahead of the final climb.
10km remaining from 149km
A reminder of the profile. One big climb to come.
8km remaining from 149km
Henao and Madouas are caught.
Still Astana lead, but will other teams help take it up now?
Movistar do so. Landa is in there and looked strong on the previous climb.
6km remaining from 149km
This is what they face
It's another steep one, basically.
Fuglsang takes it up and accelerates as the main group hits the lower slopes.
Gorka Izaguirre grinds to a near standstill after all his efforts.
Landa attacks!
Izaguirre responds. Martinez too.
Those three have a gap. Fuglsang leads them behind.
Schachmann loses contact!
The race leader will pace himself like last time but this time it could be much more difficult as the climbers like Landa give it their all.
5km remaining from 149km
This does indeed look rather more serious for Schachmann. He's 20 seconds behind the rest of the GC guys already.
Fuglsang has attacked from the GC group after that Landa move came to nothing.
Landa is climbing with Izaguirre and Yates as they hunt down Fuglsang. The main group has exploded now.
Buchmann is digging in, still not looking like he's suffering too much. He still has 1:41 in hand, 2.2km from the top.
Yates accelerates and reaches Fuglsang, dropping Landa in the process. Izaguirre is still there.
Dan Martin is just a little further behind.
Schachmann is limiting the damage. 25 seconds is his gap to the Izaguirre/Yates/Fuglsang group.
Landa has been definitively dropped from the Izaguirre/Yates/Fuglsang trio.
Schachmann is pacing himself and limiting his losses, with Mollema in the wheel.
Buchmann still has 1:41 in hand with 1200 metres to go. He's heading for the stage win and the overall lead.
If the crowds on the last climb were impressive, this is something else. it's like Alpe d'Huez on there, with the crowds parting to let Buchmann through.
Fuglsang is leading the chase with Izaguirre in the wheel. Yates there too.
2km remaining from 149km
Buchmann is coming towards the top of the climb and now he's suffering. His head is bobbing but he's getting all the support from the crowds.
1:22 now for Buchmann over the chasing trio. Schachmann is 2:17 down.
Buchmann crests the climb and prepares to drop down into Arrate to cap a brilliant performance.
This has been quality from Buchmann and Bora. What a race they're having.
Fuglsang, Yates, and Izaguirre crest the climb, 1:17 in arrears.
Buchmann heads into the final kilometre.
Buchmann enters the barriers
And raises his arm as he crosses the line at speed. What a win.
Emmanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) wins stage 5 of the Tour of the Basque Country.
Fuglsang continue to drag Izaguirre and Yates to the line.
Shcachmann has caught a group containing Mas, Martinez, and his teammate Konrad.
Izaguirre takes second place - and so six bonus seconds - with Yates third (four bonus seconds). They finish 1:07 down on Buchmann.
Pogacar and Henao are next across the line.
Landa comes home alone now in seventh, 1:49 down.
And here comes the Schachmann group. The race leader finishes 2:03 down.
So Buchmann moves into the overall lead, and Schachmann does enough to stay on the provisional podium, I believe. Izaguirre will be second but nearly a minute down on Buchmann.
And here come the results just now...
Top 10 on stage 5
General classification after stage 5
The Schachmann show may be over but Bora have won four of the five stages here. Incredible.
And "incredible" is exactly the word Buchmann reaches for in his winner's flash interview.
Here's our report page
Can Buchmann be beaten? One stage to go, and it's certainly not a flat final-day procession/sprint. This is what's on the agenda...
We'll be back here tomorrow with live coverage of that final stage. Hope you'll join us again. Bye.
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