Anything can happen in a bunch sprint, and the Vuelta a España seems particularly partial to improvisation. The Giant-Alpecin squad had carefully assembled the backdrop for John Degenkolb as the 60-man leading group hurtled into Castellón on Monday, but this year’s Milan-San Remo winner was upstaged by Kristian Sbaragli (MTN-Qhubeka), the man who won the amateur equivalent, the Piccola Sanremo, four years ago.
It was Sbaragli’s first victory of the season and only his second as a professional all told, the first coming more than two years ago in the rather more modest setting of the Tour de Korea. Logic suggested that in the absence of Peter Sagan, Nacer Bouhanni and Caleb Ewan, Degenkolb would prove nigh on unbeatable in the final 200 metres, but he started his effort from too far back and had to settle for third.
“Honestly, when you line up for a sprint, anything can happen,” Sbaragli said. “I’ve finished second lots of times this year, I’ve been third and fourth, but this is my first win of the season. If you’d told me that I’d beat Degenkolb and Rojas, and above all stayed up there on that last climb when the group was reduced to 40 riders, I’m not sure I’d have believed you. But I’ve done it.
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“Winning is never easy, there were riders who’d won Milan-San Remo and stages at the Tour, Vuelta and Giro. I’d never won anything like that so I didn’t think I was going to win, but I was confident I’d be up there.”
On the eve of the Vuelta’s first rest day, Monday’s short leg from Valencia north to Castellón initially looked set to be something of a transitional stage, but the tough ascent of the category 2 Alto del Desierto de las Palmas in the finale meant that the fast men would have to earn their opportunity. Giant-Alpecin, too, were eager to whittle down Degenkolb’s list of potential rivals still further, though as it turned out, their pace-making on the way up was equally beneficial to Sbaragli’s cause.
“I got over the climb pretty well,” the Italian said. “The speed was high but fortunately it was quite regular, so I knew I’d be able to stay on the wheels if that kept up. If the big guns had gone for it, it would have been impossible for me, but I managed to stay in the first 30 positions and I knew I’d be able to contest the win. But it’s a long way from contesting the win to actually winning.”
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