Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) won the sixth stage of the Tour of Spain on Thursday 30th August. Rudy Molard retains the leader’s red jersey.
The French cyclist Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis), unlucky in 2018, was overjoyed on Thursday by winning the sprint on the 6th stage of the Tour of Spain, where another countryman Rudy Molard (Groupama FDJ), retained the red jersey despite a strong wind fatal to its leader Thibaut Pinot.
“I made my effort in the last 200 meters”
“In a final, I know how to impose myself if I have legs,” said the Vosgien 28, yet arrived on the Vuelta without his usual “train” of teammates. “I took the train train to get the right wheel and I produced my effort in the last 200 meters,” he said at the microphone of the Spanish public TV channel TVE.
🏁 Etapa 6 | Stage 6 #LaVuelta16
🔥🔥🔥 @BouhanniNacer 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ecRBnR6tPs
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) 30 August 2018
He missed the Tour de France in July
This is his first victory of the season on a major race of the World Tour, having missed the Tour de France by decision of his team. And it is a nice revenge for the former champion of France, whose 2018 campaign was until then marked by a showdown with its leaders.
Moreover, the northern formation was forced to deny Thursday “a false article” published in the Spanish press and reported a alleged altercation between Bouhanni and one of its sports directors Wednesday.
“I am very happy to win today after what happened yesterday, I was very angry at the false information that was said,” said the French, recalling having already won a August 30 on the Vuelta in 2014 in Albacete.
“I am very happy to win today after what happened yesterday, I was very angry at the false information that was said,” said the French, recalling having already won on the 30th August on the Vuelta in 2014 in Albacete.
Comment dit-on “oh qu’elle fait plaisir celle-là” en espagnol ? 😍pic.twitter.com/N7cVjek77O#CofidisMyTeam #LaVuelta18
— Team COFIDIS (@TeamCOFIDIS) 30 August 2018
Molard remains in red, Pinot trapped in the borders
Molard has arrived in this first group composed of fifty riders, preserving his red jersey endorsed the previous day despite a final disturbed by the wind.
However, it was not the day of Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), nor that of the Dutch Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb): trapped in the curbs, the two riders conceded 1 min 44 sec to the other leaders and are respectively 18th and 17th overall to lose to 3 minutes from Molard.
On Friday, a new opportunity for sprinters at the 7th stage between Puerto Lumbreras and Pozo Alcon (185.7 km), provided to resist in the last climb of the day listed in the third category and placed at 12 km to go .
