Third place for Fernando Tercero in the second sector of the second day in Isard without the Tourmalet on the menu
45º Ronde de l’Isard
Stage 2 (a): Bagnères de Bigorre (22,4 km CRE)
Stage 2 (b): Bagnères de Bigorre – Gavarnie-Gèdre (71,6 km)
The adverse weather forecasts finally conditioned the development of a second day in the Ronde de l’Isard in which the morning 23-kilometre team time trial around Bagneres-de-Bigorre was kept intact, but not the afternoon mountain stage finishing in the Gavarnie-Gèdre ski resort.
The organisers and the technical jury agreed that the Col du Tourmalet (2,115 metres above sea level) should be omitted for the latter, which finally resulted in a stage of just over 25 kilometres starting in Luz-St.-Saveur and finishing at the planned finish line. The winner was the Asturian Samuel Fernández (Caja Rural), one of the protagonists of the breakaways that developed practically from the start.
#RDLI2022. Últimos compases del segundo sector del día en @RondeIsard, con Fernando Tercero acelerando el ritmo en el grupo de ilustres. El manchego, finalmente acabó tercero. Gran @DavidDomnguezV1, 13º en meta.
[📽️ @hectorangueira ]
#EOLOKOMETACyclingTeam #EquipoSub23 #Etapa2 pic.twitter.com/B2cuSwaBMw— FundContadorTeam (@FundContaTeam) September 29, 2022
The second sector was practically a group time trial. The peloton, controlled by the Jumbo-Visma of the leader, the Norwegian Johannes Staune-Mittet, allowed a breakaway to form, first a trio, then a quintet, with just over a minute’s lead. With the race entering the last six kilometres, anticipated by a move by Arnau Gilabert, a series of offensives were unleashed in which Fernando Tercero was involved and in which the leader gave way. Fernández, from the breakaway, managed to hold a dozen seconds over a first group that included Lenny Martínez (Groupamana-FDJ) and Fernando Tercero. David Domínguez finished thirteenth.
In the morning team time trial, Rafa Díaz Justo’s squad, which has had good performances at national level during the summer calendar in this discipline with more versatile teams, finished with the tenth best time (31’05”) in an overall that was led by Jumbo-Visma (29’17”). A success that further strengthened the lead ahead of the evening sector.
Staune-Mittet saves the day at the head of a general classification where he has a comfortable lead, but this Friday there is a new high finish, this time in Guzet Neige, which will take place after the passage in the first part of the stage of two passes much harder than it seems: the Col de Mente and the Col du Portet d’Aspet. Fernando Tercero, 22nd at 11’49”, is the best Fundación Contador placed in the general standings.
