Back in Argentina for Stage 5 of Vuelta a San Juan, still in Australia for the women’s edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race, hopping over to Mallorca for a challenge …

Stage 5, Vuelta a San Juan

Big climbs, echelons a go-go and a summit finish meant that Remco Evenepoel had to dig deep deep deep into his suitcase of courage to keep hold of the leader’s jersey. Considering that Deceuninck-QuickStep are rarely caught out by echelons – in fact, they are usually the team that bust the peloton apart in crosswinds – you’d be forgiven for doing a double-take when you see the Quickstepper riding like fury to get back to the main group. But once he was back, Evenepoel decided to really show his stuff by attacking the peloton on the final climb and leading a small breakaway under the flamme rouge. However, it was Miguel Florez of Androni who had that final umph to be the first under the confetti cannons. Evenepoel is still in the leader’s jersey, 33sec ahead of Filippo Ganna and 1.01 ahead of Oscar Sevilla in the GC. Just two more stages to go …

Full race results are here     Race Website   @vueltasanjuanok  #VueltaSJ2020

Cadel Evans’ Ocean Road Race – women’s elite

Yowza! It was the first race of the 2020 Women’s World Tour and replacing the upper-30s heat at Race Torquay yesterday was all the wind and rain for 121km. That didn’t dampen the spirits of Liane Lippert (Team Sunweb) who soloed to the biggest win of her career, thus far. Arlenis Sierra (Astana) and Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott Women) were either side of her on the podium.  Full race results are here

Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana – Challenge Mallorca

Bora’s Emanuel Buchmann was the daring young man on the descent of the Coll de Puig Major to set himself for a solo victory in the second race of Challenge Mallorca. A wily older man, in the form of Alejandro Valverde, outsprinted Buchmann’s teammate Gregor Mühlberger to take second. Full race results are here

This is what the riders have to look forward to this afternoon in the third race of Challenge Mallorca – Trofeo Pollença – Port d’Andratx

Header image: ©GETTY Velo/ Tim de Waele