Tony Gallopin, Jelle Vanendert and Tim Wellens didn’t start in the closing time trial of the Vuelta al País Vasco. The three riders rode this Spanish stage race in preparation of the Ardennes Classics. Gallopin was two times fifth and one time third. Yesterday, Tim Wellens became second. Louis Vervaeke, who was in the attack in the second stage, is the overall winner of the intermediate sprints classification. He takes the blue jersey home.

“We achieved instantly nice results in the first two stages," Lotto Soudal sports director Mario Aerts said. "Tony was fifth and third. We knew that the following stages were harder because the GC riders were expected to strive for the win.

"Yesterday we had three riders in a big breakaway, and Tony and Tim managed to survive. Tim was second, Tony again fifth. A very strong performance from both of them.

"Tim and Tony returned only a few days before the start of the Vuelta al País Vasco from a training camp in Tenerife, but they were in shape immediately. Just like Jelle Vanendert they’re ready for the classic races in the Ardennes. In the first place they were here to complete their preparation for the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

“Therefore, Jelle, Tim and Tony were not obliged to ride for the overall standings. The GC was for Bart De Clercq and Maxime Monfort. We knew that it was going to be hard with all those favourites at the starting grid. In the third stage, with two times the steep Alto de la Antigua, they both had to let go and a good classification was not possible anymore.

"Nevertheless the team was eager to ride aggressively. That was the right tactic. We’re happy about the past week and the intermediate sprints jersey from Vervaeke is a nice reward.”