Bauke Mollema wins Vuelta a San Juan as Max Richeze takes final stage with late attack

Dutchman holds off aggressive racing from Vincenzo Nibali to take overall victory

Maximiliano Richeze wins stage seven of the 2017 Vuelta de San Juan (Picture: Watson)
(Image credit: Watson)

Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) took overall victory in the Vuelta a San Juan after an aggressive final day of racing in Argentina.

Moles went into the final stage with a 14-second lead over Oscar Sevilla (Medellin-Inder), but his main threat came from Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) who made his way into the day's break in an effort to overcome a 1-17 deficit.

Together with local riders Gonzalo Najar and Juan Pablo Dotti, Nibali built up a lead of over a minute and a half, putting Nibali into the virtual race lead.

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However strong work from Trek-Segafredo and Quick-Step Floors, who were looking to take their fifth stage victory of the race, meant that the trio were caught within the final 10 kilometres.

With the peloton expecting a bunch sprint, Quick-Step sprung a surprise, with Max Richeze jumping clear in the final kilometre to win by three seconds ahead of team-mate Tom Boonen and Matteo Malucelli (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec).

Results

Vuelta a San Juan 2017, stage seven: Pocito to Pocito, 111.3km

1. Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Quick-Step Floors, in 2-16-48

2. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick-Step Floors, at 3 secs

3. Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec

4. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Team UAE Abu Dhabi

5. Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani CSF

6. Jose Luis Rivera (Arg) Equipo Continental Municipalidad de Pocito

7. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Bahrain-Merida

8. Attilio Viviani (Ita) Italy

9. Daniel Juarez (Arg) Asociacion Civil Mardan

10. Mattia Viel (Ita) Unieuro Trevigiani - Hemus 1896, all same time

Final general classification

1. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo, in 20-19-00

2. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Medellin - Inder, at 4 secs

3. Rodolfo Torres (Col) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec, at 16 secs

4. Ricardo Escuela (Arg) Agrupacion Virgen De Fatima, at 20 secs

5. Rui Costa (Por) UAE-Abu Dhabi. at 26 secs

6. Laureano Rosas (Arg) Argentina, at 27 secs

7. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Bahrain Merida, at 49 secs

8. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida, at 1-15

9. Egan Bernal (Col) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec, at 1-29

10. Pieter Serry (Bel) Quick-Step Floors, at 1-31

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Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.