From Liberia to Santa Cruz, stage 5 of the Vuelta Kolbi was another podium opportunity for team 1% to show teamself. Jean-Michel went on the attack again and finished 3rd.

Race description:
170km - flat  - (1038m)

Race map:
Liberia - Santa Cruz



How it unfold:
Confident from his stage win the day before, Jean-Michel took the bull by the horns and attack early in the stage. After less than 10km, he managed to get away with 5 other riders. The peloton tough was not letting a bigger gap established and so the break had to ride pretty fast.

Jean-Michel Lachance: "For 50km, we dangled in the front with only 25sec !" Only after the feedzone, we start to get over the minute..."

Ryan Roth: "Stage 5 was another hot one. On paper it was to be 148km of flat to rolling roads from Liberia to Santa Cruz. As so often happens, a break roller away early in the stage and Jean-Michel was in there for us. The group of 5 worked together well as the team of the leader JPS-Giant and Cuba road to limit the advantage. As we got closer the (expected) finish the gap dropped to 1min30sec. However, there was a mistake in the distance and the stage ended up being closer to 170km".

With the stage being close to 15km extra, that could have ruined the breakaway chances.

Jean-Michel:" When we got closer to the finish, we had 2min30 lead on the peloton and so we all eased off the pace in preparation for the finish. We then see the 25km to go sign ! Wearing the regularidad jersey, I did'nt want the peloton to catchs us after we drop the pace and so I did a little more in the final. Still I was feeling strong for the finish. Unfortunately, when sprinting, I busted a spoke on my back wheel and finish 3rd. Still a good result for the team and more points on the Regularidad classification. This was a very hard race as we rode a hard tempo pretty much all the time. I enjoyed the best form of my life and I am happy with the result."


Results: full results - video report

Stage 5, 170 km - avg speed 45,1km/h,
1- Alexander Serov, Rusvelo, 3h 44m 03
2- Henry Raabe, Coopenae Movistar, same time
3- Jean-Michel Lachance, 1% for the Planet, same time
10- Anton Varabei, 1% for the Planet, + 46 sec
13- Gavriel Epstein, 1% for the Planet, +46 sec
35- Ryan Roth, 1% for the Planet, +46 sec
40- Étienne Samson, 1% for the Planet, + 46 sec
67- Julien Gagné, 1% for the Planet, même temps

General Classification
1- Juan Rojas, JPS Giant, 17h 45m 09
2- Elias Vega, JPS Giant, + 1m 36
3- Juan Mata, Agricenter, + 1m 58
24- Julien Gagné, 1% for the Planet, + 13m 48
31- Jean-Michel Lachance, 1% for the Planet, + 14m 45
43- Anton Varabei, 1% for the Planet, + 18m 03
46- Ryan Roth, 1% for the Planet, + 20m 18
71- Étienne Samson, 1% for the Planet,+  1h 21m 08

Regularidad
1 - Jean-Michel Lachance - For the Planet - 69pts
2 - Evgeny Kovalev - RusVelo - 45pts
3 - Juan Rojas - JPS Giant - 41pts
4 - Fabricio Quiros - BCR Pizza Hut - 36pts
5 - Henry Raab - Coopenae - 36pts
6 - Elias Vega - JPS Giant - 33pts
7 - Anton Varabei - For the Planet - 33 pts

{youtube}KtqHn2llkQU{youtube}







Photo credit: Federacion Costaricense de ciclismo - fecoci.net (photo 1-2-3)
Altimeteria and map: Garmin