The World Tour Classic, a 220-kilometer run through the Basque hills, all came down to the last, steep climb where four riders emerged at the top of the 1.8-kilometer ascent with gradients exceeding 20 percent: Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), Valverde (Movistar), Gallopin (Lotto Soudal) and Rodriguez (Katusha).
Mollema, knowing he didn't stand a chance if it came to a sprint, caught the other three by surprise by launching an immediate attack with just over eight kilometers to go. [Trek-Segafredo]
| Time | 5:38:22 |
| AVG Power | 231 watts |
| AVG Heard Rate | 127 bpm |
| AVG Speed | 39.2 kph |
| AVG Cadence | 67 rpm |
| ALT Gain | 3,519 meters |
| Distance | 221 km |
| Energy | 4,680 kilojoules |
"I tried and saw I had a gap and then it was just full gas until the finish. I think with two kilometers more or less I knew I had it. I still felt I had some power in the legs, so I was not going to blow up, and when I looked back, I didn't see the second group. I felt I could keep it until the finish – it was a nice feeling, especially in the last few hundred meters."
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