Artem Nych (Sabgal-Anicolor) soloed to victory on stage 6 at Volta a Portugal, placing on the ultimate climb of the mountainous day in northern Portugal.
He completed a full minute forward of 14 chasers, who had been led by race chief Afonso Eulálio (ABTF Betão-Feirense) throughout the road in Boticas. Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing) secured third place, disrupting the battle for the GC contenders.
Colin Stüssi (Team Vorarlberg) completed behind the US rider and misplaced bonus time to Eulálio, now trailing in second general by 21 seconds. Jon Aguirre (Kern Pharma), third general, completed fifth on the stage and is now 32 seconds again of the race chief.
With his solo victory, Nych moved up six locations to 14th general, however the hole is 2:49. The 29-year-old got here into the 10-day stage race with two GC wins already this season, each on house soil for his Portuguese Continental group, Grande Prêmio Internacional Beiras e Serra da Estrela and Grande Prémio Abimota.
Mountains loomed giant on the mid-week stage of the Volta a Portugal, with 5 categorised climbs throughout the 169.1km route. Just 7km from the beginning in Bragança, Luis Ángel Maté (Euskaltel-Euskadi) claimed the primary KOM factors on supply, on the class 3 Serra da Nogueira, and the peloton remained collectively throughout the crest.
A 40km stretch of descending led to the principle course of climbing that included a trio of class 3 ascents and the first-category Torneiros (4.8km at 8.1%) with just below 18km to the end.
Nych was a part of a gaggle of 10 riders who went clear with 69km to go, together with Maté, Alex Molenaar (Illes Balears Arabay Cycling), Alejandro Franco (Burgos BH), Abel Balderstone (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing), Joaquim Silva (Efapel Cycling), German Nicolás Tivani (Avilud-Louletano-Loulé Concelho), Cristian David Rico (Petrolike) and Sabgal-Anicolor teammate Frederico Figueiredo.
The lead group labored collectively to construct a bonus of two:20, however as soon as by way of an intermediate dash line in Vidago and on the ascent of Pinho (7.6km at 4.1%) with 49km to go, the time started to reverse.
A remaining intermediate dash on the primary cross by way of Boticas noticed Nych setting the tempo on the entrance. The leaders started the climb of Torneiros with simply 45 seconds forward of the chasers, which included GC chief Eulálio, Stüssi and Aguirre. Across the climb, Nych acquired away and sailed to the end for the win.
Results
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