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Nikias Arndt at the Vuelta
Photo:
IMAGO/photo reporter Sirotti Stefano / IMAGO/Sirotti
Cycling pro Nikias Arndt has moved up to third place overall in the 77th Vuelta.
The 30-year-old finished sixth in Wednesday's stage five, 187.2km from Irun to Bilbao as a member of a breakaway and is now 1:09 behind new overall leader Rudy Molard of France.
The Spaniard Marc Soler won the stage in Bilbao, where the Tour de France will start in 2023.
The top favorites around last year's winner Primož Roglič reached the finish line about five minutes behind.
The Slovenian gave up the leader's red jersey after just one day, but made no attempt to catch the breakaway.
On Tuesday, Roglič became the fourth jumbo professional to take the lead after Robert Gesink, Mike Theunissen and Edoardo Affini.
This special feature was due to the ideal starting position after the team time trial, which the Dutch team had won at the start in Utrecht.
Roglič could regain the lead as early as Thursday.
Because the first mountain finish of this year's Tour of Spain is waiting.
The sixth stage, over 181.2 kilometers, starting in Bilbao, ends with the Ascensión al Pico Jano.
up San Miguel de Aguayo.
Roglič remains calm
'It really means a lot to me.
Last year I had to leave the race.
Things didn't go well this winter, I couldn't ride for nine weeks.
Being at the top now is fantastic,” said the new overall leader Molard at Eurosport.
"We will see how it goes on.
Up until now, the tactic has been to change jerseys within the team every day.
We'll see what each day brings," Roglič, who had to retire after a fall in the Tour de France, said on Tuesday: "But our main goal is to have the jersey in Madrid at the end."
Before the start of the stage, Dutchman Daan Hoole from the Trek-Segafredo team had to give up the race early because of a positive corona test.
It is the first COVID-19 case during the current tour.
kjo/dpa/sid