Gutsy Laurance second in Itzulia

Axel Laurance put in a gutsy, attacking performance to seal a hard-earned second place on stage five of Itzulia Basque Country.

Laurance pushed in the closing kilometres to bridge the gap to solo leader Ben Healy (EF Education First), who went on to win the stage, before finally going clear of the peloton to finish second.

The result is the team’s second podium of the week in the Basque Country, following on from Caleb Ewan’s sprint win on stage two.

Earlier, the Grenadiers had combined well to help keep a dangerous early breakaway in check, with Healy one of seven escapees who amassed an early lead.

The chase was led by UAE Team Emirates but started to dwindle as Healy escaped the  break and went solo, which saw Omar Fraile take to the front to add some urgency into the peloton’s pursuit.

Fraile’s acceleration was the catalyst for an increased tempo, albeit Healy retained a healthy advantage, so Laurance took matters into his own hands with 18 kilometres remaining.

The French rider attacked on an undulating climb which punctuated the hilly stage, only to be caught by the riders behind.

Counter-attacks reigned in, but the 23 year old remained resolute before biding his time to then strike with two kilometres remaining to steal a march on the bunch and secure second place.