The seventh stage of the Vuelta a España took riders over the 200-km mark for the first time in this tour. On the flat section from Almendralejo nach Mairena del Aljaraf, Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Philippe Gilbert (BMC) were able to break away and decide the day’s victory between them. With his 16^th place, Zak Dempster clenched Team NetApp-Endura’s third consecutive top 20 finish. Bartosz Huzarski and Leopold Koenig continue to hold on to positions 11 and 14 in the general classification.

“It could be assumed that there would be a sprint finish today, despite the technically complicated approach. We rode for Zak and once again finished in the top 20. There are still three or four more opportunities to improve the sprint during the tour. But for now, our focus will be on the mountains over the next few days and we will have to work for the team there,” Enrico Poitschke, Sport Director of Team NetApp-Endura, commented on the outcome of the stage.

Jan Barta was in the first breakaway group shortly after the start, but the peloton wouldn’t allow the group to get ahead of it. Ten kilometers later the group of the day finally was able to pull away. A trio of breakaway riders set the tone of the stage for 180 kilometers.  The field was reunited 15 kilometers before the finish line and began preparing for the mass sprint at a very fast pace. Team NetApp-Endura always stayed at the front of the field and fought for its positions. Eight kilometers before the finish line, Stybar and the reigning world champion Gilbert were able to pull away from the field despite the fast pace. The technically demanding final stretch with lots of curves suited the breakaway riders, who were able to hold onto their only one-second lead up until the finish line.

The eighth stage on Saturday will again call for mountain specialists. The stage will start in Jerez de la Frontera and end 167 kilometers later in Estepona. Riders will arrive atop the Alto de Peñas Blancas. The final climb is 14.5 kilometers long and has an average incline of 6.6%. Although the mountain starts off unevenly, with an incline of up to 12.5%, after a flatter section, riders must complete the last nine kilometers with a fairly even 6-8% incline.