It was an active day on stage 7 for KATUSHA in several ways, with team riders working hard to get in breakaways and follow moves to try for stage wins. In addition, Rein Taaramäe was involved in a race-ending accident with a team director’s car but thankfully didn’t end up causing real harm to the Estonian rider.
- I can’t be sure exactly what happened. I was suffering today. I was dropped in the group and was riding alone. In one moment I found myself on the side of the road and I understood that a car hit me from the back. I think I’m lucky that nothing is broken. My bike was broken in probably six pieces. When I saw that, I realized I was really lucky. Later that director spoke to me and said it was his fault but was unsure what had happened too. He was very sorry, - said Rein Taaramäe.
- Rein was dropped on the hill and the cars were passing him – he was in the middle of the cars. I think he didn’t see the Cofidis car. Sometimes this happens where you look to one side and can’t see anything, but I think the car came and he could not avoid it so he was hit from behind. He flew off the bike to the right side of the road and this was a lucky thing because he was safe, but the car hit his bike and destroyed it completely. It was in a lot of pieces. Of course it was not on purpose, it was just something that happens in a race. He only has small injuries, but it was impossible for him to continue. I think he was initially in shock and these last days he’s been having some stomach problems. He was suffering to finish today and then this crash, so it needed to be over for him, - explained sports director José Azevedo.
A hard-charging reduced peloton caught the last two riders in the closing meters of the race and a late crash disrupted the final, but Jonas Van Genechten of IAM Cycling managed to win the 158,5 km stage with a time of 3:55.44 (40.342 km/h). Daniele Bennati (Tinkoff) and Alejandro Valverde of Movistar took second and third on the same time. There were no changes in leadership for the GC with Darwin Atapuma of BMC still in the race lead at the end of the first week of racing.
- We were active from the beginning of the stage with guys trying to go in the breaks. We want to win a stage so we were fighting for that. When I saw Astana riding, I told the guys to pay attention because for sure they were going to attack and that’s what they did. So we had guys trying to go in the groups, following the attacks. We were really trying today – that’s what we need to keep doing in these next stages, - said Azevedo.
A break of five was caught early, leaving plenty of time for many more breaks to form up and try their luck. Egor Silin, Sergey Lagutin and Matvey Mamykin (in his first grand tour) were all active in the last 25 km of racing, attacking from the peloton for solo moves and following strategic breaks that tried to make something happen. The stage from Maceda to Puebla de Sanabria was one of the most active in the first seven days of racing. In the end Luis León Sánchez (Astana) and Simon Clarke of Cannondale-Drapac were the last ones reeled back within sight of the finish line.
Stage 8 in the 71st Vuelta a España begins in Villalpando and ends atop of Alto de La Camperona at 181,5 km.
