The penultimate day of racing at Vuelta a Burgos, saw the peloton tackle a hot and fast 18 kilometre-long time trial; from Santa María del Campo to Pampliega. Despite a few rolling sections and some technical corners through the towns, it would be a course that on paper would suit the more traditional time trial riders, with fast speeds expected throughout – although ever changing wind conditions also could play their part too. Good early times were set by Enzo Leijnse and Julius van den Berg, but it would be Team dsm-firmenich PostNL’s last man down the ramp – Max Poole – who would produced the team’s best effort on the day. Flying through the opening tailwind section, Poole set the fastest time at the intermediate point before the route turned and he battle into stronger crosswind and headwind for the rest of his effort. Fighting until the line, he would ultimately stop the clock in a time of 20 minutes and 12 seconds which would see him take eighth on the stage and move up to second place on GC; ahead of tomorrow’s final stage.
Speaking after his TT effort Poole said: “It was a really hard, all-out time trial and with the recon we knew it was important to get after it down the long stretch in the first half. Maybe the conditions changed slightly throughout the day and I was really having to fight to hang on after that point, but I was motivated and knew it was important to get after it and leave it all out there. I wouldn’t have changed it and from a performance side it’s a nice confidence boost ahead of what’s to come.”
