Johannesburg - Daryl Impey hugged anyone who came near him after history had repeated itself when he won the second stage of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, on Tuesday, the second World Tour win of his career.
“Same stage, same race,” said Impey from Spain last night. “It’s incredible. My second World Tour win in the same place I won my first last year. It was a perfect win, from the way the team dominated the leadout in the final three kilometres to the final kick to the line. I couldn’t have asked for more.
“The team was legendary. Everyone gave 110percent and I was so happy to repay them for their efforts. They worked so hard that I had to win.”
Impey, riding for the Australian Orica-GreenEdge team, was on the third wheel coming into the final kick to the line. When he accelerated he had a clear run to the line, which was marked by a slight kink from the left-hand side of the road. He beat Italy’s Francesco Gavazzi (Astana) and Angel Vicioso (Katusha) into second and third.
Peter Velits, the Slovakian who now rides for the Omega Pharma-Quick Step squad, was 10th. Velits began his professional career in South Africa and is a past winner of the Giro del Capo and 94.7 Cycle Challenge.
Impey’s win followed the first stage win by his Australian teammate Simon Gerrans, who worked hard for the South African despite wearing the leader’s yellow jersey. Michael Matthews took Impey to the line. Gerrans won the Milan-SanRemo last year and believes that Impey is one of the best leadout men in the world.
Gerrans is now fourth in the points classification, and Impey fifth. Gerrans is now seventh in the overall general classification.
“Simon did a great turn on the front for me,” said Impey. “It was impressive. He pushed it hard and stretched it so that it was perfect for me and Michael. This team, the way they work together, is great. We look out for each other and it pays off in races.”
It was another success for South Africa on the big stage of European and world racing, following the success by Gerald Ciolek of MTN-Qhubeka at the Milan-SanRemo, when he won the longest and, some would say, most prestigious, one-day race in the world outside of the world championship.
Impey won on a slingshot sprint to the line last year, a sprint set up by Australian teammate Allan Davis, a former winner of the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. Davis won his first professional race in South Africa at the Giro del Capo.
The Star