Landis takes his turn in the break in Stage 7 at Vuelta Mexico

Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico - The OUCH Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis held true to form in Stage 7 of la Vuelta Mexico, once again placing a rider in the day’s successful break, this time team captain Floyd Landis.

The 158 km stage followed the same script as the previous several stages, with a break containing riders who weren’t a threat to the overall classification slipping off the front and staying away to the finish.

Landis was part of a six-rider break that included compatriots Tyler Hamilton (Rock Racing) and Shawn Milne (Team Type 1), as well as eventual stage winner Florencio Ramos (Tecos), Spaniard Rafael Valls (Burgos) and Luis Fernando Macias (Mexican National Team).

The break got away about 40 km into the stage, which featured three KoMs. “We all worked well together for most of the stage,” Landis said.

The peloton afforded the group plenty of leash, with their lead extending out beyond eight minutes. As the stage rolled on, the peloton became a bit more interested in keeping the group close, and by the third KoM the gap was down around five minutes.

“The attacks started happening once we cleared the last climb,” Landis said.

Valls took a flyer and spent about 5 km off the front. Once he was corralled, Ramos put in his winning move coming into the finishing town, with still 13 km to go.

In the final kilometers, it became clear that the remaining five riders would be fighting it out for second. Landis put in a couple attacks but was marked each time.

In the end, Milne, Macias and Valls slipped away to take the next three spots, 0:50 after the stage winner crossed the line, while Hamilton and then Landis came in a few seconds later.

Notes

For a second consecutive day, Karl Menzies was able to retain his lead in the sprint competition with the break up the road taking the intermediate sprint points and no one to threaten his lead.

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