In-form Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) powered to a solo victory on stage one of the Tour of the Basque Country to storm into a dominant overall lead.
Contador, winner at Tirreno-Adriatico and second at the Volta a Catalunya, continued his hugely impressive start to the season with one of his finest wins yet.
Attacking with Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) on the Gaintza, Contador burst from behind his compatriot with eight kilometres to go and descended at a hugely impressive speed to cruise into a big lead.
And El Pistolero stayed clear to ensure he already holds a sizable lead over his biggest rivals, sending a huge statement of intent out to his Grand Tour rivals.
Earlier, Matteo Montaguti (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Romain Sicard (Europcar), Davide Villella (Cannondale), Fabricio Ferrari (Caja Rural) formed the day’s break.
Their lead was allowed to stretch to just shy of five minutes, but with Tinkoff-Saxo and Movistar controlling the bunch they remained in check throughout.
An attempted bridge by Jelle Vandendert (Lotto-Belisol) failed to amount to anything, despite him having earned more than a minute on the bunch but the real action began on the first ascent of the Gaintza.
The category two climb proved enough to split the leading group, with Montaguti and Villella attacking off the front, while there was a first taste of the action to come in the bunch too.
Contador and Valverde took turns to score morale advantages over their rivals – the latter appearing to have taken the climb with consummate ease as he crested first.
Such was the flowing style Valverde displayed he even earned an advantage of a bike length over the Tinkoff-Saxo riders trailing him, prompting him to sit up and wait for them to catch up before the descent began.
The attacks and counter-attacks began once the ride was crested, with Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing) going off the front before Amets Txurruka (Caja Rural) attacked.
Txurruka bridged to join team-mate Ferrari in between the bunch and the two leaders but the Movistar and Tinkoff-Saxo riders stayed comfortable at the front.
The race came back together with 25.6 kilometres remaining, prompting Giant-Shimano’s Tom Dumoulin to make a solo bid for freedom.
BMC racing took up the chase and despite a superb display of descending the Frenchman was soon swallowed up.
At the back, Bauke Mollema (Belkin) was among the high-profile casualties of the pace as they approached the Gaintzia, while world champion Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) was also found out.
Taking on the steep, narrow ascent for a second time Valverde and Contador hit the front with a strong group climbing with them.
Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Merida), Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), Mikel Nieve (Team Sky) and Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) were among their elite companions but the Spanish duo ignited the race with eight kilometres to go.
Valverde attacked off the front, hauling Contador with him as the two compatriots ascended almost in tandem, matching each other stroke-for-stroke as they hit the steepest sections of the climbs.
Valverde appeared the more comfortable of the two but Contador burst from behind, riding a huge gear, to power through the assembled crowds on the narrowest, steepest section.
He had put 15 seconds into Valverde by the time he crested, with the chasing group more than half a minute back.
El Pistolero’s ferocious descending speed ensured he stayed clear of Valverde, and the chasing group, with the elite group of riders fast seeing their chances of victory disappear.
Contador battered the pedals on the descent and, sensing his opportunity, refused to let up the pace even when he was assured of victory.
Passing up the opportunity to celebrate with his customary pistol salute, he powered over the finish line 14 seconds clear of Valverde and more than 30 seconds ahead of everybody else.
Tour of the Basque Country 2014: stage one – result
1) Alberto Contador (ESP) – Tinkoff-Saxo – 4.05.07hrs
2) Alejandro Valverde (ESP) – Movistar +14”
3) Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) – Omega Pharma-Quickstep +34”
4) Yury Trofimov (RUS) – Katusha +36”
5) Damiano Cunego (ITA) – Lampre-Merida –ST
6) Jean-Christophe Peraud (FRA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale
7) Mikel Nieve (ESP) – Team Sky
8) Cadel Evans (AUS) – BMC Racing
9) Roman Kreuziger (CZE) – Tinkoff-Saxo +54”
10) Mikel Landa (ESP) – Astana – ST
General classification
1) Alberto Contador (ESP) – Tinkoff-Saxo – 4.05.07hrs
2) Alejandro Valverde (ESP) – Movistar +14”
3) Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) – Omega Pharma-Quickstep +34”
4) Yury Trofimov (RUS) – Katusha +36”
5) Damiano Cunego (ITA) – Lampre-Merida –ST
6) Jean-Christophe Peraud (FRA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale
7) Mikel Nieve (ESP) – Team Sky
8) Cadel Evans (AUS) – BMC Racing
9) Roman Kreuziger (CZE) – Tinkoff-Saxo +54”
10) Mikel Landa (ESP) – Astana – ST
