Josh Burnett's performance dominated the finale of the Baku-Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Race. With a display of heart and courage, the New Zealander from Burgos Burpellet BH triumphed solo in the concluding stage of the Azerbaijani race (the Tartar-Khankendi stage of 181.5 kilometers), securing the necessary seconds to move from ninth to first place in the general classification and thus clinching the final victory in the event.

The XDS Astana team was left disappointed as, with leader Fedorov dropped and later crashing in the final descent, Henok Mulubrhan (2nd at the finish line) was unable to take the overall lead, forced to settle for second place just 3 seconds behind the winner. Completing the podium is Swiss rider Alexandre Balmer who, finishing third, secures another valuable haul of UCI points for Solution Tech NIPPO Rali.

THE RACE

In the usual hectic opening phase, after the initial unsuccessful solo attempt by Iñigo Elosegui (Equipo Kern Pharma), a breakaway forms with Eduardo Pérez-Landaluce (Óbidos Cycling Team), Aaron Aus (Quick Pro Team), Ksawier Garnek (Mazowsze Serce Polski), Hugo Lutz-Atkinson (EuroCyclingTrips - CCN) and Walter Vargas (Team Medellín - EPM). The six, however, remain at the front for just seven kilometers before being caught by the main group, from which, after passing the intermediate sprint at Ağdam Stadium (1st Pita), a more determined attack is launched by Tsishkou Raman (Li Ning Star), the ever-present Pérez-Landaluce, Yorben Lauryssen and Arne Santy (Tarteletto - Isorex), Franciszek Matuszewski (Mazowsze Serce Polski), Jonathan Kerkhofs (Universe Cycling Team), Muhammad Syelhan (ASC Monsters Indonesia) and the eternal Óscar Sevilla (Team Medellín - EPM).

The eight riders, bolstered for several kilometers by an advantage approaching three minutes, proceed compactly until the attack on the most demanding section of the stage, namely 55 kilometers from the finish, when the road begins to climb toward the second-category mountain pass. Here, as the group accelerates violently, thinning out kilometer after kilometer, the breakaway ahead progressively falls apart, and this, combined with the effort made to keep the attack alive, means that eventually all the attackers (Sevilla and Lauryssen last) are reabsorbed one by one by the peloton.

Approaching the mountain pass, David Delgado (Quick Pro Team) and Josh Burnett (Burgos Burpellet BH) attack, with the latter, once completing the descent alongside his companion, dropping Delgado 22 kilometers from the finish, at the foot of the day's final mountain pass. Behind him, from a group now completely shattered and reduced to many separate groups separated by just seconds, Luca Covili (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) attempts to close the gap solo, and slightly further back, a quintet including Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana), Urko Berrade (Equipo Kern Pharma), Alessio Martinelli, Alex Tolio (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Eric Antonio Fagundez (Burgos Burpellet BH), Eduardo Sepulveda (Li Ning Star) but not the blue jersey of Fedorov who, dropped on the climb, unfortunately crashes in the high-speed descent toward the finish.

Further ahead, while the Berrade sextet catches Covili and is joined by eight other riders including Aaron Gate (XDS Astana) and second-placed Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali), Burnett approaches the final climb to the finish with a ten-second advantage over Delgado, a margin that, displaying truly magnificent form, the New Zealander not only defends but actually extends, thus conquering solo the first professional victory of his career.

Behind him, Gate's superb work for Mulubrhan allows the chasing group to catch Delgado and sprint for the day's podium (completed by the Eritrean and Fagundez) but proves insufficient to halt the New Zealander's climb up the general classification, who, crossing the line with a twelve-second margin, secures first place overall.

In this way, in one fell swoop, Burnett achieves his first and second major victories of his career, while Mulubrhan chews on disappointment for his third second-place finish (the first this year) in the overall classification of a stage race. Much happier, however, can certainly be Alexandre Balmer (never on the final podium of a stage race), Alessio Martinelli (today's 4th place is his best placement of the season) and also Luca Covili, seventh at the finish and fifth in the general classification (his second-best result ever in a stage race).

STAGE RESULTS

1. Josh Burnett (Burgos Burpellet BH) — 4h 16' 35"

2. Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana Team) — at 12"

3. Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos Burpellet BH) — s.t.

4. Alessio Martinelli (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) — s.t.

5. Santiago Umba (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) — s.t.

6. Gianni Marchand (Tarteletto–Isorex) — s.t.

7. Luca Covili (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) — s.t.

8. Alex Tolio (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) — s.t.

9. Urko Berrade (Equipo Kern Pharma) — s.t.

10. Diego Uriarte (Equipo Kern Pharma) — s.t.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Josh Burnett (Burgos Burpellet BH) — 19h 06' 43"

2. Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana Team) — at 3"

3. Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) — at 7"

4. Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos Burpellet BH) — at 14"

5. Luca Covili (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) — at 22"

6. Urko Berrade (Equipo Kern Pharma) — s.t.

7. Santiago Umba (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) — s.t.

8. Diego Uriarte (Equipo Kern Pharma) — s.t.

9. Alessio Martinelli (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) — s.t.

10. Carlos García Pierna (Burgos Burpellet BH) — s.t.

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Points Classification: Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana Team)

Mountain Classification: Lennert Teugels (Tartelletto-Isorex)

Best Young Rider Classification: Iker Gomez (Equipo Kern Pharma)