Gall’s teammate Sander De Pestel is the latest rider to drop back, and he’s now setting the pace in the group of favourites. It’s only a steady pace, though, and Kuss has already built a lead of 30 seconds over them.
ATTACK – KUSS
Kuss has gone again! His Visma teammate Kruijswijk had been setting the pace, but now the American has gone solo. There’s a slowdown in the GC group, as their positions aren’t under threat from Kuss.
This is a picture earlier from MacKellar, back when he was in the main chase group. He’s since dropped back, and has just finished doing a long, important turn for Carapaz in the group of favourites.
They’re putting a lot of time into the group behind, which contains Onley and Omrzel, which is now almost three minutes behind. This is good news especially for Kuss, who stands to shoot up the GC – potentially to as high as fifth overall, if the gap keep increasing at the rate they are.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The riders have begun the second ascent of the Puerto de El Purche, the lead group 8:45 ahead of the group of favourites. The latter keeps picking up riders dropped from the groups ahead, most recently Kuss’ teammate Kruijswijk, who is setting the pace.
70KM TO GO
MacKellar has also dropped back to the group of favourites, giving Carapaz another man to set the pace along with Albanese. As the longest valley section left on this stage, this is the ideal time for him to have teammates to set the pace, before they start climbing again in a few kilometres.
The move is further distancing Onley behind, who is in a perilous situation but does have Haig to help him, and is also potentially bringing the stage win back into play – the high pace since the Carapaz attack has seen the gap from this group to the leaders come down to about 8:40.
A couple of teammates have dropped back from the group ahead to help pace the group of favourites – Carapaz’s Albanese, and Kuss’ Brennan. Mas, Roglič and Gall are the other riders in the group, while Onley is losing ground, at 20 seconds.
Gall sets a ferocious pace up the final kilometres of the climb, dropping everyone bar Roglič and Mas by the summit – and just about manages to bring back Carapaz and Kuss as they go over the top. Onley was dropped just before and is now having to chase as they begin the descent.
Decathlon are trying to control this Carapaz attack, but are finding it harder now their key climbing domestique Riccitello has had to pull out of the race. In fact, Gall himself is leading the chase as they summit the climb! Chaos is ensuing a the Vuelta a España
KOM – PUERTO DE EL PURCHE
Van Aert takes the points at the top of the climb, out-sprinting Buitrago’s teammate Miguel. He’s moved to within 26 points of Buitrago’s point tally, and with the group so far behind, he’s in with a chance of picking up enough points to take it from him.
Further down the mountains, Carapaz has joined Kuss, and 20 seconds behind the peloton is down to only eleven riders – and Mas is isolated. It’s all happening on the road!
ATTACK – CARAPAZ
We thought it was coming at some point today, and it’s happened already, on the first category one climb of the day with little more than 100km left to ride! It was an explosive move, and he’s got a gap, while Decathlon respond by taking over the pace-setting in the peloton.
Red Bull offered an interesting quote ahead of the stage today saying that they ‘won’t interrupt’ anyone if they were to make a mistake during this tactically complicated stage, and that does indeed appear to be what they were doing when Movistar were panicking earlier.
But as the race has settled down, and the chase group built a big lead over the peloton, the Movistar ploy appears to have worked, and they’re back in control of the race. Can Red Bull and their leader Roglič contrive a way to put them under pressure, now that they no longer outnumber Movistar in terms or riders up the road?
The peloton might be over eight minutes behind the chase group, but that hasn’t stopped Sepp Kuss from attacking on the climb. Presumably his teammates up the road (of which there are four, plus Van Aert in the lead group) will drop back to pace him, in an attempt to propel him as high up the GC as possible.
This climb is starting to see the inferior climbers struggle, as Tiller and Vermeersch (one of Roglič’s two teammates in the lead group) are dropped.
Meanwhile in the chase group (pictured), Movistar are setting the pace again, with García Pierna, Romeo and Castrillo.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
100KM TO GO
The riders are climbing again, this time up the first category one of the day. It’s the Puerto de El Purche, and averages a brutal 8% for 8.2km.
The leaders have started it with a gap of 3:30 over the chasers and a huge ten minutes over the peloton.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The gaps between the groups are getting bigger and bigger. The lead group is now three minutes ahead of the chase group (which is actually about 50 riders big), meaning they are unlikely to come together. But the peloton is over five minutes behind the chase group; so Movistar do look like they’re going to get what they wanted, which was not the stage win, but rather teammates far enough up the road to act as satellite riders for Mas.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You’ll get comprehensive race coverage of La Vuelta a España, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.
DNF – RICCITELLO
Despite initially getting up on his bike, Riccitello has abandoned the race following his crash. That’s bad news for Gall, for whom he had become the main mountain domestique for, since Mühlberger’s abandon earlier in the race.
While the peloton has sat up and are happy to let both the lead group and the chase group have a gap, the lead group has not, and does not want the 30-or-so riders in the chase group to join them. They’re keeping the pace high, and increasing their lead, to over one and a half minutes.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
There are no threats to GC in either of the groups ahead of the peloton, but plenty of domestiques of the favourites who could help swing the balance of power.
Roglič has two teammates in the lead group, and another two in the chase group; Mas has no teammates in the lead group, and two in the chase group; Gall one in the lead group and one in the chase group; Onley none in the lead group, two in the chase group; and finally Carapa has none in the lead group, but four in the chase group.
KOM – PUERTO DE LOS BLANCARES
The lead group crests the climb, with Buitrago’s teammate Pau Miguel ensuring he takes the points ahead of Van Aert.
Buitrago is in the chase group behind, so will, like the Movistar pair in it, want to bridge up to the leaders. As do EF, who have a few domestiques helping Movistar lead the pace. There’s plenty of investment in this group, but they’re almost a minute behind.
140KM TO GO
The ploy isn’t working for Movistar, as the chase group led by Romeo and García Pierna (and EF, who are contributing now) are failing to make up ground on the leaders, being kept at 35 seconds. The worst case scenario for Movistar is if the pair working burn themselves out trying to chase, but fail to bridge up to the lead group, and are then too tired to assist Mas later in the stage, potentially leaving him isolated and very outnumbered by Red Bull.
Here’s the group at the front, and there about to start climbing – up the first of five mountains on the menu today.
They lead the peloton by about 40 seconds, with the chase group behind led by Movistar somewhere in between.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
CRASH – HAMILTON AND RICCITELLO
Two riders have gone down in the peloton. Riccitello is one of them, and thankfully for his team leader Gall, he’s back on white bike. But Hamilton looks hurt, and will likely abandon the race.
150KM TO GO
The Movistar duo are still riding, and have picked up some riders between the peloton and the lead group on their way – including more EF and Red Bull teammates. They’re committed to the move, and are desperate to make up the remaining 15 seconds they need to join the lead group.
Are Movistar panicking?Having set a pace for a few kilometres, they’ve now fired a couple of riders up the road, Garcia Pierna and Romeo, in an attempt to bridge up to the break.
They must be feeling anxious at having nobody in the break especially as Roglič has a couple, but are also toeing up rival teammates Thornely (of Red Bull) and Shaw (of EF). But these are questionable tactics, and they could be burning off key domestiques very early.
Uno-X Mobility have almost their entire roster in this breakaway, with six riders present, including their best climber Tobias Halland Johannessen. Cofidis also have two, as does Roglič’s RedBull with Vermeersch and Fisher-Black. The Slovenian has satellite riders up the road, while Mas has none – he must be hatching a plan to make a move on the red jersey.
160KM TO GO
Actually, the chase group had not caught Van Aert and Oliveira – they’re only doing so now.
Here was the pair right at the start of the day, when they broke clear of the peloton.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Movistar have brought the front peloton back, which does appear it did contain Roglič. That’s an early scare for Enric Mas, but one he has managed to see off.
Up ahead, the chase group instigated by Uno-X have caught Van Aert and Oliveira, and lead the reunified peloton by 18 seconds.
The wind has caused a split in the peloton – and Mas has been caught out! Multiple Movistar teammates have dropped back to help pace him, but it’s unclear for now whether he is in the same split as his GC rivals, or if they are in the group ahead.
170KM TO GO
Adding to the complications of the day, there’s also a bit of wind on the exposed section the peloton is riding through, and a group of about a dozen riders have used it to help et a gap on the peloton. Uno-X Mobility were the chief instigators, putting three men in the group.
While the battle for the break continues, Carlos Rodríguez has had to drop back to his team car to get a radio issue sorted out. This isn’t the kind of day you want to be without radio communication for, as it’s likely to be very chaotic.
That is indeed the case now, and multiple riders try to join Van Aert and Oliveira at the front of the race.
All of the attacks from behind Van Aert and Oliveira have been neutralised, but the leading duo press on.
Does Van Aert have his eye on the King of the Mountains jersey? He’s 38 points behind Santiago Buitrago after the Colombian’s ride in the breakaway yesterday – but there are a total of 53 points to be won today.
OFFICIAL START
And they’re off! And its Wout van Aert who is among the first to kick things off, going on the attack with UAE’s Oliveira. The pair have a gap of about ten seconds over the peloton, where more are trying moves.
The riders are in the neutralised zone, and will be racing the Queen Stage soon. The first 40km are about as flat as this stage gets, and even they take place on rolling terrain. It’ll be a massive fight to get into the break, and only riders still feeling (relatively) strong after three weeks of racing will be able to get into it.
Today features more climbing than any other stage of this race by some distance. But as one merciful relief for the riders comes in the temperature, which is cooler than it was earlier in the race, in the early twenties rather than the thirties.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Yesterday didn’t quite produce fireworks in the GC race, with attacks not coming until the final few kilometres, and everyone in the top five finishing at the top of the summit finish together. But today there surely will be, given the severity of the parcours, and the fact this is the last chance at this Vuelta before the final circuit stage in Granada.
Enric Mas might not have looked troubled throughout his whole time in the red jersey so far, but he hasn’t had to face anything like this all race. It’s a monstrous stage, with five mountains in total, three of them rated category one, and the last rated Hors category as the toughest of them all. It’s a hard enough stage to turn this Vuelta on its head, even at this late stage of the race. Anything could happen.
