Stage Report: The ultimate onerous stage (earlier than Madrid) was made for Remco Evenepoel, however it was Wout Poels who received the higher of the Belgian on the end line. Sepp Kuss completed together with his ‘teammates’ Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglič for his Grand Tour win.
*** The complete PEZ Stage Report very quickly. ***
Stage 20 finale
Wout Poels has added a Vuelta a España stage to his Tour de France stage win. Poels was the quickest of a number one group of 5, which got here from the massive early break of the day. He beat Remco Evenepoel into second place with a protracted dash. Sepp Kuss’s crimson chief’s jersey was by no means in peril and he crossed the road along with Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglič.
The 2023 Vuelta a España goes to Sepp Kuss
Race director, Fernando Escartín: “At 208 kilometres lengthy and simply at some point earlier than the grand finale, that is the longest stage of La Vuelta. The route doesn’t characteristic any notably difficult climbs, although it is going to embrace over 4,000 metres of slopes unfold out over 10 third class climbs. The terrain is winding and loopy, permitting little to no time to chill out. Not even on the way in which down.”
Stage 20 profile
On the penultimate day of the Vuelta a España, the riders confronted the longest stage of this Grand Tour. The stage from Manzanares El Actual to Guadarrama was 207.8 kilometres of a whole lot of climbing. The hills, which had been all Cat-3, weren’t notably lengthy or tough, however there was ten of them. The highest of the final climb was at 15 kilometres from the end.
Sepp Kuss has one onerous day to go
A big break fashioned within the first hour of racing. There was 31 riders who escaped, together with the KOM jersey wearer Remco Evenepoel with three of his teammates: James Knox, Mattia Cattaneo and Louis Vervaeke. There was additionally Marc Soler, Geraint Thomas, Andreas Kron, Einer Rubio, Romain Bardet, Rui Costa, Antonio Tiberi, Lennard Kämna. Wout Poels, Wilco Kelderman, Jimmy Janssens, Edward Planckaert, Sylvain Moniquet and Lennert Van Eetvelt and others.
The highest three of the 2023 Vuelta: Sepp Kuss, Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglič
Not one of the riders within the break had been a menace to Sepp Kuss’s crimson jersey, so Jumbo-Visma allow them to go. After 70 kilometres their lead was practically 7 minutes, however then the primary assaults got here within the main group. Ben Zwiehoff of BORA-hansgrohe accelerated. He didn’t get away, however his transfer did brought about some upset on the entrance. Soudal Fast-Step then took management and set the tempo.
The peloton let an enormous break go
The tempo was excessive, which put some riders in hassle within the main group. Finn-Fisher Black and Andreas Kron, amongst others, had been dropped. The lead over the peloton elevated to over 11 minutes. The rest of the break began the final climb of the day, the Alto de Robledondo (3.9km at 6.3%). Would Evenepoel make his transfer?
The Escorial within the distance
It wasn’t the Belgian who attacked, however Wout Poels. Evenepoel stayed on the wheel of his teammate Cattaneo and appeared to have problem with the tempo. Van Eetvelt appeared to have higher legs, as he was the one experience who managed to go together with Poels. Marc Soler additionally jumped throughout. The group together with Evenepoel was not far behind and 1 kilometre earlier than the summit, Evenepoel caught the Poels group along with Pelayo Sánchez (Burgos-BH).
The tempo was regular within the peloton
On the descent, Evenepoel, who had let Sánchez go simply earlier than the highest, returned and went on the assault. He gained a number of metres, however the different 4 pulled him again. Within the final 10 kilometres we had Evenepoel, Sánchez, Soler, Poels and Van Eetvelt.
31 riders within the break
Numerous climbing right this moment
There have been no extra assaults, a dash would determine the stage. Wout Poels was the primary to assault, from very far out. Too far, it appeared, however the Dutchman made an enormous hole together with his leap that Evenepoel was unable to shut on him, he did come shut within the final metre, however it wasn’t sufficient. No fourth stage win for the Belgian on this Vuelta. Pelayo Sánchez was third, Lennert Van Eetvelt fourth and Marc Soler fifth.
Rui Costa was within the break, however so was Remco Evenepoel
Bushes and hills on the highway to Guadarrama
The GC riders took it simple to the ultimate climb. Primoz Roglič set the tempo for Kuss. Enric Mas put in an assault, however couldn’t do away with the opposite high males. Cian Uijtdebroeks was in hassle, whereas Aleksandr Vlasov joined the opposite favourites. The Belgian misplaced his seventh place total to his teammate and dropped to eighth.
James Knox break up the break for Remco Evenepoel
Can Evenepoel take his fourth Vuelta stage win of 2023?
Kuss had no drawback holding the general lead, and along with Roglič and Vingegaard, the American crossed the end line simply behind the opposite GC males.
The stage win went to Wout Poels
Stage winner, Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious): “I feel I’m like a bottle of wine, yearly I become old I get higher! That’s fairly wonderful particularly in a extremely onerous stage and it’s wonderful to beat a rider like Evenepoel in a break. I’m tremendous completely satisfied. I knew there was a nook arising with 350 metres so I believed if I entered that one first and went flat out to the end, I’ve a reasonably good sprinter as a climber… And I simply can’t consider this. Right this moment we focused this stage. It was actually onerous to get within the break. You might see all these good riders with G [Geraint Thomas], Remco… It’s a must to make a plan. I believed within the steep half I might go full fuel and see what occurs.”
Poels out-smarted and out-sprinted Evenepoel
Total chief, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma): “I’m tremendous relieved! I nearly made it. It was completely in management with the blokes at first. Robert [Gesink] and Dylan [van Baarle] had been pulling 90% of the stage. It was a protracted onerous day and so they had been up there all day so simply huge hats off to them, they had been wonderful. After which Attila [Valter] was there on the final climb and Primoz [Roglic] did a whole lot of work for me there on the final climb and on the flat as properly with Jonas [Vingegaard]. That’s simply one thing I by no means imagined. It was an excellent particular second to have the ability to chill out that a lot within the closing kilometre of a mountain stage along with your two teammates is absolutely cool. It hasn’t sunk in but. After which being with my household was essentially the most particular.”
A kiss for the Vuelta’23 winner
# Simply the ultimate in Madrid to go – Hold it PEZ. #
Vuelta a España Stage 20 Consequence:
1. Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain Victorious in 4:59:29
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Fast-Step
3. Pelayo Sánchez (Spa) Burgos-BH
4. Lennert Van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto Dstny
5. Marc Soler (Spa) UAE Crew Emirates at 0:04
6. Rui Costa (Por) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty at 0:26
7. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
8. Lennard Kämna (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe
9. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich
10. Einer Augusto Rubio (Col) Movistar.
Vuelta a España Total After Stage 20:
1. Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma in 74:23:42
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma at 0:17
3. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma at 1:08
4. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Crew Emirates at 3:44
5. Mikel Landa (Spa) Bahrain Victorious at 4:03
6. Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar at 4:14
7. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 8:19
8. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) BORA-hansgrohe at 8:26
9. João Almeida (Por) UAE Crew Emirates at 10:08
10. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain Victorious at 12:04.
Like PEZ? Why not subscribe to our weekly publication to obtain updates and reminders on what’s cool in highway biking?
