Yes, no; the breakaway crests the summit, the peloton ignores them. Calculators and earpieces, pedaling for everyone, intrigue and excitement. Escapees looking back; pursuers looking for the rhythm that will cancel out the advantage. Comics, however, for Roglic, who in the last three and a half kilometers chained attack after attack to break up the peloton, absorb the escapees (Tejada, the drama on the bike, goodbye to glory when he saw the finish line), twist the leader O’Connor and disfigure everyone. Or almost everyone, because Enric Mas, who is as in the old days, light legs and electric pedaling, withstood the attacks. He even challenged him for the sprint. But that is not something he can play at. Work, in any case, explained that the Vuelta still has more history, enough mountain passes, many attacks. Roglic and Mas, the reconquistadores.
Úbeda, a World Heritage Site, a city full of monuments, of overwhelming beauty, gave the start to the stage, narrow cobbled streets, people in abundance, incessant encouragement, a cycling party. That’s what the peloton replied, show between the Mirador de las Palomas ports (2nd category) and the Sierra de Cazorla (3rd), traps to overcome and an escape to peel.
Just as it happened in Yunquera (stage 6), when Ben O’Connor broke the Vuelta, the peloton was licking its lips at the orographic profile because a breakaway could take shape. There were attacks from the start, protagonists who wanted to cause a surprise like Marc Soler or Van Aert, frustrated attempts because the peloton did not want any more irreparable surprises. Hence, in the first hour 51 kilometres were covered. At full speed. These were stressful moments, although especially for Ineos, since Carlos Rodríguez had a puncture and the team decided to stay to catapult him back into the peloton.
It so happened that a gap was finally made, explorers Tejada (Astana), Leemreize (DSM) and Schmid (Jayco), caught later by Izagirre (Cofidis), Lazkano (Movistar) —a resurrection like few others because on the previous day he had a crash to forget—, Oomen (Lidl-Trek), Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Vergallito (Alpecin). Eight musketeers who paraded through the beauty of the mountains, cheerful streams, leafy pine forests, pure nature. Although they had little time to contemplate because there was a world left and behind them was pressing… Israel. Yes, Israel, who rebelled against the drowsy and comfortable pace of the AG2R. Some team director says that it could be something studied, that perhaps he is interested in some lesser cyclist taking the lead from him. jersey O’Connor is given a red card, provided he keeps the timesheets with Roglic, Mas, Landa and company, the real contenders. A trick that would mean the transfer of roles and responsibility for the team, which would also keep the Australian as the favourite. Thus, with the peloton driven by Israel, the score was four minutes at the foot of the first mountain. “It’s a good ending for Michael Woods,” summed up frankly Oscar Guerrero, director of Israel.
But after the mountain pass, with a 3m 30s advantage for the escapees, there was the descent, kilometres of steep slopes and another stinging climb, land covered in olive trees – there are 70 million in the province of Jaén – which did not benefit the escapees, because behind them the cyclists were running at a speed that made your hair stand on end, risking their lives because a slight mistake would make them kiss – being generous – the asphalt. In any case, the best was yet to come: the Sierra de Cazorla, 4.8 km, an average gradient of 7.1% and ramps of 20%, a torment, an anguish. Although not for Roglic. Nor for Mas.
When the road got steeper, Roglic put on the turbo and let’s see who follows me. There were few of them because Vlasov crashed and broke up the peloton. But the favourites were there, all in a row, sweating cold. It seemed, then, that O’Connor was in one piece. Although Roglic explained otherwise. Another attack at 2.5 kilometres, one of those that make you shiver, with Mas alone as a shadow. Weakness from O’Connor; greatness from a Roglic who, suddenly, got back on the bike, to counterattack, to do something more than hurt. Tiberi, Carlos Rodríguez, Landa… were left behind. There were, of course, more attacks. The Slovenian does not want to give up the Vuelta, his territory – which is why he has three – and with one kilometre to go, a gradient of 13.5%, he caught up with Tejada, who cried in silence, broken, so close and so far away.
It happened that Mas launched his challenge, his sprint. But he didn’t manage to beat Roglic. Behind him, Landa arrived, always going from less to more. 46 seconds behind Roglic (56 counting the bonus) O’Connor arrived. He already knows that the torture will be long, that Roglic and Mas want to reconquer.
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