Juan Ayuso took his revenge during the seventh Vuelta stage after his disappointing result the day before. The Spaniard from UAE Emirates XRG lost minutes on Thursday’s mountain stage to Andorra, but was the strongest from the breakaway in Cerler. In the GC group, João Almeida tried to put pressure on top favorite Jonas Vingegaard, but the Dane was able to follow easily. Torstein Træen successfully defended his red jersey.
A day after Jay Vine’s stage win in Andorra, the peloton faced yet another tough mountain stage. Would the GC contenders really push each other hard on Friday? After his successful breakaway attempt the day before, Torstein Træen proudly wore the red jersey.
Stage winner and classification leaders after stage 6
This was evident during the seventh stage to Cerler. Huesca La Magia. Bahrain-Victorious took responsibility in the peloton for much of the 188-kilometer mountain stage. There were KOM points available on the Port del Canto (25 km at 4.3%), the Puerto de Creu de Perves (23 km at 3 to 4%), and the steeper Coll d’Espina (5.9 km at 6.5%).
The stage’s key challenge was clearly in the finale. The final climb to Cerler stretches a full 12.1 kilometers at 5.9%. That might not sound too steep, but a look at the profile shows the stats can be misleading. The climb is divided into three sections, each separated by a short descent. First, 3.2 kilometers at 9.2%, then 2.7 kilometers at 9.8%, and finally about three kilometers climbing at 7%.
To wash away the sour taste of a disappointing sixth stage, Juan Ayuso launched an attack on the day’s first climb. The frustrated Spaniard from UAE Emirates rode out ahead of the peloton almost the entire climb. In the background, a group of breakaway riders tried to form. The most notable name in the front group was Mads Pedersen.
The strong sprinter struggled on the steepest sections of the Port del Canto but managed to join the leader Ayuso after the climb’s summit, together with ten other attackers. The Dane targeted the intermediate sprint of the day at the foot of the final climb.
Juan Ayuso wanted to take revenge as quickly as possible - photo: Cor Vos
It’s no surprise that mountain king Jay Vine was among those breakaway riders. After his successful escape to Andorra the day before, he smelled new chances for stage success. The duo from UAE Emirates XRG was immediately the favorite for the stage win. Other attackers in the group included Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost), Damien Howson (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Harold Alfonso Tejada (XDS Astana Team), Brieuc Rolland (Groupama-FDJ), Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Raul Garcia Pierna (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Kevin Vermaerke (Picnic-PostNL), Eduardo Sepulveda (Lotto), and Marco Frigo (Israel-Premier Tech).
Peloton stays close
In the peloton, the men supporting GC leader Træen were prominent. Under the pace set by Mathijs Paasschens among others, the gap to the dozen leaders remained manageable. Their lead never grew beyond five minutes.
In the breakaway, UAE Emirates XRG scored big points for the mountains classification. Leader Jay Vine swept all the points on the climbs of Puerto de Creu de Perves (23 km at 3 to 4%) and the steeper Coll d’Espina (5.9 km at 6.5%), while his teammate collected the most KOM points on the first climb of the day. Nicolau, Frigo, and Quinn repeatedly tried to challenge unsuccessfully. Several times the Australian mountain king seemed to break away with a few companions after a KOM sprint, but these attempts each ended quickly in regrouping.
After a long day with many vertical meters, the intermediate sprint of the day came into view for Pedersen and his breakaway companions. After descending Coll d’Espina and riding a few kilometers of false flat through the valley towards the official base of the final climb, the Dane took maximum points in Benasque. This was also the finish for the Lidl-Trek sprinter, who let himself drop back.
Ayuso on the road to revenge
Once at the base of the final climb, the breakaway had just over three minutes’ lead. A safe margin for attackers Ayuso and Vine? On paper yes, but suddenly Visma | Lease-a-Bike moved forward in the peloton. Had Jonas Vingegaard ordered an increase in pace to try for the stage win?
While Victor Campenaerts set the tempo over the first kilometers of the final climb in the peloton, Ayuso launched an attack at the front. Vine immediately dropped and was quickly caught by the peloton, while the other breakaway riders looked at each other. Only Frigo from Israel-Premier Tech could follow briefly, but he soon had to pick his own pace. The Spaniard from UAE Emirates XRG looked set for the stage win after a poor day.
Almeida attack
Led by Visma | Lease a Bike, the peloton thinned out cautiously, but João Almeida was not satisfied with the speed. Thanks to the reassuring three-minute gap of his teammate Ayuso, the Portuguese rider signaled his other teammate, Spanish rider Marc Soler, to increase the tempo on the steepest parts of the climb.
Almeida’s attack was about to happen, but the Spanish team missed the crucial moment. Only Giulio Ciccone, Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss, and Egan Bernal could follow the acceleration of the recent Tour de Suisse winner. When the pace settled shortly after, the other GC contenders – including red jersey holder Træen – rejoined. He managed to defend his red jersey impressively.
All GC contenders crossed the line together – except for dropped Antonio Tiberi and Marc Soler, who escaped in the final kilometer. Juan Ayuso had long been finished. Considering his lead over first chaser Frigo, he focused fully on his victory celebration. With two fingers in his ears, the young climber signaled that he didn’t listen to criticism.
Andorra La Vella)
Cerler)
All eyes in the break were on Ayuso and Vine - photo: Cor Vos
Bahrain-Victorious controlled most of the stage - photo: Cor Vos
Vuelta a España| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 04:49:41 | |
| 2 | + 01:15 | |
| 3 | + 01:21 | |
| 4 | + 01:28 | |
| 5 | " | |
| 6 | " | |
| 7 | " | |
| 8 | + 02:17 | |
| 9 | + 02:30 | |
| 10 | + 02:35 |
