Published on : 08/09/2022 – 17:46Modified : 08/09/2022 – 17:45
Madrid (AFP) – Remco Evenepoel as boss! The Quick-Step red jersey won the 18th stage of the Tour of Spain on Thursday at the top of the Col du Piornal ahead of its main rival in the general classification Enric Mas (Movistar), and rushes towards its first coronation on a Grand tour .
The Belgian and the Spaniard were the two men who towed the group of favorites on the final climb, and the duo swallowed the Dutch veteran Robert Gesink (Jumbo-Visma) a few hectometres from the finish, and finished third at two seconds from Evenepoel.
At the end of a crazy stage, marked by numerous attacks in the breakaway or in the group of candidates for the general standings, Evenepoel has further increased his lead over his main rival for the final victory, Mas, who deplores two minutes and seven seconds behind the Belgian.
Mas and Evenepoel engaged in a breathtaking showdown in the final, multiplying the accelerations to sow their rivals and swallow the breakaways one by one, to end with a sprint that the Belgian flew over the day following the retirement of the Slovenian Primoz Roglic.
This is the second stage victory in this Vuelta 2022 for the young Evenepoel (22), following his success in the individual time trial between Elche and Alicante in the 10th stage.
Vine gives up
Gesink, who caught up and then dropped off the Frenchman Élie Gesbert (Arkéa) on the climb of this unprecedented slope on the Vuelta du Piornal, was swallowed up in the last hectometres of the race.
It should be noted that an accident at the start of the race caused the leader of the climbers’ classification, the Australian Jay Vine, to retire and seriously affected the Spaniard Carlos Rodriguez, 5th overall, who nevertheless managed to finish the race somehow.
After this fall, 41 men got out of the peloton, including leaders like Richard Carapaz (Ineos), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Hugh Carty (EF), Sergio Higuita (Bora), Robert Gesink (Jumbo) or Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) in the lead until the last ascent.
And Joao Almeida and Brandon McNulty in turn went on the attack in the first difficulty of the day, the climb to the Col de la Desespera.
It is therefore the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz who will put on the blue polka dot jersey during the 19th and penultimate mid-mountain stage on Friday around Talavera de la Reina, which will include two climbs of the Piélago pass (2nd category).
© 2022 AFP