The arrivals at the top follow one another and look alike. The scenario may have been different, but the end result would have been the same. After the Pico Jano on Thursday, Jay Vine tamed the unprecedented Collau Fancuaya on the occasion of this 8th stage to offer himself his second stage victory on this Vuelta 2022. Party in the breakaway, the Australian from Alpecin -Deceuninck dropped all his companions one by one on the final climb. As if that weren’t enough, he also grabbed the mountain jersey. Behind, if the gaps were much smaller, Remco Evenepoel still made the selection, only Mas (Movistar) and Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) being able to follow him, and obviously keeps his red jersey, firmly hanging on his shoulders.
Vine still impresses, Evenepoel assures: relive the arrival of the 8th stage
Tour of Spain
Pinot tried, Vine did it once more: the summary of the 8th stage
AN HOUR AGO
Pinot tried but Vine was on another planet
Groupama-FDJ fell on a bone. The formation of Marc Madiot had however done everything well by fighting to integrate the good breakaway of the day, which formed following a fight of more than thirty kilometers. And she was represented there in numbers with the presence of Bruno Armirail, Sebastien Reichenbach and especially Thibaut Pinot, the protected runner of the day. But all the efforts made to join, once morest time, the breakaway undoubtedly paid off for the Franc-Comtois, unable to follow the acceleration, at the train, of Vine, 6km from the finish. Like all the other members of the breakaway.
Thibaut Pinot in the breakaway of the day
Credit: Getty Images
Irresistible, aerial, pedaling with a lot of lightness rather than power, the Australian from Alpecin-Deceuninck quickly broke away, blasting his opponents one by one. Only Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates, ultimately 2nd) seemed able to come back to him, at his train, but he was never able to make the connection. Like at Pico Jano, Jay Vine was untouchable. As at Pico Jano, Jay Vine took the stage victory, his second on this Vuelta, he who had never won among the professionals before the start of the event. The Australian is in the process of achieving an exceptional Tour of Spain, leading all the climbs this Saturday and new wearer of the mountain’s blue polka dot jersey. Just to make your day a little more beautiful.
Good for Roglic
His red jersey, Remco Evenepoel was already wearing it at the start of this 8th stage and he will still wear it on Sunday. Strong man of the favorites at Pico Jano, the Belgian confirmed this trend of the first week in Collau Fancuaya. After a lot of work from his teammates, the leader of the Vuelta toughened up, as usual, to outrun his opponents one by one, with the exception – as at Pico Jano – of Enric Mas, now runner-up to the Belgian overall (+ 28”). Still no stage victory (5th at 1’20” from Vine) but this time, we can’t say that it was the Belgian’s objective of the day. He preferred to focus on his red jersey and outrun his opponents.
PR on Pinot: “Thibaut must be disgusted but he was beaten by a stronger player”
Failing on Thursday, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) this time was able to keep up with Evenepoel’s tempo, even if his inability to attack or sprint to the finish says a lot regarding his abilities at the moment. But if the form goes up, as it seems to be the case, watch out for the Slovenian (3rd overall at 1’01”). All the others suffered the race. If Sivakov cracked at INEOS, the British can still count on Geoghegan Hart (+ 26 ” on the trio) and the Spanish champion Carlos Rodriguez, who held the infernal trio for a long time before finishing with Simon Yates (BikeExchange -Jayco), 13” from the trio.
Very quickly released, Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) limited the damage well, for him and for his teammate Juan Ayuso whom he towed over the last kilometers, but conceded 50”, like O’Connor (AG2R Citroen). The winner of the Giro Jay Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe, + 56”) and especially Gino Mäder (Bahrain-Victorious, + 1’40”) are the other losers of the day. Hoping for them that Las Praeres and its infernal slopes smile on other riders than Vine and Evenepoel, kings of the peaks for the moment in this Vuelta.
Tour of Spain
PR on Pinot: “Thibaut must be disgusted but he was beaten by a stronger player”
AN HOUR AGO
Tour of Spain
The general classification: Evenepoel, Mas and Roglic in front, the others behind
AN HOUR AGO
