It wasn’t shocking that the Vuelta a España ended with Primož Roglič on the highest step of the rostrum.
When Ben O’Connor took the race lead on stage six with a profitable breakaway assault, solely Roglič remained as a severe risk and he started the day by day means of carrying the Australian down.
Roglič could be criticised for being robotic at occasions however he has at all times proven he has the aptitude to be affected person and look ahead to the suitable second to strike. With the final week containing three mountain prime finishes and a flat last time trial in Madrid, his GC rivals had been at all times going to have an virtually unattainable activity.
The Vuelta a España was at all times Primož Roglič’s to lose however but once more, he went out and gained it on benefit.
Firstly of the third week, Roglič did not take the chief’s crimson jersey on the Lagos de Covadonga summit end however that wasn’t such a foul factor. O’Connor fought to retain a bonus of simply 5 seconds and in doing so spared Roglič all of the podium and different race duties that go along with the race lead.
That Enric Mas and Richard Carapaz weren’t capable of distance the Slovenian was extra icing on that day’s cake, making it a pivotal day of the race.
They had been all slowly grinding their solution to the rostrum locations however their ambitions ended there. Solely Roglič was positive to ship a time trial efficiency which may overhauled the Australian. That meant Crimson Bull grew to become the de facto GC chief staff, with Movistar and EF Training assuming the function of aggressors.
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Quick ahead to Friday and the Alto de Moncalvillo end confirmed the ultimate week’s narrative.
Carapaz and Mas had their likelihood to correctly undo O’Connor, to stay within the knife and safe the rostrum spots. But as an alternative of them taking the initiative when the climb damage with 5 kilometres to go, Dani Martinez and Alexandr Vlasov had been in cost and launched Roglič to victory.
Mas tried and blew after holding Roglič in sight for some time however on the line he gained lower than a minute on O’Connor. Carapaz was 13 seconds slower than the Movistar chief who, we should always remind ourselves, had come right here hoping to enhance on his earlier runner-up spots.
The ultimate mountain end at Picón Blanco and the opposite climbs of the Queen stage appeared set resolve the rostrum. Roglič was in cost on set for victory however solely a minute separated second positioned O’Connor and Carapaz in fourth.
Mas and Carapaz wanted to a minute forward of O’Connor earlier than the ultimate time trial however the Australian turned the tables on them with one other gutsy and defiant trip.
Within the third week Roglič knew he may pull again sufficient time on O’Connor to win the Vuelta however Mas, Carapaz & Co had been counting on the Australian’s collapse. That they had a weak hand in a sport of poker and bluff.
It was as if they’d forgotten this was a man who had been fourth on the Tour and the Giro. The ultimate time trial proved O’Connor consistency and grit and the Australian beat each of them to safe his second place.
The Madrid podium of Roglič, O’Connor and Mas completely revered the hierarchy of the race, and it mirrored how every of them rode over the three weeks.
For as soon as Roglič had no main crashes or catastrophe days, his common moments had been ok to stick with his rivals and his good days blew them away.
In pursuit of Ben O’Connor
O’Connor reminded us of his expertise with second general and 13 days within the crimson chief’s jersey noticed him develop in confidence and stature.
At first, being barely shocked and by the top far more conscious of what it takes to combat for a Grand Tour win.
He confirmed a stage of professionalism and revered Decathlon AG2R help though he’s off to new pastures subsequent 12 months. The French staff paid him again with their very own loyalty and enthusiasm and so each celebrated.
For Movistar and Enric Mas, there was but once more an air of what might need been. They, and others, made a mistake on stage six by permitting O’Connor to construct such a big lead an by no means recovered from that.
Finally Mas solely had one tremendous day at Cazorla on stage 8 when he was outsprinted by Roglič. He confirmed extra aggression than traditional however he and Movistar nonetheless weren’t bold sufficient.
Carapaz and his EF Training squad had been most likely simply joyful to be concerned within the GC battles once more in spite of everything his accidents and disappointments. It had been two years since he misplaced the Giro d’Italia to Jai Hindley.
Carapaz had at all times climbed properly, and gained the polka-dot jersey on the Tour de France this 12 months however damage and sickness meant there was a scarcity of consistency in his kind. That was nonetheless seen on the Vuelta however he floor out a consequence. his fourth place was as a lot about willpower because it was expertise.
If you end up using the GC at a Grand Tour, it’s worthwhile to be current every day however you additionally must win a stage, in any other case the sensation of disappointment lingers. We noticed that within the prime ten of this Vuelta. Solely Roglič and O’Connor gained levels, not one of the others had these sensible days or emerged from the GC shadows.
Adam Yates briefly flirted with the GC battle then fell away, which summed up UAE Crew Emirates’ race after Joäo Almeida deserted as a result of COVID-19. The staff nonetheless had a profitable Vuelta with three stage wins and the mountains classification with Jay Vine however his inside battle with Marc Soler created extra headlines than anything. There will need to have been some fascinating dialogue on the staff bus in the course of the last week.
Visma-Lease a Bike dropping Wout Van Aert in a nasty crash modified the factors and the mountain classifications within the last week however solely the latter actually opened up. Kaden Groves inheriting the inexperienced jersey was justified by him profitable three levels, so Alpecin Deceuninck largely met their targets.
The largest shock of the 2024 Vuelta was, after all, Kern Pharma additionally profitable thrice – twice with revelation Pablo Castrillo then within the final week up popped Urko Berrade on stage 18. Castrillo was a daily within the breakaways after which beat Alexandr Vlasov after an extended day surrounded by far more skilled climbers.
The nice, the unhealthy and a necessity for a extra humane race route
This Vuelta supplied loads to get pleasure from and be joyful about: Roglič not having any unhealthy luck, the O’Connor revival and Wout van Aert again at his greatest earlier than his unlucky departure.
It additionally had loads of disappointments too: Mikel Landa (Soudal Fast-Step) appeared robust firstly however fell by the wayside within the final week which is the whole reverse of his traditional outcomes.
Usually he would lose time early on and get higher because the final days approached however right here he had his unhealthy day with three levels to go. He didn’t go to sleep behind the group or get caught in another person’s crash, he simply didn’t have the legs.
In distinction, David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) bought higher because the race went on. He was invisible within the first half however then emerged within the final week and that was additionally the other of his traditional Grand Tour kind. Did it encourage Stefan Kung to lastly win a Grand Tour stage within the Madrid time trial? We’ll by no means know however it should definitely have eased the strain at Groupama-FDJ after a poor 2024.
The rise of Mattias Skjlemose must be reassuring for Lidl-Trek. It was one other Younger rider classification for the Dane, comfortably inside the highest ten for almost all of the race and leaping over Gaudu within the final time trial. Skjlemose additionally gained the perfect younger rider’s white jersey forward of Florian Lipowitz (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadeirs).
Regular progress certainly and that brings me to the plight of Britain’s Max Poole of DSM Firmenich PostNL. He was usually in huge breaks, took a second-place, three third-pace and third general within the factors competitors. It could possibly’t be lengthy till he wins huge someplace.
Sadly we’ve to take observe that Ineos Grenadiers woes proceed.
Any chance of a stage win in such a mountainous Vuelta was on the shoulders of Rodriguez who hovered round six or seventh general till he fell aside on the penultimate day and tumbled right down to tenth place. The staff’s greatest consequence after three weeks was a fourth place from Jhonatan Navraez on stage 11.
The Vuelta additionally has to ask itself if making the route extra mountainous than the opposite Grand Excursions is attaining the specified impact.
Sure it produces spectacular landscapes and it sparked some surprises, however absolutely a late summer season Vuelta may benefit from extra various terrain, a extra balanced, extra humane route.
Steeper and more durable does not essentially make for good racing.
Stage six from Jerez to Yunquera was the working example. It had one climb which went above 1,000 metres, it wasn’t excessive altitude or up a repurposed goat monitor. It was simply up and down and so troublesome to regulate. It was probably the most influential day of racing. O’Connor on and took the race lead, writing the script for the ultimate week and Roglič’s two-week pursuit of victory.
