Welcome to the 73rd Vuelta a España and the final Grand Tour of the 2018 season. Already so far we have seen Chris Froome win his fifth Tour de France, and former Vuelta victor Fabio Aru scored his second Maglia Rosa in the Giro d'Italia. Now 22 teams lineup to tackle La Vuelta and fight for the Maillot Rojo.


This year's route will begin in Galicia with a Team Timetrial followed by three summit finishes and an additional undulating stage before a handful of opportunities for the sprinters as the course heads south to Andalucia. There three more summit finishes will push the climbers to their limits, producing time gaps even prior to several more difficult climbs in Catalonia. Finally, the peleton will ride back west, through the Navarre and the Basque Country with three huge summit finishes preceding a final flat procession into Madrid. Certainly one for the climbers.


The main contendors for the 2018 GC are defending champion Ilnur Zakarin, who has struggled so far this season, and rising star Mark Padun, winner of the 2018 Tour de Pologne. Outside of this pair one might look out for Warren Barguil, Louis Meintjes, or Sérgio Henao. Where the peleton does make it to the end sprints will be headlined by the likes of Marcel Kittel and Bryan Coquard. Daniel Martin may also stake a claim on the more undulating routes.

The opening stage of this years Vuelta is a flat TTT, an opportunity for stronger teams to gain an advantage over their rivals. At just 27.4 kilometres long and with kind inclines the gaps won't be massive but it will be enough to determine who will wear the maillot rojo overnight. The depart will take place in the small seaside department of Villanova de Arousa, which mostly caters to tourists that travel through it. Similarly, the final times will be taken in Sanxenxo, known for attracting large crowds to its impressive beaches.


It was Orica - GreenEDGE who proved the strongest on the day, as they aimed to put Sérgio Henao in a good position. However, it was Simon Clarke who would be awarded the maillot rojo. Belfius managed to secure 2nd at +16, with Mark Padun gaining 25 seconds over Ilnur Zakarin. Team Sky for Simon Yates and Dimension Data for Louis Meintjes also did well while ProContinental Wild Card Wilier - Southeast brought up the rear at +2'23. Sébastian Reichenbach's GC hopes were dealt a devastating blow as he and Etixx - Quick Step finished more than two minutes down as well.

The first opportunity for the climbers comes on just the second day of riding, as once the race reaches the seaside village of Baiona it begins the 622 metre ascent up Monte da Groba. The summit offers a great view back down into the village, where the primary industries are tourism and fishing. Pontevdra, from whence the peleton departs today, is the nearest city; it is rich in historical art and architecture, as well as serving as an administrative and judicial centre for the surrounding region.


The first few kilometres of the stage were filled with a flurry of attacks and counterattacks as riders jockeyed for a position in the day's break. After several abortive attempts, a group was let go nearly 40 kilometres into the stage. Probably the most wellknown of the quartet was Maxime Daniel (FDJ) but Clément Koretzky (Cofidis) and especially Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL) were more dangerous, with Aidis Kruopis (Wilier) also present. Making sure that they didn't build up too significant a lead were the domestiques of Belfius and Orica - GreenEDGE.


The first chance at King of the Mountain points came at the third category Alto de San Cosme. Daniel went too early and was forced to settle for third as he was passed on the line. Instead it was countryman Koretzky who won the full three points ahead of Lindeman. Then was the intermediate sprint in Ponteareas, the chief town of the local agricultural area. The town itself relied on porcelain manufacture as well as the processing of locally made goods through distilling or tanning. This time Daniel timed it well, winning ahead of Kruopis and Koretzky. The Frenchman would strike again in A Guarda, with the two others swapping places whilst Lindeman continued to miss out.


It was Lotto Soudal who to reduce the breakaway's lead down from just under 4 minutes, evidently Daniel Martin (Soudal) felt he had good legs on the day. The pressure eventually led to the collapse of the breakaway as Daniel (FDJ) followed Lindeman (LottoNL) in a last ditch attempt to ward off the peleton. It wasn't to be, and the pair were reeled in not long before the base of the climb in Baiona. It looked like Lotto Soudal's work had paid off when Daniel Martin attacked at the moment the slopes began to rise. Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data) was slow to react, which gave Martin a gap, but Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) hesitated to follow. Instead it would be first Sergio Henao (Orica) and then Mark Padun (Belfius) taking over chasing duties. The rapid action quickly caused problems for mispositioned riders, as the likes of Joseph Dombrowski (BMC), Ion Izagirre (Katusha), and Sébastian Reichenbach (Etixx) were caught on the wrong side of a split.


The pace continued to cause issues, as Eduardo Sepulveda (Caja Rural) lost the wheel, taking Neilsen Powless (Cannondale), Diego Rosa (Tinkoff) and four others with him. Michał Kwiatkowski (Orica) came through to take a long pull, catching Meintjes (Dimension Data) before bringing back Martin (Soudal) just as his tank ran empty. Mark Padun (Belfius) came through to continue the pace, but with Kwiatkowski spent and neither Meintjes nor Martin willing to close it was Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) who had to come from a long way back. That would end up being the decisive moment; when Padun launched his final attack up to the summit Zakarin couldn't follow. Meintjes eventually came round Zakarin, but by the time he did it was too late. The Russian had completely cracked, and he was also passed by a surging Sérgio Henao[b] and [b]Daniel Martin.


There were no time gaps awarded between the Top 5. Simon Yates (Sky) and Diego Ulissi (Astana) hadn't been able to follow the final acceleration, coming in at +28 & +47 respectively. Behind them, Magnus Cort Nielsen (Tinkoff) led the first chasing group across at +1'21. This included Philippe Gilbert (BMC) and Warren Barguil (Giant), as well as a host of stronger domestiques. Although he hadn't been able to gap Sergio Henao, Mark Padun's victory took a handful of bonus seconds off the Colombian's lead. Louis Meintjes slotted into third thanks to his team's efforts in the TTT.

Another summit finish, today a 237 metre ascent to the Mirador de Lobera. It The only classified climb today as the riders will tackle a calm route that winds north from Vigo, passing through Pontevedra again before making it to Vilagarcía de Arousa and the final gradient of 4.4 kilometres at 5.3%. The GC riders will need to be wary on that final slope, but it could well be a puncheur who takes the victory today.


As the peleton road out from the city of Vigo the first attacks of the day were launched. Once again, there was a few kilometres of jockeying before a triplet managed to forge something of a gap. Anthony Delaplace (Cofidis), Johan Le Bon (BMC), and Alexander Edmondson (Cannondale) were the riders who were away. As the pace slowed again there was another flurry of movement, with several attacks being drawn back in before Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL) managed to get a slight gap. Rubén Zepuntke (Bora) wasn't willing to let him get away, probably working for Petr Vako�.


Eventually Rubén Zepuntke (Bora) was forced to give up the chase and Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL) made his way up to the rest of the breakaway after nearly 30 kilometres alone. While he chased the breakaway had rolled through the first intermediate sprint, with Anthony Delaplace (Cofidis) leading the group. Any of the men in the breakaway bar Le Bon could have a chance of winning, so riders from Orica - GreenEDGE, Belfius, Bora - Argon 18, and Lotto Soudal began working together to keep the gap around three minutes.


With the final third of the race approaching, and the gap hovering just above two-and-a-half minutes Astana joined the over teams at the front, slowly rising the pace over the next few kilometres. With 30 kilometres remaining the gap at 2 minutes, 10 kilometres later it was down below one minute. With the second intermediate sprint on Ila de Arousa approaching Le Bon launched an attack, dropping Lindeman. Edmondson then came around from behind Delaplace to secure the handful of available points. Lindeman would make it back into the break, who had managed to get their lead back over a minute with the sudden burst of speed. The advantage was shortlived however, as a long pull by Daniel Turek was enough to reel them in with 15 kilometres of racing remaining.


The first man to launch an attack is Daniel Martin (Lotto Soudal). Rubén Zepuntke (Bora) can't follow, forcing Michał Kwiatkowski (Orica) to bridge the gap himself. The pair accelerate across the top of the unnamed climb that precedes the descent into Vilagracia de Arousa as Diego Ulissi (Astana) and then Flavio Venceslau (Belfius) chase them down coming into the final climb.


Daniel Martin (Lotto Soudal) is once more the first to attack the last kilometre. Behind him came Michał Kwiatkowski (Orica) and Alejandro Valverde (Astana); then Mark Padun (Belfius) and Diego Ulissi (Astana). Nobody else was quick enough to follow the move, so it would be between these six for victory. Once he stepped on it Martin didn't stop, nobody was able to challenge the Irishman, who had enough time in hand to sit up and enjoy is victory. Neither Kwiatkowski nor Valverde were strong enough to hold off Padun, with the former also falling behind Ulissi. The most significant change in the GC came from Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data), who was on the wrong side of a split right at the end, dropping him behind Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha).

Another day, another summit finish here in Galicia. This time however the climbs are continuos throughout the day, including several unclassified ones early on before the wall that is the Mirador de Ezaro - 1.8 kilometres at an average of 14.1%. This could very well be the decisive moment for many riders, although if they do miss out on the move they have a full 35 kilometres to return to the front, before a final climb in Fisterra. This is the opportunity for puncheurs before the larger climbs to come, and has the potential to upset the GC for now.


Taking off the front is classics specialist Jasper Philipsen (Belfius), who quickly builds a gap to the bunch. Eventually others start to launch their own attacks, but none manage to escape the clutches of the pack. Instead, Elia Viviani (Katusha) is stopped with a mechanical; this is devastating for the sprinter as the peloton's pace is high - Egor Silin (Katusha) drops back to help is teammate. His is not the only misfortune, as Jonathan Castroviejo (Sky) brings down several others in a crash; not a good moment for the 8th-placed in the GC. Eduardo Sepulveda (Caja Rural), Edvald Boasson Hagen (IAM), and Bryan Coquard (Etixx), are the notables involved; they all benefit from the Caja Rural domestiques dropping back to help their leader, as they all make it back.


After some solid work by Giant - Alpecin at the front of the peloton it is Anthony Turgis (BMC) and Florian Sénéchal (IAM) who take advantage, bridging over to Philipsen. Continuing on from the prior road stages Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL), who spent another thirty kilometres making his way into the breakaway. Together they would roll through the intermediate sprint in Vedra, with Turgis taking the majority of the points and bonus seconds - not that the latter matters to one who is over six minutes down. At the rear there was another crash, this one initiated by Brendan Canty (FDJ). Fortunately, none of the favourites were brought down. Working at the front for their leader Sérgio Henao is Orica - GreenEDGE.


The first attacks begin on the way up to As Paxareiras, an unclassified climb of 4.1 kilometres at at 4.3%. It was Thomas Vereecken (Belfius) making his move. Although initially chased by Belgian National RR Champion Zico Waeytens (Giant), the pursuit is soon handed over to Orica GreenEDGE. They're not too keen to chase, and Vereecken's lead quickly grows to just under a minute. Eventually it is Lotto Soudal and Giant - Alpecin who pick up the pace. They cut back the lead until Vereecken is brought back in in Quilmas, with the original break now just a minute away.


It was up the Mirador de Ezaro that things really began to heat up, Gianni Meersman (Lotto Soudal) hitting the slopes hard enough to cause a split just 9 riders back. Big names such as Mark Padun (Belfius) and Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) missed out on the move. Simon Yates (Sky) found himself in the first chasing group at the summit, whereas the aforementioned riders as well as Jan Polanc (California), Warren Barguil (Giant), Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data), and Diego Ulissi (Astana), where all caught out in the peloton. Possible contender for the stage win. Diego Rosa (Tinkoff) was even worse off, part of a group spat out the back of the bunch.


The front two groups merged together on the decent into Cee, and fantastic work by Inigo Elosegui is enough to bridge Mark Padun back up to the escapees with Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) following in their wheel. Jan Polanc (California) isn't so fortunate to have a domestique, and instead tries to bridge alone. His efforts were made all the more harder when Philippe Gilbert (BMC) launches an attack off the front. After a pause, Simon Yates (Sky) and Michał Kwiatkowski (Orica) join him. Two more riders set out after them, first Daniel Martin (Lotto Soudal) and then Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha), making a comeback after his earlier misfortune.


Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) wouldn't make it across, and maillot rojo Sérgio Henao (Orica) is the next to set out across no man's land. He would just miss out on closing the gap, leaving the win to be contested by the four aforementioned riders. Daniel Martin (Lotto Soudal) is the first to launch, with Simon Yates (Sky) moving to the inside of the final corner. Martin didn't have enough to make it all to the end, and instead Yates sits up to celebrate as Michał Kwiatkowski (Orica) edges out the Irishman for second. Henao comes in not long after, whilst Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data) wins from the chasing group.

The final day in Galicia takes us from east to west, as we prepare to travel down the Portugeuse-Spanish border to Andalucia for the next week of competition. There is a decent amount of climbing today, with two third category climbs at Alto do Covelo and Alto de Padomelo, and the race finishing in Lago de Sanabria some 700 metres higher than the departure from Sober. There a three short uncategorised climbs leading into the finish which might upset some of the sprinters, but those of them who are capable of handling the hills will compete with the puncheurs for victory today.


No struggle for the breakaway today, which is surprising considering the number of KoM points on offer. Aidis Kruopis (Wilier), Yannick Martinez (AG2R). and Jasper Philipsen (Belfius) emerge out in front. Controlling the pack today will be Lotto Soudal, Orica - GreenEDGE, and Giant - Alpecin. Martinez and Philipsen are most likely to contest today's climbs, while Kruopis might be looking at the intermediate sprints. That was the situation until Anthony Turgis (BMC) and Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL) decided to get involved. After a short chase, the peloton let them ride off to join the break at the bottom of the first climb.


Lindeman would win the first Cat. 3, but with Giant - Alpecin, and then Lotto Soudal, pulling hard the break was cut down short of the second. Instead it would be Florian Sénéchal who took it. The pace didn't let up until Daniel Martin (Lotto Soudal) launched an attack on the first of the uncategorised climbs, looking to the make the most of his teams hard work earlier on. Warren Barguil (Giant - Alpecin) and Diego Rosa (Tinkoff) followed him, but good work from Mathieu van der Poel (Orica) snuffed out the move.


It was Rubén Fernández (IAM) who was next to have a go, with Warren Barguil (Giant) on his wheel. Alejandro Valverde (Astana) countered the move, drawing most of the favourites with him; with the notable excpetion of Mark Padun (Belfius) and Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data). Barguil took over duties at the front, with Fernández and Simon Yates (Sky) following. The latter pair both swung out around the final corner, Fernández had spent too much energy with his earlier move, and lost out to an impressive Mathieu van der Poel, while Yates was just too slow to take the win away from Barguil. Micheal Matthews (Sky) led the chasing group over the line, 16 seconds in arrears.

valverde321 wrote:
Nice start to the story. The layout looks great!

Padun is an interesting rider, so I will try my best to follow along.

The sprinters will be praising the heavens today, as after days of bruising riding over Galician hills they will finally be unleashed on the plains of Castille, as we make our way south to Andalucia. The stage begins in Guijuelo, Salamanca; a region known for its extensive water management system. Guijuelo itself is home to ham producers BEHER. The route will take the riders south, all the way to Cácares and the many impressive cathedrals found in its historic quarter. There is an initial descent from Salamanca into Extremadura, but from then it is mostly flat today.



Although there were many attempts at a breakaway today, Electric California would work to keep almost all of them under control, only allowing Anton Vorobyev (Tinkoff) to escape. There would be a scary moment for Danny van Poppel (Giant) when he suffered a puncture that dropped him out the back of the peloton. Fortunately, with the help of some teammates he was delivered back succinctly. At the first intermediate sprint in Plasencia we saw the first action from the sprinters, with Van Poppel and Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL) securing the points on offer while the likes of Juan José Lobato (Movistar), Nacer Bouhanni (Sky), and Alexander Kristoff (California) missed out.


With the peloton slowing Oliviero Troia (Wilier) tried his luck, bridging over to Vorobyev. The pair would roll through the Grimaldo, where Van Poppel would secure the final point. The hard work of Etixx - Quick Step and Electric California would come to a close when they reeled the breakaway in with 18 kilometres to go. It wasn't until the five kilometre mark that we saw the teams' sprint trains beginning to form, with the two aforementioned featuring most prominently.


As the domestiques pulling the pack dropped of the front we were left with three trains advancing quickly towards the finish; Etixx - Quick Step for Marcel Kittel on the left, Team Sky for Nacer Bouhanni in the centre, and Electric California for Alexander Kristoff on the right. Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL) and Danny van Poppel (Giant) had found wheels, whilst most everyone else looked as though they would miss out.

Michael Hepburn (Sky) couldn't follow the pace of the other trains and was forced to peel off before Sky lost too much ground. André Griepel (Tinkoff) came up the right hand side to catch Van Poppel's wheel whilst Caleb Ewan (Katusha) and Luka Mezgec (IAM) fought to catch up.

At this crucial point, where the leading men dropped away from the front, the trains collapsed in on themselves causing chaos at the front. Kristoff lost Gaviria's wheel while Kittel and Matthews fought for Swift's.

Over the course of the next 500 metres they seem to get it back together, with the Team Sky train having held together the strongest. Electric California on the other hand has completely disintegrated.

There is a touch of seperation as the leadout men takeoff at the two kilometre mark. Best positioned is Coquard with Kittel and Groenewegen on his wheel, they've stolen a march on the other two trains.

Bryan Coquard with a massive leadout for Kittel, bringing him fully clear of the rest. Only Groenewegen can possibly challenge him now. Behind, Kristoff has once more lost Gaviria's wheel.

The sprinters launch under the red kite, and it definitely looks like a contest between Kittel and Groenewegen. Behind it is Bouhanni and Kristoff with an advantage. Groenewegen seems faster than Kittel and has pulled alongside him with 500 metres left. Bouhanni the strongest behind, while Kristoff seems to be suffering from his faulty leadout.

As we enter the final few hundred metres the leading pair seem to slow, that or Bouhanni has put on the afterburners as he comes up the outside of Groenwegen. Kristoff seems to have found a second wind as he stays ahead of those behind.

It's the leading trio who accelerate away on the final stretch however; this stage will be between them no doubt. It is still Kittel who holds a slight advantage. Behind Van Poppel seems the strongest. And at the line Marcel Kittel (Etixx) takes the victory by a length. A strong finish by Nacer Bouhanni (Sky) sees him pip Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL) for second place. Good leadout work by Etixx - Quick Step today, certainly a determining factor in this win.

Today's ride takes us from Almendralejo, in the eastern province of Extremadura, down to Mairena del Aljarafe, on the outskirts of the city of Sevilla. The route south would see the riders drop to just a few metres above sea level as they completed two laps of a finishing circuit. A day for the sprinters, with little in the way of King of Mountains points on offer.


The breakaway were quick to establish themselves on this stage, primarily made up of members who had been present on previous days. Daniel Turek (Bora), Florian Sénéchal (IAM), Anthony Turgis (BMC), and Davide Viganò (Wilier) where the brave souls who set out early on. They'd put up a good fight against the chase of Team Sky, Etixx - Quick Step, and Electric California, only succumbing with just over four kilometres left in the race.


The three chasing teams were also those that set up trains for their sprinters, although Marcel Kittel's (Etixx) lost his man's wheel. As the final leadouts launched it was Nacer Bouhanni's (Sky) turn to make a mistake, Micheal Matthews accelerating too hard for him. Instead it was Alexander Kristoff (California) who got the perfect leadout, swinging out with just over 500 metres to go. Danny van Poppel (Giant) had chosen the correct wheel, but he couldn't come round the Norwegian, who would take the stage. Rounding out the podium was �ukasz Wiśniowski (FDJ), who had done very well after spending a considerable amount of time in the wind.

Today's stage opens in the Andalucian city of Jerez, famous as a host of motorcycle racing and a globally notable producer of sherry. It has overtaken Cadiz as the most significant city within the municipality of the same name. The route will take the riders west, moving from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and the seaside resort-town of Estepona. From there they will double back to tackle Puerto de Peñas Blancas, a climb of 14.7km averaging 6.4%. It isn't the toughest gradient, but it should be enough to seperate the boys from the men.


Julien Vermote (BMC), Anton Vorobyev (Tinkoff), Matteo Malucelli (Wilier), João Almeida (Belfius), Nico Denz (Giant) make up the initial break, although Yannick Martinez (AG2R) and Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL) would join them later on. Chasing them down were Orica - GreenEDGE for maillot rojo Sérgio Henao and Lotto Soudal for Daniel Martin.


On the only classified climb of the day aside from the finish, the Alto de Mirador, the breakaway splintered. João Almeida (Belfius) and Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL) are the strongest of the bunch, and they come back together on the descent, the only survivors. At the bottom of the following uncategorised climb it is Cyril Gautier (AG2R) who launches, quickly climbing up to the leading pair. Cohesion broke down however, as nobody agreed to work at the front; Gautier wanted to save his energy for the final climb, Lindeman knew he wouldn't be able to fight for the victory, and Almeida was working for Mark Padun (Belfius).


Daniel Martin (Soudal) is the first to go, launching an attack within the seven kilometre mark, looking to make the best of his teammates' hard work. Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data) and Simon Yates (Sky) follow while Warren Barguil (Giant) loses the wheel. Instead it is Mark Padun who bridges over to form a leading quartet. Martin continued to pull out in front as the peleton disintegrated behind him. Entering the final two kilometres, Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) and Sérgio Henao (Orica) bridged across to Meintjes, who had begun to fall off the back of the leading group.


It was once more Daniel Martin (Soudal) who launched the attack inside the final kilometres. Mark Padun (Belfius) had to come round Simon Yates (Sky) to chase him down. Then it was the Brit who counterattacked just before the catch was made, sweeping past both Padun and Martin. Yates took the stage win. Next to come in were Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) and Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data) at +15. Race leader Sérgio Henao had cracked in the final moments, losing 39 seconds and the maillot rojo to Yates.

An easier stage than yesterday, at least on paper, as the peleton winds north-east from Antequera to Valdepeñas de Jaén. Beginning the day in the heart of Andalusia, the riders will face a number of uncategorised climbs before reaching their heighest point at Alto de los Frailes, where a number of King of Mountains points are available. From there, the road descends towards a final sharp incline into the small mountain community of Valdepeñas de Jaén.


The breakaway formed without too much trouble, only the lonely figure of Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL) setting out after them a third of the way in. Together with the Dutchman it is Jonas Koch (Bora), Matthias Brändle (IAM), Alejandro Valverde (Astana), and Alexander Edmondson (Cannondale) who would make up today's group. The presence of Valverde added an element of danger to the break, but already over eight minutes down he didn't present a threat to the GC resulting in a rather calm chase shared between Team Sky, Orica - GreenEDGE, Belfius, and Lotto Soudal.


Despite building a lead that peaked at five minutes, the break were caught even prior to the Cat. 3 summit of Alto de los Frailes. Instead it was Dan Martin (Soudal) who attacked the incline, forcing a split in the peloton. Caught out were the likes of Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data) and Warren Barguil (Giant). To make matters worse for them Martin and Mark Padun looked to have gotten away, with Sérgio Henao (Orica) also having found a gap. The other favourites were responsive however, and a group of sixteen came together at the base of the final uncategorised hill. Its 14.5% slope would decide the stage's victor.


It was Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) and Sérgio Henao (Orica) who had the best kick at the base. They had established enough of a gap by the crest to guarantee the victory between the two of them, and it was Zakarin who had the strength remaining to power to the line. Behind them it had been Diego Rosa (Tinkoff) and Tim Wellens (Soudal) who had led the rest of the favourites up the climb. Wellens could barely roll over the line whilst Rubén Fernández couldn't quite come around Rosa, the Italian scoring the final podium position. The days biggest loser was Philippe Gilbert (BMC), with Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data) and Michał Kwiatkowski (Orica) also losing time.

A return to the mountains, and an opportunity for a reshuffle of the General Classification prior to tomorrows ITT. The riders will need to make the most of their day of rest as they tackle this year's Vuelta's first Hors Catégorie: Alto de Hazallanas. Over 7.5 kilometres with an average gradient of 9.4% which follows on after the Category One climb up to Alto de Monachil, itself an obstacle at 8% for 8.3 kilometres. Today will be beloved by the climbers, and hated by the sprinters.


A difficult day means a large breakaway was allowed to get away, the GC contenders confident that they could bring them back to the point of not posing a threat. The best placed was Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL) at +21'10, so unlikely to bother even the Top 20. Lindeman was incidentally one of the likeliest candidates for the stage win from the break, although doubtless he was feeling his efforts from the previous week in his legs. Jérémy Maison (FDJ) and Julen Amezqueta (Movistar) were the other two standouts, although with a total of 10 riders involved it could've been anybody's game.


Unfortunately for the break, the GC contenders weren't tired enough yet to give up on the stage victory. Team Katusha, Team Sky, and Belfius worked at the front of the pack for Ilnur Zakarin, Simon Yates, and Mark Padun respectively. The gap to the breakaway never expanded beyond four minutes, and was brought down to just over two minutes at the base of the climb in Monachil.


Up the climb Belfius hit the front hard as the breakaway began to shed riders. Jérémy Maison (FDJ) and Julen Amezqueta (Movistar) proved themselves the strongest, creating a gap to their breakaway companions. Things heated up when Warren Barguil (Giant, +5'36) attacked the peleton with four kilometres to go; with their domestiques tiring from their relentless chasing it was up to the favourites to take charge, disagreement and confusion allowed the Frenchman to quickly build a minute gap. At the top of the climb Amezqueta takes the summit ahead of Maison. Barguil rode with a piece of the shattered breakaway, but just as the chasing group caught up he attacked again, rebuilding a gap of 44 seconds over the crest.


Chasing down Warren Barguil (Giant) was the trio of Mark Padun (Belfius), Simon Yates (Sky), and Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha). Another minute behind them was a second group consisting of Sérgio Henao (Orica), Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data), Daniel Martin (Soudal), and Michał Kwiatkowski (Orica). Down the descent the gaps decreased, with Barguil's lead down to thirty seconds as he caught Maison. At the base of the final climb Barguil attacked again, bridging over to the final breakaway rider Amezqueta, before blasting away from the tired Spaniard. Padun wasn't satisfied with the efforts of his fellow chasers, but his move couldn't shake Zakarin. Yates fell back into the second chasing group, which had swelled to nine riders.


This second group would fracture again, as Diego Rosa (Tinkoff) couldn't follow the pace. This left Yates, Meintjes, Henao, and, in an impressive ride, Merhawi Kudus as the third group on the road. The gaps would remain relatively consistent as for the remaining kilometres, with Warren Barguil (Giant) claiming an impressive victory at the top of Alto de Hazallanas. Thirty seconds behind him were Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) and Mark Padun (Belfius), following them at +1'48 was the second chasing group. After pacing that group for several minutes Sérgio Henao (Orica) cracked with three kilometres to go, finishing an additional minute down. Special mention to Merhawi Kudus (FDJ) who held on to the second group with an incredible performance.