Dunbar reigns in Peñas Blancas and Mas dries up Roglic’s attacks to remain leader in La Vuelta
giant step of Enric Mas in La Vuelta. This Friday, the leader of the race faced the penultimate mountain climb in the 81st edition of the Spanish round after his great performance in the previous time trial. He Mallorcan Artà It started with a difference about Primoz Roglic, the 2nd classified, with 1’37” of difference and after this 19th stage the leader of the Movistar team maintains the difference in the general classification, on a day less fought than expected with so much at stake, and in which the Irish Eddie Dunbar (30 years old) has been the best to achieve his first victory of the season and the sixth of his professional career, with three of them achieved on Spanish soil.
The race reaches its final stage these days, which this Friday began with one of the two great mountain stages through Andalusia. Today, the province of Malaga was the main protagonist in the longest stage of this edition, with 210.8 kilometers of route between Velez-Malaga and the top of Peñas Blancas, in Esteponathe third of the one-day scoring mountain passes with more than 4,000 meters of positive elevation gain.
A route that featured two 2nd category ascents halfway through the route (Bee Harbor and Wind Harbor), and then approach Estepona and face the final climb towards Peñas Blancas (18.9 km at 6.5%), in the Reales de Sierra Bermeja Natural Parkwho was promoted for the third time in La Vuelta, after the previous victories of Leopold König (2013) and Richard Carapaz (2022).
At the beginning, a large group of 16 cyclists formed, among whom was the Irish Dunbar that in the end he was going to be the winner. As in days with similar characteristics, there were two races in one: the stage and the general, whose fight, which could be expected to be ruthless, was not such. Roglic and Carapaz They moved 107 kilometers from the finish line, but Further He controlled this movement with great efficiency, as he had controlled all the attacks of his greatest rivals in all areas.
Movistar Team He once again protected his leader wonderfully and when Mas later had to act as such, face to face with his opponents, he once again passed the exam with flying colors. At the beginning of Peñas Blancas Red Bull He wanted to show power. Tensing the rope, trying to make a person nervous Enrique who didn’t even flinch. His movement was later followed by the EF Education by Richard Carapaz and Decathlon by Felix Galluntil the top five overall were left in the group of notables: Richard Carapaz, Felix Gall, Oscar Onley, Enric Mas and Primoz Roglic.
The race was beautiful. Roglic He hid at the back of the quintet and wanted to come out like a rocket, but without the necessary explosiveness or strength. Enrique He reached his wheel with great ease and the magnificent five crossed the finish line 5’11” behind. dunbar, that frustrated 500 meters from the finish the triumph of Buitrago. Today, Further He defended himself like a champion, but this book still has two chapters left with an uncertain ending, especially tomorrow’s, with four climbs and the ending in one of a special category, Alguacil Hill.
