La Vuelta
On the offensive in La Vuelta’s final mountain showdown
Four riders on the attack before Primož Roglič defended second overall on La Vuelta’s final mountain stage.
The team raced aggressively on the final mountain stage of La Vuelta, placing four riders up the road at different points of a demanding day in the Sierra Nevada before Primož Roglič defended second place overall on the Collado del Alguacil.
The 187km stage from La Calahorra featured five classified climbs and almost 5,000 metres of elevation gain, culminating with the 8km Collado del Alguacil at an average gradient of almost 10 percent.
The fight to get clear began immediately. Finn Fisher-Black and Gianni Vermeersch joined what became a 14-rider breakaway after 26km. Behind, another large group formed containing Callum Thornley and Luke Tuckwell, giving the team four riders ahead of the main GC group during the opening half of the stage.
Finn Fisher-Black in the breakaway on Stage 20 of La Vuelta
© Getty Sport
The race intensified on the first ascent of the Puerto de El Purche, but Primož remained with Mas and Gall as the GC battle was reduced to a select group. Gall proved the strongest of the GC contenders in the closing kilometres, gaining 17 seconds on Mas. Primož nevertheless limited his losses sufficiently to retain second overall ahead of the final stage.
Mas now leads by 2:15, while Gall sits third at 2:44, leaving Primož with a 29-second advantage in the battle for second place. The race concludes tomorrow with the final stage in Granada.
