A flat stage on the way to Toledo offered more craziness at La Vuelta 19. Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step) stormed to an impressive solo win after dropping all his breakaway companions with 25km to go. This is the first Grand Tour stage victory for “the TGV from Clermont-Ferrand”. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) retains La Roja after several scares. The race leader was involved with Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team) in a crash with 67km to go and had to chase his way back to the peloton a second time after Bora-Hansgrohe split the bunch in the wind. He eventually lost 3” to Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) in the uphill sprint.
The uphill start on the Alto de la Paramera offers a perfect ground for an early battle. Ten riders get ahead of the bunch after 4km: Silvan Dillier (AG2R La Mondiale), Domen Novak (Bahrain-Merida), Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Lawson Craddock (EF Education First), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Tsgabu Grmay (Mitchelton Scott), Ben O’Connor (Team Dimension Data), David de la Cruz (Team Ineos), Nikias Arndt (Team Sunweb), Peter Stetina (Trek-Segafredo). They enjoy a 3’35” lead after 35km, when four teams start pulling the bunch: CCC Team, Katusha Alpecin, Bora-Hansgrohe and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA.
The gap is quickly brought down under 2 minutes and it stabilises around 1’30”. A massive crash sees the race leader Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and the white jersey Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team) go down. Tony Martin (Jumbo-Visma) has to abandon. Movistar drive the first bunch and it takes 16km before Primoz Roglic and Miguel Angel Lopez make their way back to the main bunch.
Bora split the bunch
Bora-Hansgrohe split the bunch through crosswinds with 35km to go. Primoz Roglic is off the back again but he gets back 6km later. The leaders are still 1 minute ahead. Rémi Cavagna goes solo at the front with 25km to go. He enjoys a 26” lead to his former breakaway companions as he enters the last 10 kilometres. The peloton trails by 1’05”.
The chasers are caught inside the last 2km but Rémi Cavagna holds on to a 5” margin on the line. Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) takes 2nd ahead of two other Deceuninck-Quick Step riders, Zdenek Stybar and Philippe Gilbert. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) finishes 5th and gains 3” on Primoz Roglic, who retains La Roja on the eve of the last mountain stage.
