Montage of the 11th stage of the Vuelta
–
Twenty-four-year-old Gaudu won the battle for a stage triumph with the Spaniard Marc Soler after 170 kilometers in the final climb to Alto de la Farrapona, giving him four seconds in the last tens of meters. A member of the Groupama-FDJ team scored his first Grand Tour victory in a stage that included one third category climb and four first categories.
“Winning at the finish line at the top is something amazing. I’m the explosive type and I knew such conclusions suited me. I waited for the last 150 meters and then I put everything into it. I registered that Soler dropped 75 meters before the finish line, and then it was already pure bliss, “Gaudu described the final moments of the stage.
Cyclists protested on Vuelta against Friday’s results
–
From the original seven-member group of refugees, which entered the final climb, Michael Doner and Mark Donovan passed the finish line in third and fourth place with a gap of 52 seconds.
After Friday’s surprise attack by Roglič at the end of the flat stage, which ensured his return to the red jersey, today the adepts did not embark on any entrances to the overall championship. The defender of last year’s championship Roglič arrived at the finish line with a loss of 1:03 minutes to the winner of the tenth right behind Carapaz, with whom he has the same time in the ongoing evaluation. Soler’s participation in the escape ensured a shift from tenth to sixth overall.
Jan Hirt recorded his best result at this year’s Vuelta, holding on to the best for a long time and occupying the 21st position with a gap of 1:44 behind Gaudu. Zdeněk Štybar reached the finish line in the 80th with a loss of almost half an hour.
Roglič won the red jersey after the third win on the Vuelta
–
“On the first climb, I tried to escape several times, and because I expended so much energy in the beginning, I was a little tired. But in the end I started to feel better, and even though I didn’t have the legs I was hoping for, I was able to with the main favorites to keep until the end of the last climb, “said CCC Hirt on the website of his team, which moved to 48th place in the standings.
Further fights in the mountains await cyclists on Sunday, when there is only a 109 km long, but even more demanding 12th stage with the final dreaded climb to Anglira. One of the most challenging ascents in professional cycling offers an average incline of 13 percent over the last seven kilometers, and some sections are 20 percent ahead.
| Cyklistický závod Vuelta – 11th stage (Villaviciosa – Alto de La Farrapona, 170 km): |
| 1. Gaudu (Fr./Groupama-FDJ) 4:54:13 |
| 2. Soler (Šp. / Movistar) -4 |
| 3. Storer (Austr./Sunweb) |
| 4. Donovan (Brit./Sunweb) both -52 |
| 5. G. Martin (Fr./Cofidis) -55 |
| 6. Vlasov (Rus./Astana) -58 |
| 7. D. Martin (Ir./Israel Start-Up Nation) |
| 8. Mas (Šp. / Movistar) |
| 9. Carapaz (Ekv./Ineos Grenadiers) |
| 10. Roglič (Slovin./Jumbo-Visma) všichni -1: 03 |
| … |
| 21. Hirt (CR / CCC) -1: 44 |
| 80. Stybar (ČR/Deceuninck-Quick Step) -28:07 |
| Running order: |
| 1. Roglič 45:20:31 |
| 2. Carapaz the same time |
| 3. D. Martin -25 |
| 4. Carthy (Brit./EF Pro Cycling) -58 |
| 5. But -1: 54 |
| 6. Soler -2:44 |
| 7. Grossschartner (Rak./Bora-hansgrohe) -3: 31 |
| 8. Valverde (Sp. / Movistar) -3: 44 |
| 9. Poels (Niz./Bahrajn-McLaren) -3: 54 |
| 10. Nieve (Šp./Mitchelton-Scott) -4:43 |
| … |
| 48. Hirt -1:11:27 |
| 109. Stybar -2:13:12 |
– .
