BarcelonaThe aspirants to win the Vuelta a España have decided to play it all the last few days, when the race arrives in Asturias. Slovenian Primoz Roglic will rely on two cards, first in the mountain stage going up to Covadonga and then in the individual time trial on the penultimate day, and will allow other cyclists to seek glory in the middle. In the 15th stage who shone was the Pole Rafal Majka (UAE Emirates), who challenged the logic with a very brave solo attack to get the victory in the day between Navalmoral de la Mata and El Barraco, in Avila, then of 197.5 km, in which no changes have been seen in the general, where he continues to command the amazing Odd Christian Eiking (Intermarché), who reached the first position almost without waiting. And it’s been six days in the red.
The stage was beautiful, with two first-class peaks in a land where great climbers have been born, such as Carlos Sastre, Chava Jiménez and Ángel Arroyo. I could only win one climber, in fact. And it was Majka, from the old school, a boy who trained at the top of the Tatras, the mountain range between Poland and Slovakia, where he was born, forging a bold style without fear of anything. Majka has entered a first breakaway that has left the group 130 km from the end, and has been leaving his fellow escapees little by little. When 90 km were left, when only the Sardinian Fabio Aru was following him, he attacked again. “Why is he attacking? Because this is cycling,” said UAE director Joxean Fernández at the time. Matxín, when the press wondered if it was not an attack destined to fail. It has not been so.
At 31 years old, the two-time mountain leader on the Tour has arrived ahead of Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma). The favorites came three minutes later, and Elking added another day to the top of the standings, 54 seconds ahead of Frenchman Guillaume Martin. The Slovenian Primoz Roglic is third at 1.36 minutes and the Mallorcan Enric Mas, fourth at 2.11. The Vuelta will rest this Monday waiting for the last six days. The next stage, on Tuesday, will be between Laredo and Santa Cruz de Bezana (180 km).
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