The Italian champion Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) won the tenth stage of the 78th Vuelta a Espana, the only individual time trial of this edition with start and finish in Valladolid. The rider from Verbania, in taking his revenge at the recent world championship in Glasgow, covered the 25 kilometres, mostly flat, in a time of 27’39” at a sci-fi average of 56 km/h. In the place of honour, 16” behind, was the world champion Remco Evenepoel who preceded the winner of the Giro d’Italia, the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, third at 36”. The general classification is shortened with the American Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma) still in the red jersey but with an advantage that has dropped to 26” over the Spanish Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates). Evenepoel rises to third position at 1’09” ahead of Roglic, fourth at 1’36”, with the young Frenchman Lenny Martinez (Groupama FDJ) third at 1’02”.
From a relatively short time trial like today’s it was difficult to expect definitive answers. Despite the excellent performance and the seconds gained on the three tenors of the Jumbo Visma, Evenepoel finds himself in the need of having to attack uphill, terrain that he has shown he likes only up to a certain point. Paradoxically, Kuss’s position is consolidating among the Vesponi and it will be unlikely that he will be attacked by his teammates Roglic and Vingegaard if he doesn’t give in. The next few days, starting tomorrow, should clarify the situation starting with the role of the UAE which keeps three men, Soler, Almeyda and Ayuso, in the first ten places of the ranking..
The eleventh stage will be staged tomorrow. There will be 163 kilometers from Lerma to La Laguna Negra Vinuesa. The first 150 will be essentially flat. The final stretch, challenging but not impossible, will present a difficult stretch around minus five from the finish line where the slopes will be around 10%. There will then be a slight slope before the last 1700 meters where the road will definitely climb again. A perfect test to assess the runners’ recovery after today’s time trial.
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