Spaniard Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) won the 11th stage of the 78th Vuelta a Espana which carried the riders through 163 kilometers from Lerma to the finish in La Laguna Negra above Vinuesa. The two-time Spanish champion thus achieved his third career partial success in the home race, adding today also the conquest of the leader’s polka dot jersey of the climbers’ classification. Behind the winner, 3” behind, was the French Romain Gregoire (Groupama FDJ) who preceded the winner of the Barcelona stage, the Danish Andreas Kron (Lotto Dstny), third at 13”. The general classification remains unchanged with the American Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma) in the red jersey with a 26” advantage over the Spanish Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates). The Belgian Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quickstep) keeps the third position at 1’09”, followed by the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma), fourth at 1’36”, with the young Frenchman Lenny Martinez (Groupama FDJ) fifth at 2’02 ”.
Today’s stage was decidedly below expectations with the men in the standings who made a tacit non-aggression pact after the efforts of yesterday’s time trial. Thus, after the usual first hour run at a very high pace, 48 kmh, a breakaway of 26 riders emerged which had the most illustrious components in the Ineos Grenadiers duo, Filippo Ganna and Geraint Thomas. The margin on the group did not expand immediately but continued to climb steadily reaching its peak, six minutes, minus 10 from the finish. The entrance to the final climb, 6,500 meters from the finish line, gave way to a spectacular forcing by Ganna who, by imposing a brisk pace, reduced the peloton to eight in the space of five kilometres. One and a half kilometers from the final banner, coinciding with the start of the double-digit slope, Jonathan Caicedo (EF Education Post) set off. The conqueror of Etna in the 2020 autumn Giro seemed to have won the match but hadn’t come to terms with the last very tough 500 meters. On the contrary, Herrada made use of his great experience, starting under the red triangle in the last kilometer and skipping the Ecuadorian at minus 200. Behind the group he emulated what happened on the Gran Sasso in the Giro, arriving five minutes late without fighting .
Tomorrow will be the turn of the twelfth stage, finally dedicated to sprinters. We will leave from Olvega to arrive, after 150 kilometres, in Zaragoza. The fraction, in addition to being short, does not include GPM, even if the riders, halfway through the course, will encounter some cogs before the final descent towards the capital of Aragon, the scene of a probable general group sprint.
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