Urán conquers the Tentudía Monastery and Evenepoel remains leader of La Vuelta News

MADRID, 7 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Colombian cyclist Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost) won the seventeenth stage of La Vuelta a España this Wednesday, which took place between Aracena and the Tentudía Monastery, with a hilltop finish after 162.3 kilometres, achieving his first victory at the Spanish round, while Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) maintains his lead.

The stage was marked at all times by the abandonment of Primoz Roglic after the hard fall he suffered at the finish line on Tuesday before the start of this Wednesday's stage. By not leaving, the general classification changed drastically, moving Movistar to have a more leading role within the peloton.

The absence of the Slovenian suddenly turns Enric Mas (Movistar Team) into Evenepoel's great rival, in addition to putting Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) on the podium and re-enlisting Miguel Ángel López (Astana Qazaqstan Team) in the fight for climb into the drawer That was noticeable in the appearance of Movistar as a agitator of the race in the last kilometers, causing the cut that has caused a fight between the favorites in the final stretch.

Remco Evenepoel showed good feelings and responded diligently to the attacks proposed by both Enric Mas and Juan Ayuso to end up entering the finish line even ahead of them. Who did win a few seconds was the sixth, the Portuguese Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), whom the Belgian preferred to let go as he did not pose a threat to his leadership.

The victory of the day was resolved in a large escape with high-level riders, in which there were several stage winners in this same edition such as the Spaniards Jesús Herrada (Cofidis) or Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) and who had the victory at all times, reaching a difference of practically eight minutes with respect to the peloton.

Lawson Craddock (Team BikeExchange) was the first to stir up the hornet's nest by launching an attack with 18 kilometers to go that cast doubt on the rest of the breakaway, where the riders preferred to watch each other rather than respond to the attack by the American, who remained in the lead until when there were barely two kilometers left.

It was there that a tough fight began between Marc Soler, Rigoberto Urán, Jesús Herrada and Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), who couldn't quite see the right moment to attack. Finally, the one who dared was Herrada, who came to see himself as the winner, leader just 200 meters from the finish line.

However, Rigoberto Urán responded and took the lead in the final meters, snatching victory from the two Spaniards, in what could have been the third stage for national cycling in this edition of La Vuelta. With this victory, the 35-year-old Colombian achieved his first stage of the Spanish round.

Rigoberto Urán thus joins the prestigious club of cyclists who have won stages in all three Grand Tours and thus complete an excellent track record that includes second place in the Tour de France or a silver medal in the Olympic Games.

Now the race faces a new mountain stage, which comes at a key moment for the fight for the general classification, where everyone is sharpening their knives after Roglic abandoned. The stage will start from Trujillo and, after traveling 192 kilometres, it will end at Alto de Piornal after passing through a second category port and two first category, including the one that will be the end of the day.

--CLASSIFICATIONS.

-Stage.

1. Rigobert Uran (COL/EF Education-EasyPost) 3:42:28.

2. Quentin Pacher (FRA/Groupama-FDJ) m.t.

3. JESUS HERRADA (ESP/COFIDIS) at 2.

4. MARC SOLER (ESP/ UAE TEAM EMIRATES) a 15.

5. Kenny Elissonde (HOL/Trek-Segafredo) is 26.

-General.

1. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 65:14:05.

2. ENRIC MAS (ESP/MOVISTAR TEAM) 2:01.

3. JOHN AYUSO (ESP/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) 4:5

4. CARLOS RODRIGUEZ (ESP/INEOS GRENADIERS) 5:20.