MADRID, 10 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Portuguese cyclist Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) has been awarded this Sunday the fifteenth stage of the Vuelta a España in the sprint, held over 158.5 kilometers between Pamplona and Lekunberri and starring again a brave Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick -Step), while the American Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) retains the leader’s red jersey.
The 36-year-old Portuguese, who had not won a stage in a grand tour since the year in which he became world champion (2013), attacked on the last climb to Zuarrarrate and won in a reduced sprint over the German Lennard Kämna ( Bora-hansgrohe) and the Colombian Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious).
After them came the Belgian Evenepoel, who for the second consecutive stage starred in the breakaway of the day but who this time could not repeat the success achieved on Saturday in Belagua, where he was able to make up for the disaster experienced on Friday by leaving 27 minutes.
Despite some movements, the American Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) continues to lead the overall standings against two teammates: the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, 1:37 behind; and the Danish Jonas Vingegaard, at 1:44. Meanwhile, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) continues fourth at 2:37, just ahead of his compatriots Enric Mas (Movistar Team), at 3:06; Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), at 3:10; and Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), at 4:12.
On a mid-mountain day, it was not until kilometer 90 that the breakaway of the day was consolidated, while the movements took place among the favorites, with Vingegaard, Soler and Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-hansgrohe) making contact with the group of escapees.
In the descent of Puerto de Lizarraga, Evenepoel led the newly formed breakaway of 15 runners, which reached the last section of the stage, with a double pass through Puerto de Zuarrarrate, with three minutes of advantage over the peloton. It was on the second of those two ascents when Buitrago, Kämna and Costa managed to distance themselves and leave the Belgian and the rest of their breakaway companions behind.
A fall with three kilometers to go seemed to leave the German with no options, who nevertheless managed to contact his rivals again, but it was the Portuguese who, in a tight sprint, took the stage win on a great lap ten years later.
This Monday, the runners will enjoy their second and last day of rest in Santander before starting the final week of the Spanish round, which will begin with a stage, the sixteenth, of 120.5 kilometers between Liencres and Bejes with a high finish, with 14% ramps on the way up to the second category port.
–CLASSIFICATIONS.
-Stage.
1. Rui Costa (PORIntermarché-Circus-Wanty) 3:30:56.
2. Lennard Kämna (ALE/Bora-hansgrohe) mt
3. Santiago Buitrago (COL/Bahrain Victorious) m.t.
4. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/Soudal Quick-Step) 2.
5. Andreas Lorentz Kron (DIN/Lotto Dstny) mt
-General.
1. Sepp Kuss (USA/Jumbo-Vism) 54:38:42.
2. Primoz Roglic (ESL/Jumbo-Vism) at 1:37.
3. Jonas Vingegaard (DIN/Jumbo-Visma) 1:44.
4. JOHN AYUSO (ESP/UAE Team Emirates) 2:3
5. ENRIC MAS (ESP/Movistar Team) 3:06.
2023-09-10 15:45:51
#Rui #Costa #overshadows #Evenepoel #Lekunberri #Kuss #maintains #lead
