The decisive week focuses on the emotion of the Vuelta for 94 seconds

The Vuelta a España rests in the province of Cádiz before the third and decisive week with emotions concentrated for a few minutes and everything to be resolved. It is true that the Belgian Remco Evenepoel left signs of weakness in the Andalusian mountains, but he maintained 1.34 with Primoz Roglic and 2.01 with Enric Mas. Uncertain differences. No one gives up.

The Vuelta enters its decisive phase on the usual line of maintaining emotion until the last kilometer. Everything seemed to be coming together for a comfortable victory ride from Evenepoel to Madrid, but La Pandera and Sierra Nevada showed the Belgian’s weaknesses. In two days, he lost a minute with Roglic and Mas, and they both made it. They see the light in their most ambitious desires.

The rest day was welcomed by the platoon like rain in May. The season is weighing heavily and the forces are falling, but the last effort is missing, and they await 5 days of competition that host interesting days, such as Piornal in Extremadura and Sierra Madrid on Saturday. There is a Vuelta, and its protagonists prove it, each in their own way.

EVENPOEL CALM, ROGLIC MOTIVATED

“I’m calm, the advantage is good and there are no ports as difficult as the ones we passed“, affirms Evenepoel, a 22-year-old rider and without experience in Grand Tours. He is facing the second of his career. For his part, Roglic is “waiting” for the party to start the third week.

The triple winner of the Vuelta goes from less to more in his form, contrary to what Evenepoel appears to be. His experience can be decisive, and he is not a rider who certainly sells defeat cheaply. In La Pandera and Sierra Nevada he and his team had already made two blows, in the rest they declared a battle without quarter.

Remco and Roglic were separated by 94 seconds. Both will star in the stellar duel. In third position appears a renewed Enric Mas, who has recovered from his crisis in the Tour, motivated and wants to dream until Madrid “with a podium place or even getting positions in the general classification” . Mas’s arguments have a mathematical logic.

“Evenepoel was so good, he became the strongest even when he showed weaknesses in the last two episodes. The advantage he has gives him peace of mind, but if we take 1 minute from him in two periods, why can’t we take more time from him throughout the week?

AYUSO AND RODRÍGUEZ IN THE SECOND BLOCK

The network of interests, not only for Red, but for a position on the podium or for the top 10, forces us to consider options and possible operations in the race. Enric Mas identified in his media appearance the possible alliances.

“The determining factor can come at any time and at any stage, but everyone has to play their tricks. Maybe we have to work with some runners in the race,” said Mas.

The podium seems clear between Remco, Roglic and Mas, but from fourth place there will be a fierce fight for the second position. The parity in this zone is highest: Juan Ayuso is fourth in 4.49, Carlos Rodríguez in fifth in 5.16 and Miguel Ángel López, who advances to sixth in 5.24.

In the next step there will be a dispute between the Portuguese Almeida, seventh in 7 minutes, the Dutch winner in the Sierra Nevada Areensman, in 7.05 and the Australian O’Connor in 8.57. Second races inside the top 10 closing in on Giro winner Hindley.

PIORNAL AND SIERRA DE MADRID LAST JUDGE

The interest of the route is focused this decisive week on two appointments, the one on Thursday with the Extremaduran day between Trujillo and Alto del Piornal and the one on Saturday through the ports of Madrid, a day surrounded by legend, of recent events unfolding on their own.

The Piornal stage has hardness concentrated in the second half and includes two climbs in the final climb with an average of 13.5 to 5 percent and ramps of 12). Saturday between Moralzarzal and Navacerrada includes five ports: Cotos (1st; 10.3 to 6.9), Navacerrada (10.3 to 6.8 and a maximum of 13%), Navafría (2nd; 10.3 to 5, 4), Canencia (2nd; 7.5 to 4.9) and La Morcuera (1st; 9.4 to 6.9 and a maximum of 12%).

However, the last 5 stages of the competition include notable traps, for example on Wednesday, a “uniport” day between Aracena and Tentudía, a high finish after 10.3 climbs in 5 with ramp of 12), and of Friday at the beginning. and ends in Talavera de la Reina, with two laps of a circuit that includes the climb to Puerto de Piélago (2nd; 9.3 to 5.6).

This Tuesday’s stage offers a sprint between Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Tomares, with a route of 189.4 km. The sprinters won’t get another chance until Sunday in Madrid.