Vuelta a España 2024 is very much alive. Although Ben O’Connor remains the clear candidate for victory due to his wide gap in the general classification, Saturday’s eighth stage made it clear that there is still much left to do and anything can happen. In a spectacular final climb to the Sierra de Cazorla, Primoz Roglic attacks, he only gets a response from Enric Mas and both played for a stage victory which fell into the hands of Slovenian.
It’s already entered a day of weakness for Ben O’Connor. The leader suffered from Roglic’s attacks in the last port, where He gave 56 total seconds to the finish line (46 and 10 bonus) and it didn’t leave a good impression. Joao Almeida also left time and the fight for the general classification intensified in a big way after the sensations sent by the Slovenian and the Mallorcan runner. Roglic was 3:49 behind O’Connor, with Mas third in 4:31. João Almeidawhich gave way to the final climb, fell in the general classification, while a great Mikel Landa was third on the stage in fourteen seconds and also advances to a general of which there is still much left.
because The Slovenian is a guy from the Vuelta a España. A three-time champion, he is not ready to give up one small part of his desire to equal Roberto Heras’ record of four overall wins. This Saturday he showed that if he has to continue to attack, he will do so with all the laws. By now, he had taken the remarkable advantage of that time, his 86th victory as a professional and the thirteenth stage of his career in the Spanish round, second in 2024.
I expect a eighth stage of 159 kilometers there is an exit in Ubeda and last high in lto Sierra de Cazorla. This is a day categorized as medium mountain, with the second-class pass of Mirador de las Palomas as the start of the part before the final climb. It is a favorable day, therefore, to see the men of the general group. That’s how it happened.
Attacks to form the day’s breakaway took place from the starting line. It is the Swiss Mauro Schmidt (Jayco Al-Ula) who is the smartest and maybe that’s why he received his prize. After exchanging attacks, they left ahead the Swiss, Oier Lazkano (Movistar Team), Ion Izagirre (Cofidis), Harold Tejada (Astana-Qazaqstan), Gijs Leemreize (Team DSM-firmenich-PostNL), Luca Vergallito (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Sam Oomen (Lidl-Trek) and Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)leaving as they approached Puerto Mirador de las Palomas and had about sixty kilometers on their feet.
With Tejada nearly seven minutes behind the overall lead, the teams in the peloton began to pick up the pace. Israel-Premier Tech pulled away to consolidate the lead just above four minutes before the climb to Palomas Viewpoint He envisioned a second-class port, 7.3 kilometers long and with an average slope of 5.7%. It was a climb that started to take its toll on the men ahead, first with a Leemreize who stayed on the climb and then with a Schmid who attacked on the descent to bring Tejada to his wheel.
behind, the platoon decreases distancesdespite some fear in the form of falling as experienced by Wout van Aert, who left many minutes at the finish line. With Israel-Premier Tech always active, the distance gradually decreased and it caused a constant battle for the lead of the race. The seven escapees reunited, with one Oier Lazkano who, after giving up for some reason, managed to rally to rejoin those at the front.
But the gap gradually narrowed in relation to the peloton, with a rapid approach towards the latter part of the day. UAE Emirates and EF Education-EasyPost they join Israel at the head of the peloton, with a very fast pace and a bit of wind that caused some nerves and a priori falls without consequences for Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Txomin Juaristi (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Santiago Umba (Astana-Qazaqstan ).
They tried to pick the breakaway ahead of Vergallito and Lazkano later. Tejada joined them so the three of them left and the platoon’s income was up again in about two minutes. At the back, the peloton was stretched out due to the faster pace of the race, with a Joao Almeida who had difficulty finding a good position so gave away a lot of land. But the remaining favorites are back in the fight for the stage, 1:10 from the break at the start of the final climb.
From cuts to Roglic attacks
They waited inside Cazorla 4.8 kilometers at an average of 7.1%, but there are meters at 20% in the first kilometer and there is another very difficult last kilometer where the average slope reaches 13.5%. Land, in other words, for all.
Tejada attacked from the bottom on the breakaway, but first Lazkano and then Vergallito responded to stay in the fight. behind, Attacked by Daniel Felipe Martínezfalling to the middle of the pack caused a break between the favourites. They entered it Ben O’Connor, Primoz Roglic, Enric Mas, Carlos Rodríguez or Mikel Landabut Sepp Kuss must strive to regain the ground.
Roglic attacked two and a half kilometers from the end to free O’Connor, but not a Mas and a Richard Carapaz who will leave for their wheel. This stopped the Slovenian. In contrast to the men in front in just a few seconds, Roglic tried the stage search attack again and to reduce the rent to the chief, with the But back to the wheel. This led to both of them gradually catching up to the race leader, with O’Connor giving up a few seconds and being supported by his teammates.
The battle for the stage was head-to-head between Roglic and Mas, waiting for their moment after gradually leaving behind the men of the day to escape on the devastating final climb ramps. Enric tried to put himself in the last kilometer, but Roglic showed speed in the final meters to take the win and claim that there are still many Vueltas left to fight it all. But, for his part, he also sent his message, since he is already in the top 3 and after showing great sensations this Saturday. Moreover, from behind, Mikel Landa came to be third on the stage and also improve to a very hot general.
Because the Vuelta doesn’t stop until Monday. That means This Sunday is another important day to set the trend for the second week. Wait one more time very difficult stage of 178.2 kilometers that starts in Motril and ends in Granadawith three consecutive climbs on first-class passes in the second half of the stage.
The Purchase (8.9 kilometers at 7.6%, but with a ramp of 7.6%; it will be crowned at kilometer 96.9) and Hazels on two occasions (7.1 kilometers at 9.5%, but with a brutal first five kilometers at an average of more than 11% and ramps of up to 20%; it will be crowned at kilometers 124 and 155) they aim to be important judges of the future of career. Because of this every day can make a difference and the best example of this is this Saturday: Roglic and Mas made it clear that the fight for the Vuelta is still very much alive.
Classifications
8th stage, Úbeda-Cazorla, 159 km
1. Primoz Roglic (Slovenia/Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) 3h 38’34” (10″ bonus)
2. Enric Mas (Spain/Movistar) id. (6″ bonus)
3. Mikel Landa (Spain/T-REX-Quick-Step) at 14″ (4″ bonus)
4. Antonio Tiberi (Italy/Bahrain Victorious) at 17″
5. Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark/Lidl-Trek) at 21″
6. Cristian Rodríguez (Spain/Arkéa-B&B Hotels) id.
7. Harold Tejada (Colombia/Astana Qazaqstan) at 24″ (6″ bonus)
8. Edward Dunbar (Ireland/Team Jayco AlUla) at 26″
9. Lennert Van Eetvelt (Belgium/Lotto Dstny) at 29″
10. Jack Haig (Australia/Bahrain Victorious) id.
General
1. Ben O’Connor (Australia/Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) 31h 23’27”
2. Primoz Roglic (Slovenia/Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) at 3’49”
3. Enric Mas (Spain/Movistar) at 4’31”
4. Antonio Tiberi (Italy/Bahrain Victorious) at 5’00”
5. Mikel Landa (Spain/T-REX-Quick-Step) at 5’13”
6. Lennert Van Eetvelt (Belgium/Lotto Dstny) at 5’15”
7. Cristian Rodríguez (Spain/Arkéa-B&B Hotels) at 5’19”
8. Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark/Lidl-Trek) 5’24”
9. Florian Lipowitz (Germany/Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) at 5’25”
10. Felix Gall (Austria/Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) at 5’26”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
