On Sunday, cyclists completed a 109.4-kilometer stretch with a finish on the famous Anjliru mountain. On the way to the finish, the athletes had to make two third and two first category ascents, but in the last 12.5 kilometers the cyclist’s strength was tested by the “hors categorie” ascent.
Anjliru Hill was last on the tour route in 2017, when the Spaniard Alverto Kontadors was the first to reach the finish line.
Kartti (“Education First”) secured the last 1,200 meters when he ran away from his closest followers, joining forces. The 26-year-old British finished after three hours, eight minutes and 40 seconds in the distance.
Primožs Rogličs from Slovenia (“Jumbo-Visma”) and Karapass, who had the same time in the overall standings, were also in the leading group in the last kilometers. Karapasam, who finished fourth 16 seconds behind the winner, had more strength in the last rise, as did Alexander Vlasov of Russia (“Astana”) and Enrique Mass of Spain (“Movistar”), who rose to the podium.
Rogličs, with the support of his teammate Zepa Kusa, finished fifth, with Karapas losing ten seconds.
Liepins (“Trek – Segafredo”) finished 130th, losing 34 minutes and 32 seconds.
On Monday, cyclists will have a holiday, but the tour will continue on Tuesday with a 33.7-kilometer-long individual ride.
Karapass, who is ten seconds ahead of Rogličs, has regained the leading position. Next with a 32-second deficit is Cardy, but the Irishman Dan Start Martin (“Israel Start-Up Nation”) loses another three seconds. Liepiņš loses more than two and a half hours and is in the 111th position.
The Spanish tour will finish on November 8 in Madrid. The first six days of the race overlapped with this year’s Giro d’Italia.
This year, the first three stages of “Vuelta a Espana” were planned in the Netherlands, but due to a national pandemic, the prestigious cycling competition was refused. As a result, Vuelta a Espana will have only 18 stages this year, instead of 21.
For Liepiņš, this is his debut in one of the big tours. The main goal of “Trek – Segafredo” in this Spanish tour is to fight for victories in certain stages. Despite the fact that the tour is shortened to 18 stages, there are quite a few challenges in the categorized climbs and several mountain finishes. Sprinters have the opportunity to compete for victories in at least four stages, including the last stage with a finish in Madrid.
Mateo Mosketi was mentioned as the main contender for the team’s victories in the sprint, but he withdrew from the tour this week. It was at the beginning of the season that the Dobel player made his debut for the “Trek – Segafredo” team, helped Mosket win two cycling races in Spain and finished in the top ten.
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