09/01/2023 | Marek Matějka, photo Sirotti
Frenchman Geoffrey Soupe won the 7th stage of the Spanish Vuelta. The 35-year-old TotalEnergies cyclist beat Orluis Aular and Edward Theuns in the mass finish. The Ineos Grenadiers team had an exceptionally bad day, both leaders of the British team crashed and Thymen Arensman had to withdraw from the race.
It should have been one of the calmest days of this year’s Vuelta. The flat stage of 200.8 km was reserved for sprinters, so only two cyclists started the long escape – Ander Okamika (Burgos-BH) and José Herrada (Cofidis). They left in the first kilometer and quickly gained a lead while the peloton was calm. But only until the first major fall, in which Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) also got involved. The British cyclist was treated for a long time and certainly did not have an ideal day, but he finished the stage in the winner’s time.
The breakaway pair was already caught 67 km before the finish line, but Okamika did not want to go with the others yet and again gained a small lead, which he maintained until the finish line 40 km before the finish line. Another important place was the speed bonus 33 km before the finish, the leader of the points competition Kaden Groves (ALpecin-Deceuninck) finished for maximum points, third was Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), who received 2 seconds bonus.
The race almost stopped for the premium. With a headwind and no escapees in front of the main field, the cyclists had no reason to go fast. The race for positions only started later and 10 km before the finish it led to a crash in which Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) was held back. The American quickly got back to the front and could watch another mass crash 5km from the finish caused by Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Robbe Ghys, who licked Kaden Groves’ rear with his front wheel and felled a lot of rivals. Here Thymen Arensman was injured, the Dutchman had to be loaded into an ambulance and taken to hospital.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck team worked at the front, but the Groves domestici ran out far before the finish line. This led to an extremely chaotic spurt where no team had the upper hand. Groves had to slow down in the last corner and the experienced Geoffrey Soupe soon started to sprint on the left side of the road. Venezuelan champion Orlius Aular (Caja Ruiral-Seguros RGA) made up ground and was quickly closing in on Soupem, but he couldn’t make it to the tape and finished second. Third finished Edward Theuns (Lidl-Trek), fourth Sebastian Molano (UAE Emirates) and fifth disappointed Groves.
For Soupe, this is the first Grand Tour win, also the first WorldTour win and even the first win in Europe, having won the three previous professional triumphs at La Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon. “I didn’t believe it was possible,” explained to Soupe why he didn’t raise his hands above his head after the goal. “It was very nervous in the final. It was a lot of sand and the wind played a big role. But for me to win a stage at the Grand Tours is special.”
Soupe was nominated for the Vuelta only after Alexis Vuillermoz was injured, and in the end it is the biggest success of the season for the TotalEnergies team. “I had a virus at the beginning of the Vuelta. So I didn’t expect to win here at all,” continues the cyclist whose task was to start the sprints for Dries Van Gestel. “Starting sprints is an art in itself, but to win a stage is amazing. I basically started it for Van Gestel, but he wasn’t behind me. I was leading after the last corner and I was surprised that no one was behind me. It’s unbelievable.”
2023-09-01 18:03:36
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