today 11:45
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Miguel Ángel López showed great performances on Spanish roads. He went to the penultimate stage as the third man in the standings.
For three whole weeks, the Spanish Movistar managed to build the ground for a double podium on the domestic roads. Disagreements within the team and between leaders from past years seemed to be a thing of the past. Cycling fans and team management thought this black chapter was over.
Back on Wednesday, Miguel Ángel López dominated the royal stage in a famous style, reaching the dreaded ascent of Gamoniteira. He consolidated third place in the overall standings and headed for the second career stage at the Vuelte.
The penultimate stage wished the attackers. The profile in the last part was up and down on typical steep Spanish climbs. Ineos Grenadiers cyclists unleashed hell on the group of main favorites. This was followed by the arrival of Egan Bernal and Jack Haig. López was right behind them and everything went according to his ideas.
After this attempt, Adam Yates set off, immediately chased by the fearless leader Primož Roglič, the second man in the overall standings, Enric Mas, and the pair from Bahrain – Victorious Jack Haig, Gino Mäder. López remained with the other men of the top ten in the second group.
Mas had no idea of his resignation
Within tens of seconds, the group gained a decisive lead with Roglič and Mas and did not establish cooperation in it.
Bernal or de la Cruz were in the group with López from the overall standings, but they were not interested in pulling. López tried to close the hole, but Mäder led a great robot for his leader Haig and took the group out of sight. It was painted.
About 30 kilometers before the finish, López already had a 4-minute loss. Less than an hour later, information came about his resignation. He got off his bike and argued with sports director Patxim Villa. He was frustrated with the team and the development of the race. Despite the exchange of views and Villa’s persuasion, López did not continue, got in the car and left the Grand Tour the day before the final time trial.
“We saw that Roglič was moving forward and I had to react, but I couldn’t pull because I had Miguel Ángel behind me. I didn’t know anything about what happened. Despite his resignation, we can be happy with our performances at these races and, I hope, with the extra podium, “ said Enric Mas at the finish of the 20th stage. He learned about the resignation of a colleague from journalists.
He was thinking about the end of his career
In recent years, Movistar has experienced several disappointments at the Big Three events. Whether it was the failed attempts of the three leaders on the Tour de France or the withdrawal of Marc Soler on the way to the stage triumph back to Nair Quintan. Right in front of the cameras, Soler was upset and scattered with his hands, which does not paint the good face of the team.
López has had a relatively challenging year. For the first time in his professional career, he changed employers. He then fought with Covid, who greatly disrupted his training. In the new team, he managed to win the overall stage race Around Andalusia. He also won the mountain classic Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge. The Tour de France followed, and after the falls in its introduction, he suffered from it and resigned before the 19th stage. It already seemed that the first season with Movistar would end with a successful Vuelta and placing on the podium as a bonus. But one day he changed everything.
Before the start of the season, López pointed to Tom Dumoulin in an interview with El Tiempo. Dutch winner Gira and world champion in the time trial interrupted their careers precisely because of mental problems.
“Cycling is complicated and then you start thinking like Tom Dumoulin. To be honest, I thought I’d step aside. Pressure, sacrifice, fatigue and injuries are complicated problems. When you are a leader and you have the responsibility of the whole team, sometimes you act with a hot head. It is important to have the right people around you. Your family will always get you back on the ground. ” said the 27-year-old cyclist.
After his surprising end of the Vuelta, these words immediately began to be mentioned. Lopez was already toying with the idea of an end. If it came now, given the events of the 20th stage, it would probably not surprise anyone.
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