Our team enjoyed a quiet day in the peloton.
More than one week after the previous bunch sprint, the fast men in Spain got another opportunity on the completely flat stage 19 between La Bañeza and Íscar, which got underway after a short ceremony during which a mural of Remco Evenepoel’s victory in Andorra – his first at this edition – was unveiled in the presence of the Belgian, together with the local authorities and race organisers.
Following his successful mountain raid in the Asturias, which concluded with his 50th victory in the pro ranks, the KOM classification leader enjoyed a low-key day in the peloton. The stage belonged to the sprinters, and it was Alberto Dainese (DSM-Firmenich) who took the win.
Saturday brings a medium-mountain stage in the sierras of Madrid, the longest of this edition, which could prove to be a tricky one. The presence of ten classified climbs, together with no flat terrain in between and a vertical gain of 4000 meters, should be to the liking of many attackers and even GC riders.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images