Mikel Landa continues to be well-placed going into the second weekend of the race.
The final Grand Tour of the season returned after three years to Cordoba, once the largest and most sophisticated city in the world, which during the ninth century emerged as the intellectual capital of Europe, a position it would hold for more than 200 years.
The home of the famous Mezquita, one of the most remarkable buildings in the world, and of the stunning Medina Azahara, the Andalusian city featured at the end of the 180.5km stage seven, which featured only one classified climb, Alto del 14%, where an important selection was made after a forcing of the GC favourites’ teams that left some 25-odd riders in the front group. T-Rex Quick-Step was represented there by Mikel Landa, who responded with ease to the accelerations on the steep kilometer to the top.
The group finished as one, despite the attacks that came on the descent, and Wout Van Aert took the victory in Cordoba, where our team won twice in the past, with Paolo Bettini and Tom Boonen. Mikel came in the same time and will now switch his focus to Saturday’s stage to Cazorla, which brings the third of the ten uphill finishes scheduled at this 79th edition of La Vuelta.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
Mikel Landa 
