The leader of T-Rex Quick-Step finished in the top five on the tough summit finish on Moncalvillo.
Mikel Landa overcame Thursday’s setback as he put in an admirable fight on one of the race’s toughest ascents en route to his 21st top-ten result of the season, one which brought a major boost of confidence ahead of the last mountain stage.
Alto de Moncalvillo (8.6km, 8.9%) was the ninth and penultimate uphill finish of this year’s Vuelta, and the peloton rode into the first ramps of this beast of a climb at full speed, this tempo quickly whittling down the group and leaving only two dozen riders at the front. A selection continued to be made with each meter, until eventually Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) rode clear and took a solo victory, moving into the red jersey.
At one point, for a brief moment, Landa got distanced on a brutal double-digit section, but as he has shown countless times this race, he kept his composure and continued unfazed at his own pace, making a cohesive effort that helped him rejoin the main favourite’s group ahead of the flamme rouge. Determined to make the most of this situation, Mikel decided to accelerate shortly after, opening a nice gap on his opponents which he then carried to the finish, where he concluded a remarkable fifth.
This superb effort helped the 34-year-old from Murgia leap to ninth on the overall standings ahead of Saturday’s ferocious stage to Picon Blanco, which will comprise a total of seven classified climbs.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
Mikel Landa 