Valentin Paret-Peintre and Filippo Zana were part of the first successful breakaway of this edition.
After twelve years, Aramon Valdelinares (9.8km, 5.8%) returned on the route of the Vuelta a España and witnessed the first victory from the breakaway, one which formed in the early part of stage seven and ended up going all the way.
Five classified climbs and more than 3500 vertical meters made for a demanding day in the saddle, especially for those in the lead group, who had to dig deep in the first part of the stage in order to build a buffer big enough to fight for the win at the end of the day. Soudal Quick-Step was again on the offensive, this time with Valentin Paret-Peintre and Filippo Zana; the duo booked a place in a large group that went on to put six minutes into the bunch and showed how strong they were by taking some long pulls that helped them stay clear.
Paret-Peintre, who is racing two Grand Tours in the same season for the first time in his career, concluded stage seven, won by Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility), just outside the top ten, and was followed a couple of seconds later by his teammate, the former Italian Champion who earlier this season won the Giro di Sardegna.
“I felt good today, so I jumped in the breakaway, but the five guys up the road were a bit stronger than us. We tried to reduce the gap, but unfortunately, others in the group weren’t willing to cooperate. On the final climb, it was a bit difficult for me, but even in these conditions, we gave everything and are incredibly determined to keep fighting here at the Vuelta”, Valentin said at the finish.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
