The 27-year-old showed once again his strong skills against the clock.
A flat course, made for the specialists of the discipline, was what the race put on the table Thursday afternoon. Stage 18 was one of the most important of this edition, as the 32.1km individual time trial that got underway from El Puerto de Santa Maria’s historic Plaza de Toros and concluded in Jerez de la Frontera was an excellent opportunity for the GC men to gain time and move up in the standings ahead of the final climbs of this edition.
Ethan Hayter, who came incredibly close to victory on the opening day, was again Soudal Quick-Step's top finisher, stopping the clock in 35:54 thanks to an impressive 53.6km/h average speed. The British Champion concluded ninth, behind winner Stefan Kung (Tudor Pro Cycling), for the fifth Grand Tour stage top ten of his career.
“It wasn’t my best, but it also wasn’t my worst ITT. The parcours was pretty straightforward, some roundabouts here and there, as well as some speed bumps, but the tailwind made it really fast, a parcours for the guys who like this kind of effort. I’m quite happy with the top ten and looking forward to the next days”, Ethan said after the stage.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
