Refresh
Hi there and welcome to our reside protection of the ultimate stage of the Vuelta.
The primary rider down the beginning ramp as we speak can be Tim Naberman (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), at 16:30 native time (CET) – in order that’s simply over half an hour from now. The final would be the purple jersey, Primož Roglič (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at 19:04, with the Slovenian anticipated to seal a record-equalling fourth general Vuelta title.
The riders can be setting off in reverse order of the final classification, separated by intervals of 1 minute all the way down to the highest 20, who’ll set off two minutes aside. We have now specialists reminiscent of Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike) at 16:46, Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) at 17:42, Brandon McNulty (UAE Staff Emirates) at 17:52, and Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) at 18:06. However in any other case it is all eyes on the very again finish of the checklist for the final classification motion.
Anyway, for the complete working order, here is the hyperlink you want.
Here is the route – a flat and largely uncomplicated journey from the northern outskirts into the capital. They will go up and down the Castellana, which is Madrid’s reply to the Champs Elysées and often hosts – equally to the finale of the Tour de France – a number of laps in a street race format earlier than a closing dash. This time, nonetheless, the riders can be on their very own and so they’ll flip off the Castellana on the Plaza de Cibeles – the place the rostrum ceremony takes place and the place Spanish nationwide groups celebrated any worldwide trophies – and head up in the direction of the end line on the Gran Vía.
When it comes to GC jeopardy, Roglič enjoys a stable buffer of two:02 over Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R), 2:11 over Enric Mas (Movistar) and three:00 over Richard Carapaz (EF Schooling-EasyPost). The Slovenian is, although, a far superior time trial checklist than any of them, so this is able to look like a case of signing and sealing the purple jersey. There was illness within the Crimson Bull camp, which could throw in a touch of intrigue, however in any other case it might be a monumental shock to not see Roglič amassing his fourth Vuelta trophy afterward.
For the complete standings and a recap of yesterday’s motion, now’s the time to atone for our stage 20 report & outcomes.
Simply a few minutes away from the beginning of the stage now.
We’re off
That is the beginning on the ‘Distrito Telefónica’, which is the headquarters for the Spanish telecoms big, Telefónica, which owns Movistar, the title sponsor of Spain’s main crew.
Edoardo Affini has simply began his trip. The Italian is a TT specialist who was fifth within the time trial on the opening day of this Vuelta.
We have now two intermediate checkpoints, the primary after 7.9km and the second after 16.8km, roughly dividing the course into thirds.
Because it stands, Enzo Leijnse (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL) is the quickest man to the second checkpoint however Affini and Kasepr Asgreen (T-Rex QuickStep) have simply gone sooner on the first.
We did not catch it however Thibault Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B Motels) was proper up there on the first checkpoint however miles off it on the second – going from 15 seconds up on Leijnse to 2 minutes down, so he will need to have had some kind of downside.
That mentioned, Guernalec is first to the end line, catching not solely our first starter Naberman but in addition Bahrain Victorious’ Kamil Gradek. Some timing anomalies there, maybe.
Yep, Guernalec’s time on the second checkpoint has now been revised and listed as 19:31 – two and a half minutes faster than what he was initially credited with.
27:43 was our first ending time from Guernalec, who was all the time prone to put up a powerful early time. Let’s have a look at the way it stacks up towards the likes of Affini, Asgreen, and Campenaerts who’re all out on the right track proper now.
Affini 12 seconds up on Guernalec on the second checkpoint, and 14 seconds up on Asgreen because the Dane comes via quickly after.
Asgreen finishes 9 seconds down on Guernalec’s time however Affini seems to be heading into the hotseat as he enters the ultimate kilometre himself.
New chief: Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Affini has performed that on double disc wheels, a tactic that caught the headlines courtesy of his teammate Wout van Aert on the Olympics. There have been some shaky moments early on, with the discs often catching lots of wind, however the circumstances will need to have been deemed calm sufficient to warrant the chance and supply a efficiency profit. No Van Aert as we speak, after his unlucky crash earlier this week.
Campenaerts is on a tear – 4 seconds up on Affini on the second checkpoint.
Campenaearts comes into the ultimate kilometre and he has loads of time to play with right here… what’s it going to be…?
New chief: Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny)
Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Motels) misses his begin time as he fiddles with an obvious mechanical downside on the beginning ramp.
Here is our clubhouse chief, Campenaerts, as he began his trip a short while in the past.
And here is the inexperienced jersey Kaden Groves, who has simply completed his trip to seal the inexperienced jersey because the factors classification winner. 12 months in the past he was successful an absolute thriller in a loopy final-day break with Ganna and Evenepoel however he’ll be pleased to cap a Vuelta through which he has repeated final 12 months’s haul of three stage wins and the inexperienced jersey.
French champion Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-AG2R) has simply received underway and is one to look at, whereas the stage 1 TT shock package deal, Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) is simply across the nook.
We may be getting some leaderboard motion, as no fewer than 4 riders have not too long ago gone faster than Campenaerts via checkpoint 1.
Jay Vine, who grabbed the polka-dot jersey from his teammate Marc Soler yesterday after they had been each within the breakaway, begins his trip in what has been a outstanding Vuelta given the accidents he sustained in April. Fellow UAE man Brandon McNulty is about to begin his trip, and must be counted among the many favourites given he gained the opening day TT.
Vacek now takes the highest spot on the first checkpoint – six seconds up on Schmid (and 14 seconds faster than clubhouse chief Campenaerts)
Schmid has reached the second checkpoint in first place, 10 seconds up on Campenaerts. Armirail slots in between them at 4 seconds. Oliveira has slipped slightly.
Harry Sweeny (EF) hits the end line with the second finest time up to now – eight seconds down on Campenaerts.
Baroncini is quickest on the second cut up, so we ought to be in for an fascinating couple of minutes with a re-shuffle on the prime of the principle leaderboard.
New chief
Vacek is a shade below a second up on Baroncini’s benchmark on the second cut up. Brandon McNulty, in the meantime, is round 9 seconds down on Vacek on the first cut up.
Armirail comes dwelling now however slots into fourth place after fading in the direction of the tip there.
New chief
Only some minutes till we see Vacek come dwelling, who might be one other new chief.
And now Swiss champion Stefan Küng, a real heavyweight of the time trial self-discipline, heads down the ramp. An actual contender for the win as we speak.
Isaac del Toro (UAE) virtually false begins, so eager is he to get going. He hasn’t set the world alight in the best way sure factors earlier within the season advised he may, however then once more he’s solely 20, and he did have COVID-19 throughout this race, so simply to complete is an enormous feat and one that may stand him in good stead for the longer term.
It is to not be for Vacek, who was first on the first two checkpoints however can solely handle third on the end, eight seconds down on Baroncini.
The reside timings briefly flash up that Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek) has taken the lead by greater than 90 seconds, however that is clearly an error. It has been a quiet Grand Tour for the previous Giro winner, however he has had a sophisticated first season with Lidl-Trek and can be hoping a profitable completion of this Vuelta can assist him end the season sturdy and set him up for larger issues in 2025.
McNulty is slipping additional – over a minute down on the second checkpoint and out of competition for a second TT win.
Küng is on one as we speak. We noticed him railing it via the early sweeping bends in ultra-aggressive vogue, and it has handed him an 18-second benefit on the first checkpoint. Watch this Swiss house.
Del Toro can also be within the combine – in third on the first checkpoint, faster than the clubhouse chief and his teammate Baroncini.
Robert Gesink (Visma-Lease a Bike) involves the road. Not a contender for the stage or the GC however a rider who is popping his final skilled pedal strokes. That is the Dutchman’s closing race of an extended and profitable profession, principally spent as a high-class mountain domestique, and he waves to the gang as he bows out of the game.
McNulty involves the road and his proper overshoe is roofed in blood. He has clearly had a crash which might clarify his large time loss.
Küng storming into Madrid!
Here is Küng breaking the pace restrict in Madrid.
New chief
tenth place for Del Toro on the end. He did fade.
We’re coming into the GC finish of the sphere now and we’re into the highest 15 on GC, beginning with Guillaume Martin (Cofidis).
Crimson Bull crew administrators have performed down any options of lingering sickness within the camp after yesterday’s spate of abandons. Right here was our story on the matter:
Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) is off, rounding out what has been a subdued defence of the title he earned in dramatic vogue final 12 months. Adam Yates (UAE Staff Emirates), too, hasn’t had the GC efficiency he hoped for however amid the bumps and bruises he gained one of many greatest phases with one of many greatest rides we have seen all 12 months, again together with his long-ranger within the Sierra Nevada.
Here is the chief Stefan Küng talking from the hotseat
Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) takes us into the ultimate 10 starters on this time trial. The Spaniard sank down the standings with an off-day yesterday.
Mattia Cattaneo (T-Rex QuickStep) posts the second quickest time on the end up to now, even when it is a world away from Küng’s time. The Italian appeared to chop a nook earlier within the race, though he did lose pace in doing so.
Cattaneo’s chief, Mikel Landa, is subsequent up, and is unlikely to shift from eighth place.
Florian Lipowitz (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) is subsequent off the ramp, the German set to cap a breakthrough season with a top-10 Grand Tour end.
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) takes to the course within the white skinsuit of the perfect younger rider. He has over a minute in hand over Lipowitz so he’ll certainly seal white, and will additionally leap to fifth general if he finds 30 seconds on David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ).
Gaudu will get going now. He has come into his personal throughout this Vuelta after a few tough Grand Tour performances, however he’s notoriously weak towards the clock and it is laborious to see him holding off Skjelmose right here.
Fourth-placed Richard Carapaz (EF Schooling-EasyPost) is subsequent up and it is laborious to see him transferring, with 49 seconds between him and the rostrum. We grabbed a phrase with him yesterday:
Into the highest three we go, and Enric Mas (Movistar) units off looking for a fourth Vuelta podium. In actual fact, he has been runner-up on all three of these events, and he can do the identical right here if he can discover 9 seconds on Ben O’Connor.
O’Connor will get going now, with first Grand Tour podium wanting fairly safe. That was his purpose at the beginning, even when he loved an enormous lead at one level and had an extended stint in purple. However he cannot deny Roglič has been the stronger man. Can he grasp on to second? He has thrown some sturdy time trials within the final 18 months, so he’ll be assured.
And now Roglič is on the ramp. He gained the Vuelta in 2019, 2020, and 2021, and barring an enormous coincidence he ought to clinch a fourth in slightly below half an hour to hitch Roberto Heras on the prime of the all-time Vuelta report title holder standings.
Whereas we have been introducing the GC guys, there was no actual motion in the direction of the highest of the standings at any of the checkpoints, and definitely nobody getting anyplace close to Küng. Roglič is the massive time trialling title out on the right track proper now, however as Küng advised, he might not take each threat going, given his two-minute buffer over weaker TTers.
Skjelmose has already taken 20 seconds out of Gaudu after 8km, so he is heading into that fifth-place spot.
Carapaz is using properly, however Mas goes via the primary checkpoint 4 seconds faster than him, so the rostrum is protected by the seems of it.
O’Connor defending second spot
The one shred of doubt with Roglič is that illness that is infiltrated the Crimson Bull camp however he has made a powerful begin right here and appears superb as he approaches the primary checkpoint.
Roglič posts 8:35 on the first checkpoint. That is the quickest of the GC guys, so he is extending his lead right here. But it surely’s 13 seconds down on Küng, so it is unlikely because it stands that he’ll be sealing this Vuelta with one other stage win.
O’Connor’s trip is spectacular up to now – he is the third quickest of all on the first checkpoint, 16 seconds down on Küng and three seconds down on Roglič.
Proper now it seems like the one GC shift we’ll see is in that struggle for fifth place… and Skjelmose is already 52 seconds up on Gaudu on the second checkpoint. He solely wanted 30 seconds, so he is heading for a top-5 to go together with his white jersey.
Enric Mas involves the second checkpoint and the rostrum seems more and more protected, as he now finds himself 9 seconds up on Carapaz, that means he is practically a minute up nearly.
The actual query is whether or not Mas can achieve on O’Connor… the Australian is approaching that very same checkpoint now and he is been flying up to now…
Rodriguez, Sivakov, Landa, Lipowitz come to the end however they’re staying put in the direction of the underside of the highest 10 general
O’Connor nonetheless pulling away from Mas
Skjelmose stops the clock on 27:30 – that is seventh place up to now and extra importantly it would certainly be faster than Gaudu, who’s coming in the direction of the end now.
Roglič stable on the second cut up
Gaudu finishes and he has shipped 1:13 to Skjelmose, who bumps him into second place. Gaudu will take sixth after now dropping sufficient to be overtaken by Lipowitz as properly.
Carapaz finishes with a stable time of 28:01 to seal fourth place, until one thing surprising occurs to Mas.
Mas comes in the direction of the end now and the fourth podium is his, though it’s going to be a brand new step, the third step, for him.
O’Connor comes up the Gran Through now and he is grimacing as he finishes a battling Vuelta. He will clinch the runner-up spot in what’s his first Grand Tour podium.
Only one man disregarded on the right track, and that is Roglič, who’s making no errors right here and has 500 metres left till he is topped king of Spain for a fourth time.
Küng’s time flashes by and the Swiss star claps his arms in delight within the sizzling seat.
Roglič hits the road and factors to the sky earlier than waving to the followers.
Primož Roglič (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) wins the 2024 Vuelta a España as Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) wins the final-stage time trial
Outcomes
The stage winner
And the general winner
Here is the hyperlink to our race report and outcomes web page
Let’s hear from our stage winner, who considerably surprisingly had by no means gained a Grand Tour stage earlier than as we speak.
Within the common classification, Roglič’s closing margin of victory is 2:36 over O’Connor, with Mas finishing the rostrum at 3:13.
When it comes to the jerseys at this Vuelta, the ultimate house owners are as follows:
Ben O’Connor speaks
Roglič ushered via central Madrid down in the direction of the rostrum space.
Cyclingnews’ Barry Ryan noticed within the Ben O’Connor media huddle
And here is Enric Mas lapping up the house help after sealing his fourth Vuelta podium. He isn’t fairly carried the Contador/Valverde torch however has established himself as Spain’s prime rider with a extremely sturdy and constant palmarès to his title now.
And now we will hear from our 2024 Vuelta winner, Primož Roglič
You get some pretty scenes on the ultimate day of a Grand Tour, particularly when the solar is setting over a metropolis like Madrid. It is the tip of an extended journey and simply reaching the end is trigger for celebration and everybody, regardless of their fortunes over the previous three weeks, can breathe, calm down and mirror.
