Five talking points from stage 14 of the Vuelta a España 2021
Today felt like the day that Pidcock’s Grand Tour story had its first paragraph written
Bardet’s perfect day
As Saturdays go, Romain Bardet has had a pretty fantastic one.
The DSM rider was part of stage 14’s 18-man breakaway, intent on achieving one of two objectives: win the stage or take control of the mountain’s classification.
He achieved the latter mid-way through the stage, being the first to summit the first ascent of Pico Villuercas, superseding Damiano Caruso as the jersey wearer.
It looked as if he wouldn’t get his hands on the air, though, with his French compatriot Nicolas Prodhomme leading for almost 20km and looking, at one point, a very good bet to win the stage.
But when the AG2R Citroën rider was caught inside the final six kilometres, Bardet attacked and eventually soloed to a comfortable victory on the steep finishing slopes by 44 seconds. Remarkably, it was his first Grand Tour stage win in four years.
As a consequence of winning, he picked up more KOM points in the process, meaning he now has a lead of 19 points to Caruso in the race for the jersey.
Grab a glass of red, Romain, and enjoy the taste of success.
Movistar pull and López gains four seconds
Yesterday it was Egan Bernal reducing his deficit in the GC race by five seconds, and today it was Miguel Ángel López who went in search of a few extra seconds that could prove useful come the end of the race in eight days’ time.
The Colombian has largely been riding for his Movistar team-mate Enric Mas, but still remains part of the Spanish team’s two-up leadership, and the four seconds he accrued were a sign of his form and condition going into the final week.
His team has been active throughout their home Grand Tour and it was once again notable how they were eager to set the peloton’s pace throughout the stage, perhaps hoping that they could crack Primož Roglič after his two crashes in the week.
Sunday’s mountainous stage 15 will represent another chance for Movistar to stamp their authority on the race, and López looks strong to be at the head of any chaos caused.
But Roglič doesn’t crack and gains time on the leader
It was hoped, by the race organisers, that the double ascent of the terrific – and previously unused – Pico Villuercas would prompt a long-range attack, but alas the peloton were happy to let the break decide the day’s outcome.
That would have delighted Roglič and Jumbo-Visma, who will have been aware that Movistar and Ineos Grenadiers will be encouraged to attack him more given his two falls in the week.
The Slovenian didn’t come under any sustained pressure throughout the stage, though, and minus conceding four seconds to López, he actually gained time on a few of his rivals, including Adam Yates.
More importantly, he finished 20 seconds ahead of current race leader Odd Christian Eiking, the Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux rider seeing his lead slip to 54 seconds from Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) and 1-36 to Roglič.
It’s still a healthy advantage and the probability is he’ll enter the second rest day in the race’s lead, but Roglič is getting closer to regaining the lead and showing that he doesn’t appear to be suffering any damages from his crashes.
Adam Yates loses time
Much like his twin brother Simon at the Giro d’Italia, Adam Yates is having a curious Grand Tour: some moments he looks like he’s the best climber in the field, and then other days he can’t keep up with the riders he’s trying to beat.
Stage 14 was another one of the latter for the Briton, shipping 12 seconds to Roglič and his own team-mate Bernal, the latter who coincidentally looks much improved over the last few days.
Yates targeted the Vuelta as his main season objective, so it’s not harsh to say more was expected of him.
Of course, there are still seven stages to go and a lot can happen, but sitting 3-13 adrift of Roglič – who is surely the leader-in-waiting – the Ineos Grenadiers rider cannot afford to keep conceding time, even if it just a little bit and not huge chunks of time.
The hope from Yates and his team will be that he has tapered well enough to peak in the final week and he can feel the benefits of not racing so much in the summer, unlike Roglič, Enric Mas, Lopez and Bernal.
Tom Pidcock has his first impressive Grand Tour day
Britain’s multi-discipline rider Tom Pidcock has been insistent from the start that his Grand Tour debut is all about learning and riding around Spain to get the feel of a three-week stage race.
He began the Vuelta just a few weeks after becoming Olympic champion in the mountain bike race, and has been largely unseen on the lap of Spain, except for a widely-shared photo of him wheeling up a climb earlier in the race.
On stage 14, however, Pidcock worked himself into the big breakaway and though he never looked like he would win the stage, he remained close to the head of proceedings when attacks started to go.
When Nicolas Prodhomme was eventually caught, Pidcock was suddenly in with a chance of breaking clear again, only for Bardet to steal the show.
But the 22-year-old carried on strongly and finished the day’s stage in fourth, 1.12 back from Bardet, and just four seconds ahead of his fellow Yorkshireman Matt Holmes (Lotto-Soudal).
Today felt like the day that Pidcock’s Grand Tour story had its first paragraph written.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 on work experience and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website. Reporting from races, long interviews with riders from the peloton and riding features drive his love of writing about all things two wheels.
Probably a bit too obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he’s a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer. He almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.
-
-
Geraint Thomas 'helps a brother out', aiding Mark Cavendish's valedictory Giro d'Italia stage win
Cavendish now has one final Giro stage win. Will he get one final Tour de France equivalent in July?
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Charlotte Kool wins final stage of RideLondon-Classique to seal overall victory
Kool edges out Dyget and Van der Duin in bunch sprint
By Stephen Puddicombe • Published
-
Tourmalet, Angliru, Covadonga: what we know so far about a 'spectacular' 2023 Vuelta a España route
"It will be a very mountainous and international Vuelta," according to race organisers, with a crucial final week including the fearsome Angliru
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Last updated
-
Analysing the Vuelta a España's revolutionary podium and what it means for the future
The Vuelta had first teenager on a Grand Tour podium since 1904 and the youngest top five this century
By Adam Becket • Last updated
-
Jake Stewart bounces back from Vuelta disappointment to take aim at Worlds
British fast man is ready and raring to go for Wollongong, despite leaving Vuelta and a truncated Tour of Britain
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Remco Evenepoel wins maiden grand tour at Vuelta a España
Juan Sebastián Molano takes a surprise final stage win after a messy sprint in Madrid
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
Richard Carapaz wins the final mountain stage of the 2022 Vuelta a España
Carapaz takes his third stage win of the race as GC leader Evenepoel passes the last mountain test
By Dane Cash • Last updated
-
Bahrain Victorious 'stands by' Fred Wright after Primož Roglič blames him for Vuelta a España ending crash
Jumbo-Visma star says Wright “rode the handlebars out of my hands”
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Five talking points from stage 19 of the Vuelta a España
Mads Pedersen fastest once again, while Evenepoel is ready for his final test
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Vuelta a España 2022 standings: Who finished where after stage 21?
Remco Evenepoel becomes Belgium's first Grand Tour win in more than four decades
By Rob Spedding • Last updated