Miguel Ángel López soars to stage 18 victory on monstrous Altu d'El Gamoniteiru at Vuelta a España
The Colombian was the only rider able to maintain a gap over Roglič and the other favourites


The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Miguel Ángel López took stage 19 victory on the Altu d'El Gamoniteiru at the Vuelta a España as race leader Primož Roglič gained time on everyone else yet again.
López (Movistar) went clear on the final climb with around 6km to go with some of the race's hardest gradients still to come. He immediately gapped the group of favourites from which he attacked, catching and dropping lone leader David De La Cruz (UAE Team Emirates).
Michael Storer (DSM) went on a move of around 100km solo from the original break but was caught with 7km to go by De La Cruz and by the peloton a few hundred metres later.
Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) gained time on everyone else aside from López thanks to his vicious acceleration to the line in the final 100 metres.
How it happened
Stage 18 of the Vuelta a España started in the town of Salas before the race took on four climbs over 162.6km, with a brutal summit finish on the Altu d’El Gamoniteiru (14.6k, 9.8 per cent).
In the early part of the stage a huge group of over 30 riders got up the road. In the break the closest challengers to the race leader Primož Roglič were Rafał Majka (UAE Team Emirates) and Gorka Izagirre (Astana-Premier Tech), at a touch over 54 minutes down on GC.
Michael Storer (DSM) was also in the break as he looked for points in the mountains classification and his third stage victory at the race. He went on a solo move after help from his team-mate, Thymon Arensman, with 108km to go over the top of the Altu de la Cobertoria.
When he was halfway to the penultimate climb of the day he had managed to pull the gap to over two minutes with 45km to go to the chasing group. But back in the peloton, at 4-50, Movistar and Bahrain Victorious looked keen to pull the gap down so their leaders could go for the stage win.
Fabio Aru (Qhubeka-NextHash), Gianluca Brambilla (Trek-Segafredo), and Arensman all pushed out of the chasing group before they were swallowed up by the peloton like the rest of the chasers with 27km to go, as Storer kept a 2-14 lead.
All the chasers were brought back with Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Romain Bardet (DSM) kicking out of the peloton with 22km to go on the Altu la Segá o del Cordal. Storer, Bardet’s team-mate, still held 2-18 at this point to him and 2-30 to the peloton as he went over the top of the climb.
Bardet then left Bizkarra behind on the descent where the Frenchman was in his element as Storer started to take it steady making sure he did not take risks. However, as soon as they hit the final climb, Bardet and Bizkarra were brought back very quickly by the red jersey group.
Storer held his 2-17 lead over the bunch with 12m to go as Movistar and Bahrain Victorious continued to set the tempo. Geoffrey Bouchard (Ag2r Citroën Team) went on a move but was just left a handful of seconds out in front.
David De La Cruz (UAE Team Emirates) went on a move to join Bouchard before dropping the Frenchman very quickly as he looked to regain time on his rivals for a top 10 position. With 10km to go, though, Storer still had 2-13 over the peloton.
De La Cruz managed to pull a minute out on the peloton very quickly with Damiano Caruso setting a strong, yet steady, pace. Storer was now just 35 seconds ahead of De La Cruz with 8km to go and 1-37 back to the peloton.
Suddenly, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux came to the front with Jan Hirt guiding South African leader Louis Meintjes with 7.5km to go. This change in pace saw the peloton get demolished down to around 15 riders.
De La Cruz joined Storer with 7km to go with 56 seconds back to what remained of the flying peloton with Hirt still hammering the tempo. Just 12 riders remained with 6.5km to go and a 40-second gap.
Storer was dropped by De La Cruz with 5.5km to go as the peloton were still just 34 seconds behind, quickly sweeping up Storer.
Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) kicked hard with 4.7km to go and only Roglič could follow to begin with. López and Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) jumped across with Enric Mas (Movistar) just about being able to latch on with Meintjes, Jack Haig, Gino Mäder (both Bahrain Victorious), and Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers).
Roglič then moved to the front with Kuss who started to drill the pace to try and break the will of all Jumbo-Visma’s rivals. De La Cruz still held 26 seconds with 4km to go.
López was the next to kick and he did manage to get a gap but Kuss continued to set a tempo that Roglič could follow comfortably. López was flying though as the superstar Colombian climber pushed across to De La Cruz.
Haig and co made it back to the group of Kuss, Mas, Roglič and Bernal with 3km to go as they sat 27 seconds down on De La Cruz who had now been caught by López, who then flew by the Spaniard gapping him immediately. Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) was dropped by the pace being set by Kuss but the Brit managed to just pace himself back again with 2km to go.
Roglič chose this moment to attack himself with only Mas and Bernal able to follow the move. This brought De La Cruz back incredibly quickly but Mäder set his gentle pace for Haig dragging him and Meintjes back as Kuss was dropped with Yates.
Bernal hit over the top of Roglič as Haig made contact again. Roglič and Mas were able to follow with Roglič coming straight back over the top again with Lopez holding 23 seconds with 1.5km to go. Bernal dropped to the back of the trio to hit again but his rivals could follow well.
Roglič continued to drill the pace after Bernal’s last dig which put the Ineos Grenadiers leader into difficulty, but he did manage to drag himself back to Mas’ wheel.
López held on all the way to the line and took the win by 14 seconds over a rapid finishing Roglič who put six seconds into Mas and a couple more into Bernal.
The Vuelta continues on Friday with stage 19; a tricky, hilly day from Tapia to Monforte de Lemos over 191.2km of racing.
Results
Vuelta a Espana 2021, stage 18: Salas to Altu d'El Gamoniteiru (162.6km)
1. Miguel Ángel López (Col) Movistar Team, in 4-41-21
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Bahrain Victorious, at 14s
3. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar Team, at 20s
4. Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
5. Jack Haig (Aus) Team Bahrain Victorious, at 58s
6. David De La Cruz (Esp) UAE Team Emirates
7. Gino Mäder (Sui) Team Bahrain Victorious
8. Louis Meintjes (RSA) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, all at same time
9. Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma, at 1-06
10. Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-07
General classification after stage 18
1. Primož Roglič (Slo) Team Jumbo-Visma, in 73-24-25
2. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar Team, at 2-30
3. Miguel Ángel López (Col) Movistar Team, at 2-53
4. Jack Haig (Aus) Team Bahrain Victorious, at 4-36
5. Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos Grenadiers, at 4-43
6. Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 5-44
7. Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma, at 6-02
8. Gino Mäder (Sui) Team Bahrain-Victorious, at 7-48
9. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis, at 8-31
10. Louis Meintjes (RSA) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, at 9-02
Thank you for reading 20 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
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!
I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.
It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.
After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.
When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.
My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.
-
-
'They aren't just good, they're brilliant' - Meet Great Britain's junior super-talents
There’s a golden generation of women coming through the GB ranks
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Primož Roglič confirms he will leave Jumbo-Visma
Giro d'Italia champion does not reveal his destination for 2024 yet, though
By Adam Becket Published
-
Michel Hessmann anti doping positive a ‘black day’ for Jumbo-Visma says boss
22-year-old German rider suspended by Dutch team in August after positive test revealed presence of diuretics
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
How much did Sepp Kuss and Jumbo-Visma win at the Vuelta a España 2023?
Turns out locking out the podium for much of the race gets you quite a few Euros
By Adam Becket Published
-
Five things we learned from the Vuelta a España 2023: Sepp Kuss is the real deal and Ineos still lacking
Here's what we learned from the final Grand Tour of the 2023 season
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Kaden Groves wins final stage of Vuelta a España as Sepp Kuss confirms victory
Sepp Kuss completes his victory in the Vuelta a España around the streets of Madrid
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Sepp Kuss set to win historic Vuelta a España as Wout Poels claims stage 20
American poised for an unexpected but worthy Grand Tour victory in Madrid
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Remco Evenepoel powers to solo breakaway victory on stage 18 of Vuelta a España
Evenepoel seizes third victory of 2023 Vuelta at La Cruz de Linares as Sepp Kuss stays top of general classification
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Analysis: What is going on with Jumbo-Visma and Sepp Kuss at the Vuelta a España?
The man in the red jersey was attacked for the second day running by his teammates, for seemingly little gain
By Adam Becket Published
-
Jumbo-Visma tightens grip on Vuelta a España as Primož Roglič leads stage 17 podium blitz atop the Angliru
Sepp Kuss keeps the red jersey by eight seconds over Jonas Vingegaard going into the final four stages
By Tom Davidson Published