Remco Evenepoel (Quick Step-AlphaVinyl) was confirmed as Belgium's first grand tour winner since 1978 with victory at the Vuelta a España on Sunday. The 22 year-old finished 40th in the final stage in Madrid, 11 seconds behind winner Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates).
Molano's victory came almost by mistake, the Colombian leading out his leader Pascal Ackermann who was unable to come round and eventually finished third, with green points classification winner Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) finishing second after a stunning Vuelta which saw him take three stages.
The 21st and final stage began in typically passive fashion, the riders taking the first 50km easy. Once they reached Madrid, and nine laps of the 5.8km circuit, Luke Plapp (Ineos Grenadiers) and Julius Johansen (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) got away.
The pair were unable to gain more than 30 seconds on the bunch but held off the peloton until well inside the final kilometre before the sprint teams finally swallowed them up.
There were no changes in the top 10 of the general classification, though Plapp's team mate, Spanish champion Carlos Rodríguez tried to steal bonus seconds on the only intermediate sprint. He was unsuccessful however, failing to overhaul Thymen Arensman (DSM) who took time on the Spanish rider to finish a solid sixth overall.
Evenepoel was also the best young rider, while Pedersen won the points classification, Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) the mountains jersey and UAE Team Emirates were the best team.
Vuelta a España 2022 stage 21 results
1. Juan Sebastián Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates in 2-26-36
2. Mads Pedersen (Den) trek-Segafredo
3. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE team Emirates
4. Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
5. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-Hansgrohe
6. Kaden Groves (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
7. Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious
8. Lionel Taminaux (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck
9. Ben Turner (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
10. Cedric Beullens (Bel) Lotto Soudal all at same time
Vuelta a España 2022 general classification after stage 21
1. Remco Evenpoel (Bel) Quickstep-Alpha Vinyl in 80-26-59
2. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar at 2-02
3. Juan Ayuso (Esp) UAE Team Emirates at 4-57
4. Miguel Ángel López (Col) Astana Qazaqstan at 5-56
5. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 7-24
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned) DSM at 7-45
7. Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers 7-57
8. Ben O’Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroën at 10-30
9. Rigoberto Urán (Col) EF Education EasyPost at 11-04
10. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-Hansgrohe at 12-01
Vuelta a España 2022 points classification after stage 21
1. Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo, 409pts
2. Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious, 186pts
3. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar, 138pts
4. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, 133pts
5. Marc Soler (Esp) UAE Team Emirates, 133pts
Vuelta a España 2022 mountains classification after stage 21
1. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers, 73pts
2. Robert Stannard (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck, 36pts
3. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar, 28pts
4. Thymen Arensman (Ned) Team DSM, 23pts
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, 23pts
Vuelta a España 2022 youth classification after stage 21
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, in 80-26-59
2. Juan Ayuso (Esp) UAE Team Emirates, at 4-57
3. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, at 7-24
4. Thymen Arensman (Ned) Team DSM, at 7-45
5. Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7-57
Vuelta a España 2022 teams classification after stage 20
1. UAE Team Emirates, in 240-36-32
2. Ineos Grenadiers, at 55-35
3. Movistar, at 1-16-52
4. Bahrain Victorious, at 1-17-36
5. Astana Qazaqstan, at 1-34-18
