The climbers of team Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert prepare for an important weekend in the battle for the general classification of this Vuelta, with two mountain top finishes planned on Saturday and Sunday, respectively on the Sierra de la Pandera and the Sierra Nevada.
Meanwhile, a new transition stage in the south of Andalucia ended in a bunch sprint in Montilla. The riders of the World Team avoided gaps in the slightly uphill streets, finishing in the same time as the winner.
« We covered more than half of this Vuelta and thanks to the stage victory of Louis Meintjes we accomplished one of our main goals. Everyone knows that this wasn’t easy as we weren’t spared of bad luck. On top of the crashes of Gerben Thijssen, we were also hit by the Covid-19 problematic. We continue working for a top ten in Madrid and chasing more stage victories. Louis Meintjes feels good, even though he doesn’t have the punch he used to follow the best climbers in the Tour de France. That’s why we sent him in the breakaway last Sunday and it bore fruit. Our five remaining riders will continue like this and keep honoring our jersey on the attack. »
