Kuss sentences the Vuelta and Poels frustrates Evenepoel in Guadarrama

Wout Poels, Sepp Kuss and Juan Ayuso. Those were the men of the day. Three races coexisted in one: the one concerning the stage victory, the one referring to the final general classification and the one involving the Spanish trio, immediately after the Jumbo race.

Being the first Spaniard in the most important race in Spain is not a trivial matter for the fans and the sporting interest of the event itself among us.. On the other hand, it is also convenient for the Vuelta, for advertising, commercial and economic reasons, in short, for the Spaniards to stand out as much as possible.. In this edition its role has been secondary, but not at all devoid of interest.. Since Evenepoel's collapse, the race became a matter of blocks: the Jumbo and the Spanish. The Jumbo, to the top. The Spanish, to the fight.

Poels, then, won the stage and Kuss is one day away from officially winning the Vuelta, although he already won it on Thursday in Cruz de Linares. The team had decided that their man would be the American. The yellows were in an unopposed position to choose the order of the pieces. It seems only fair that Kuss was the first. He helped Vingegaard win the Tour, and Roglic win the Giro. Now they have helped him win the Vuelta. It is already worthwhile, on the other hand, that someone who has run the three major rounds signs up for one of them. His colleagues have done him a favor, but not a gift. Kuss has not exactly been a troupe in the race.

THE LONGEST STAGE

A stage, the penultimate and mountainous one, unclassifiable. Very hard? Not so much? Only third-class ports, yes, but 10. And countless studs, which could be classified as fourth-class. And 208 kilometers, the longest stage of the Vuelta. And, furthermore, at the end of the third week.

Skirmishes from the beginning: attacks, counterattacks, advances, retreats; the platoon seeking to build itself, destroy itself, reconstruct itself, form, deform, crowd together, stretch…. And, on the first climb, the Portazgo, the massive escape of the day is quickly forged: 31 men of different but recognized pedigree: Rui Costa, Carthy, Kämna, Martínez, Bardet, Thomas, García Cortina, Poels, Soler, Pelayo, Van Eervelt, etc.. And, attention, Evenepoel again, this time with three comrades from Soudal: Cattaneo, Verbaeke and Knox.

The tactics were clear and aimed at Remco's victory. And that's what seemed to happen from the climb to Robledondo, the sixth climb of the day.. Evenepoel's three squires, ahead to facilitate the Belgian's final assault. When, after many kilometers, Knox gave way, Evenepoel did not jump. Nor when, in the following kilometers and the remaining ports, Verbaeke burst. Why was it taking Remco so long to fly alone?

The KAS precedent

The one who scored was Poels, 35 years old. He was joined by Van Eetvelt, Soler and Pelayo Sánchez. Then, with some delay (hmmm!), Evenepoel. Again, on the final slope, about 400 meters, the Poels gale began to intensify again.. Evenepoel did not react immediately. When he did it, desperate, unleashed, he only missed the stage by a few centimeters. The bouquet of illustrious people arrived in one minute, with the Spaniards together and those from Jumbo holding hands. The Jumbo, an unusual feat, has won the three major rounds this season and, in addition, the Vuelta with a triplet. Here there was only the precedent of the KAS, in 1966, with Francisco Gabica, Eusebio Vélez and Carlos Echeverría. Of course, all Spanish.

There is one stage left. But journalists have written and said: “Race seen for sentence.” No man no. Sentenced!