After a first Spanish week spent in the North, the Vuelta headed south-east of the country on Monday for the tenth stage between Elche and Alicante on Tuesday, a relatively long time trial (30.9km), very flat and very rolling, promised to a pure specialist in the discipline.
The leader of the general classification, Remco Evenepoel, Belgian champion and bronze medalist at the last World Championships in the specialty, was logically the favorite. “It’s a very good course for him: strength and aerodynamics, it’s the ideal combo, he’s the best there”anticipated at the start of the afternoon Rémi Cavagna, who had the best time for a long time and finally finished 3rd.
The Frenchman was not mistaken. Equipped with a 60-tooth chainring, his Belgian team-mate crushed the day’s time trial: in the lead at all the intermediate passages, the red jersey swallowed the track at an average speed of more than 55 km/h and relegated all his rivals at more than 45 seconds, including his runner-up Primoz Roglic, yet the reigning Olympic champion in the specialty.
Already 2’41 ahead for Evenepoel overall
The Slovenian put in a very solid performance, finishing second ahead of Cavagna, but he couldn’t do anything against Evenepoel, who has confirmed his extraordinary form since the start of the event. In control from start to finish, the 22-year-old prodigy clinched the first victory of his career on a grand tour and gained an already impressive lead at the halfway point (+2’41!) at the top of the general standings. Behind Roglic, the gaps are huge.
Enric Mas nicely limited the damage (he was not caught by Evenepoel, who started just after him) but is now more than three minutes behind (+3’03), like his compatriot Carlos Rodriguez ( +3’50). Simon Yates (+4’50) and Juan Ayuso (+4’53) complete the top 6. Behind, we are already more than six minutes behind the Belgian leader…
Almeida’s Misadventure
On the French side, we will highlight the very good performance of Pavel Sivakov, 5th in time of the day and now 9th overall. The French champion in the discipline, Bruno Armirail, was only ranked 29th. Julian Alaphilippe, who did not give up, finished 55th, 4’30 behind his Belgian leader.
For his very last time trial on a grand lap, Vincenzo Nibali failed in 94th place. Finally, at the end of this day marked by eight non-runners, many of whom are linked to the Covid, we note the misadventure of Joao Almeida (15th), who started on the basis of a good time before taking the wrong path in taking the derivation of the cars in the last hectometres, and thus lost precious seconds…