Eddie Dunbar flew to victory on stage 11 of the Vuelta a España, attacking inside the ultimate kilometre to take his maiden Grand Tour stage on Wednesday.
Because the Jayco-AlUla rider sprung out of the lead group, no-one may comply with, and regardless of the Irishman’s slight stature, he held off the punchier riders from the day’s escape. Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck) completed second, with Max Poole (dsm-firmenich PostNL) in third.
The break was decisive, with the winner popping out of a 39-strong transfer, however there was additionally common classification motion, with Primož Roglič (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) taking tens of seconds again on race chief Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale).
Round 14 survivors of the day’s massive breakaway got here collectively simply exterior the flamme rouge, with riders like Jhonatan Narvaéz (Ineos Grenadiers), Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) and Brandon McNulty (UAE Staff Emirates) amongst them. Nevertheless, it was Dunbar who attacked with 600m to go, catching the group without warning and taking the win.
In the meantime, on the ultimate climb of the day, the Puerto Cruxeiras, Crimson Bull-Bora-Hangrohe wound up an assault for Roglič, who initially simply took Enric Mas (Movistar) with him. Whereas different common classification riders recovered, O’Connor couldn’t comply with, shedding 37 seconds.
The day, nonetheless, belonged to Dunbar.
“It’s bizarre the way it goes generally,” he stated on TV post-race. “I had a very dangerous begin to the race, I misplaced a variety of time, I got here right here to journey GC, and I discovered fairly rapidly that I didn’t have the legs to do this. My preparation was actually good right here. It was time to reassess and go for a stage, and at present was a chance. I didn’t count on it, as a result of I attempted laborious in the beginning to get within the break and I assumed that my legs have been gone. Impulsively an enormous break went. Me and Pippo [Filippo Zana] rode very nicely, we have been actually sensible, and right here we’re. I really can’t consider it.
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“It’s been some time since I’ve been in a situation like this. I made a decision to make use of my expertise . I used to be struggling a bit on that steep climb then I realised everybody else was. I had Pippo up the street, so that permit me take a again seat. I performed my playing cards, I gambled and backed my end. I do know on a end like this, after a tough race I can dash, however I knew I needed to go lengthy. Going with 600m to go was in all probability a bit lengthy, however that’s what I needed to do to win.”
“I suffered,” O’Connor advised Eurosport. “It was really tremendous laborious. It was laborious in the beginning, and the end climb was actually strong. Perhaps I may have managed it higher. Nonetheless within the purple jersey, one other day ticked off.
“I’m excited to get into the mountains once more, it’s hilly right here however the punchy finishes are tremendous laborious. If I’m not at my finest it may be troublesome. Hopefully, as soon as we get to the large mountains I can get again to how I used to be in Granada.
“I’m not comfortable, however I can’t actually do a lot about it, I should be a greater rider and enhance, and be higher the subsequent day.”
The way it occurred
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Stage 11 of the Vuelta was primarily a circuit race on a grand scale, with an enormous loop – 166.5km lengthy – across the hills of Galicia from one a part of Padrón to the opposite, through 4 labeled climbs.
It could ordinarily be a day for the breakaway, however with the chaos of the final classification at this race up to now, something may occur.
The day started with a number of assaults as riders tried to get away, together with an early dig from Julius van den Berg (dsm-firmenich PostNL), however they got here to little.
A big group tried to flee with 142km to go, together with Giro d’Italia stage winner Jhonatan Narváez (Ineos Grenadiers), however this was reeled again in 4km later.
Narváez was eager to get away, attacking once more with 129km to go, however was tagged as soon as extra.
On the high of the primary labeled climb of the day, the Puerto San Xusto, Marco Frigo took the utmost three factors on the third-category peak.
It was on the foot of the San Xusto, the day’s break started to kind with a flurry of assaults, with Narvaéz concerned as soon as once more.
As soon as the whole lot was settled, after a collection of escapees, there was a break of 39 up the street, who had over six minutes on the peloton for a lot of the day.
They have been: Corbin Sturdy, Matthew Riccitello, Marco Frigo, George Bennett (Israel-Premier Tech), Jesus Herrada, Guillaume Martin, Ion Izagirre (Cofidis), Reuben Thompson, Lorenzo Germani, Sven Erik Bystrøm (Groupama-FDJ), Eduardo Sepúlveda, Arjen Livyns, Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny), Dani Martínez, Patrick Gamper, Nico Denz (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Gijs Leemreize, Chris Hamilton, Max Poole (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Urko Berrade, Ibon Ruiz (Kern Pharma), Xander Meurisse, Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Carlos Canal, Pelayo Sánchez (Movistar), Narváez, Brandon Rivera (Ineos Grenadiers), Atila Valter, Steven Kruijswijk (Visma-Lease a Bike), Carlos Verona, Sam Oomen (Lidl-Trek), Filippo Zana, Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla), Gianmarco Garofoli (Astana Qazaqstan), James Knox (Soudal Fast-Step), Brandon McNulty (UAE Staff Emirates), Fran Miholjević (Bahrain Victorious), Xabier Isasa (Euskatel-Euskadi), and Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Lodges).
The important thing man within the break when it comes to the general was Bennett of IPT, who moved up into the highest 5 within the digital GC due to his journey.
Meurisse was the primary excessive of the Puerto Aguasantas, and pushed on, taking a minute on the remainder of his breakaway companions. On the second time up the Aguasantas the chasing group shattered, with about 18 left within the group, together with three IPT riders, who have been guiding Bennett.
Atop the Aguasantas the second time, Meurisse claimed the utmost factors, however the time hole started to return down because the race got here inside 50km to the end.
Behind, within the peloton, Movistar began to drag, defending Enric Mas’ fourth place on GC, and the hole between the break and the peloton descended to lower than 5 minutes. Meurisse was caught with 35km to go.
An assault from Campenaerts forward of the ultimate group broke up the entrance group, taking lower than 10 riders with him, together with Rivera. Bennett was left behind within the chasing group. Nevertheless, the climbers have been able to make their transfer on the Puerto Cruxeiras. On the entrance Verona, Zana and Berrade tried to climb away, with about 24 seconds on the pursuers.
Additional down the street, Primož Roglič (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), the person in second place, sought to explode what was left on the peloton, to take the combat to purple jersey Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale).
Because the gradient headed upwards, Roglič escaped with Enric Mas (Movistar), and O’Connor started to depend on different GC riders to assist carry the transfer again, however he gave the impression to be shedding time to the Slovenian.
Up on the entrance of the race Max Poole (dsm-firmenich PostNL) joined the lead group, together with Berrade and Verona. The latter received the dash atop Puerto Cruxeiras, with the trio solely having a handful of seconds over the rest of the break.
Roglič crested the Cruxeiras within the firm of the vast majority of different GC favourites, aside from O’Connor, who was virtually 30 seconds behind.
The entrance of the race got here again collectively, with Narvaéz becoming a member of simply earlier than the flamme rouge was taken. The Ecuadorian was a favorite for if it got here to the end in a gaggle.
Nevertheless, an enormous assault got here from Dunbar of Jayco AlUla inside the ultimate kilometre, with the slight Irishman giving the whole lot to hold onto the end. Behind, Hermans beat Poole to take second.
Outcomes
La Vuelta a España 2024 Stage 11: Campus Tecnológico Cortizo Padron > Campus Tecnológico Cortizo Padron (166.5km)
1. Eddie Dunbar (Ire) Jayco AlUla, in 3:44:52
2. Quinten Hermans (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck, +2s
3. Max Poole (GBr) dsm-firmenich PostNL, at similar time
4. Jhonatan Narvaéz (European) Ineos Grenadiers, +4s
5. Urko Berrade (Esp) Kern Pharma
6. Filippo Zana (Ita) Jayco AlUla)
7. Ion Izagirre (Esp) Cofidis
8. Carlos Verona (Esp) Lidl-Trek
9. Gianmarco Garofoli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
10. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Staff Emirates
Basic Classification after Stage 12
1. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, in 44:54:54
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +3:16
3. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar, +3:58
4. Richard Carapaz (European) EF Schooling-EasyPost, +4:10
5. Mikel Landa (Esp) Soudal Fast-Step, +4:40
6. Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, +5:23
7. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +5:29
8. Adam Yates (GBr) UAE Staff Emirates, +5:30
9. Felix Gall (Aut) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, at similar time
10. George Bennett (NZl) Israel-Premier Tech, +5:46
