Jay Vine (UAE Staff Emirates) moved into the highest spot within the Vuelta a España’s mountain classification rating on stage 16 after the earlier chief, Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), crashed closely on the descent of the mid-stage cat. 1 Collada Llomena and was compelled to give up.
Vine’s advance on the mountains rating paralleled his compatriot Kaden Groves’ (Alpecin-Deceuninck) transfer into prime spot within the factors competitors, additionally beforehand led by Van Aert, with Ben O’Connor’s success in holding the purple jersey, that means that Australians are presently main three of the Vuelta’s 4 particular person classifications.
That curious scenario has solely arisen, although, after Van Aert’s exit, crashing out on the descent of the Collada Llomena in a break additionally containing Vine and teammates Marc Soler and Isaac del Toro.
Because the Australian identified the primary intention for him within the transfer had not been combating for the jersey, moderately it was to make sure that the Catalan and Mexican racers had been in the very best place to go for the stage win.
On the finish of the day, Vine was greater than delighted that Soler might get the stage win on the vastly prestigious summit end of Covadonga, and whereas not downplaying the significance of getting the mountains jersey into the discount, he frankly described it as “a bonus.”
The crash itself that can not directly result in his sporting the mountains jersey in his personal proper on Wednesday – Vine had already carried out in order Van Aert was clad within the inexperienced of factors chief – was “a weird one”, Vine informed reporters, as everyone within the break thought the primary risks of the notoriously technical descent had been behind them when the Belgian and two different riders fell on a left-hand curve.
“We’ truly took the primary a part of the descent actually slowly” – due to the dangers of crashing within the moist – “and I used to be working sixth within the line. However then there was this moist patch on a left-hander, and the primary three guys hit the deck.
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“I hope he’s OK, it’s unlucky as a result of he was kicking my arse on all of the sprints on the tops of all of those climbs. And there wasn’t a lot I might do with out emptying myself fully and probably us not getting a stage win immediately. For the staff, that was the objective, and the mountains jersey is a bonus.”
Whereas Vine returns to main a classification he beforehand held within the 2022 Vuelta – earlier than crashing out within the third week himself – the primary focus of UAE’s celebrations on Tuesday had been undoubtably about Soler’s gorgeous stage win at Lagos de Covadonga.
“I’m actually stoked he’s carried out it – I undoubtedly haven’t been in each breakaway he’s been in, however he’s been in each breakaway I’ve been on this race,” Vine mentioned, “And for him to get a win after working for others your complete race is unimaginable.
“I let him know that I wasn’t feeling myself after the primary cat. 1 climb that, and it was in all probability finest we put our eggs within the different two guys’ baskets. So I set a fairly onerous tempo on the foot of the climb after which tried to observe strikes.”
“However I knew that Mark would simply journey at his personal tempo, and when the street flattened off, and nobody needed to tug right into a flat part, Mark simply went for it. It was nice.”
The technique of Vine sacrificing himself for the others labored out completely, and though UAE had a numerical benefit within the 12-man break of the day, Vine mentioned it was something however simple to make certain they might safe the victory.
Nevertheless, a bonus of six minutes on the primary chasers on the decrease slopes of the ultimate climb made it sure that the win was coming from the entrance group, then Soler was in the fitting place on the proper time, and for the third time on this 12 months’s Vuelta, the triumph went to UAE Staff Emirates.
“Max Poole (DSM-firmenich-PostNL) was one of many favourites for immediately and so [Matthew] Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech). Each had teammates as properly within the break, so there was a little bit of enjoyable video games as properly after the second cat.1 when issues acquired a bit jumpy,” Vine defined.
“However I feel lastly everybody simply determined to stuff it, and simply journey the final 12, 15 kilometres to the foot of the ultimate climb after which see who had the legs. And that was when Marc confirmed that he’s hors classe.”
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