Pre-Vuelta a España favorite Primož Roglic slashed practically two minutes off race chief Ben O’Connor’s margin on the summit end of Puerto de Ancares.
The Slovenian attacked virtually as quickly because the double digit gradients of the ultimate first class climb hit, swiftly distancing O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale), who had began the day with a lead of three.16.
GC contenders have been unfold all around the mountainside because the Australian battled to maintain himself within the purple jersey ultimately transport practically two minutes to depart his lead over the Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider at 1.21.
Nobody within the peloton had any hope of a stage win although because the break had been given a lead that ballooned as much as 16 minutes. Out entrance, Canadian Michael Woods performed his card cannily to take his first stage win at this 12 months’s Vuelta a España.
The Israel-Premier Tech rider performed it cool within the massive breakaway of 23 riders watching at Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) shot off the entrance on each climb to say the king of the mountains factors.
He made his transfer with simply over 5 kilometres to race on the double-digit gradients of the ultimate climb.
Initially, Mauro Schmidt (Jayco-Alula) was capable of go together with him however the Swiss was quickly distanced because the Canadian soloed to the road to say his third profession stage win on the Spanish grand tour.
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Woods joins a listing of stage winners that features Alberto Contador and Joaquim Rodríguez, who gained atop the 1,657m climb in 2014 and 2012 Vueltas a España respectively.
The way it occurred
The day’s breakaway of 23 riders constructed up a spot of over 12 minutes after 100km of racing.
Amongst these within the entrance group was Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), who began the day stage with Adam Yates (UAE-Emirates) on the prime of the king of the mountains competitors.
Yates wasn’t current within the break, and regardless of the efforts of his team-mates Marc Soler and Jay Vine, van Aert was capable of hoover up the utmost factors on the race’s early climbs taking his KOM lead out to seven factors over Yates.
The primary 100km have been lined at a mean of 44kph, considerably quicker than the race organiser’s quickest predicted velocity of 42kph. Deacthlon-AG2R La Mondiale did a lot of the tempo setting within the peloton all through the day, as is customized for the race chief’s crew on a day like right this moment.
Out entrance Van Aert picked-up the utmost factors on the day’s intermediate dash to elongate his greater than 80 level lead over Kaden Groves (Alpecin Deceuninck) within the inexperienced jersey competitors.
The break started to fragment, largely below the stress of van Aert’s close to ceaseless assault, because the race got here into its hilly conclusion. On the day’s penultimate climb of Puerto du Lumeras the UAE-Emirates trio of Marc Soler, Jay Vine and Brandon McNulty tried to get one in every of them away however they have been shut down.
In the long run the Belgian was the primary of the entrance runners to crest the second class climb to present himself a 13 level lead over Yates.
There was drama on the descent as McNulty slid off the highway, going below the Armco, on the descent inflicting his team-mate Vine to additionally crash. McNulty was bloodied however capable of climb again up the financial institution to the highway earlier than remounting to journey to the end.
That left a gaggle of 5 made up of van Aert, Soler, Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), Sam Oomen (Lidle-Trek) and Mauro Schmidt (Jayco-Alula) coming into the ultimate climb of Puerto de Ancares collectively to contest the stage win.
Because the gradient kicked up into the double digits with 5km left to race on the ultimate climb Schmidt and Woods pushed clear. Of their breakaway companions. Woods quickly dropped Schmidt to push on alone, his hole steadily extending.
Behind these contesting the stage, Movistar set the tempo within the peloton, clearly attempting to arrange an assault on the GC by Enric Mas, who began the day third within the total competitors.
Mas was capable of comply with when Roglič attacked initially however because the climb floor on he was distanced with two kilometres to go.
With 4 of the ultimate 5 kilometres possessing gradients within the double digits the ultimate first class climb of Puerto de Ancares was by no means nicely suited to O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale).
O’Connor, paced initially be a team-mate, was combating onerous to restrict his losses not simply to Roglič however to different GC rivals together with Ricahrd Carapaz (EF Schooling-EasyPost), Mas, Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) and Mikel Landa (Soudal-Fast Step).
As Roglič crossed the end line O’Connor nonetheless had 500m left to journey. He crossed the road 1.54 behind his greatest rival.
Outcomes Vuelta a España 2024 stage 13: Lugo > Puerto de Ancares (176km)
1. Michael Woods (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, in 4:19:51
2. Mauro Schmidt (Sui) Jayco AlUla, +45s
3. Marc Soler (Esp) UAE Emirates, +1:11
4. Sam Oomen (Ned) Lidl-Trek, +1:25
5. Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike, +2:56
6. Gijs Leemreise (Ned) dsm-Firmenich Submit NL, +3:33
7. Jose Feliz Parra (esp) Euipo Ken Pharma, +5:19
8. Mikel Bizkarra (Esp) Euskatel-Euskadi, +5:38
9. Luca Vergallito (Ita) Alpecin Deceuninck, +5:59
10. Mathis le Berre (Fra) Arkea-B&B resorts, +6:15
Normal classification after stage 13
1. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, in 51:10:15
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +1:21
3. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar, +3:01
4. Richard Carapaz (European) EF Schooling-EasyPost, +3:13
5. Mikel Landa (Esp) Soudal Fast-Step, +3:20
6. Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, +4:12
7. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +4:29
8. Felix Gall (Aut) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, +4:42
9. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, +4:44
10. Adam Yates (GBr) UAE Group Emirates, +5:17
