• Classifications: so is the general
  • Narration: So we live the stage
  • Movistar. Marc Soler Ears

It is scary to think what it would be in these moments of La Vuelta if Primoz Roglic had not found misfortune even twice. He fell with almost the entire Jumbo in the initial team time trial, in which he was the favorite. In Andorra, when the cameras went black because of the storm, he hit his bones again on the ground. And, despite everything, the Slovenian is the new leader of La Vuelta, the only real who has had the race in this week and an initial half of straw and circumstantial leaders. [Narration] [General classification]

In the individual time trial of Pau, the stage that favored him most of the entire route, Roglic went beyond expectations. A little on its own merits and a little because some of its main rivals disappointed. He won the stage with solvency, something that was not too difficult given the shortage of specialists who have lined up in La Vuelta, and left behind two large victims, both Colombians, a lineage of cyclists who suffer when the battle is against the stopwatch.

Miguel Ángel López saw how Roglic doubled him in the final 400 meters, raising his loss of time to two minutes. A lot of margin, but acceptable after all. The big debacle of the day was carried out by the person who arrived at Jurançon, where the stage started, as leader. Nairo Quintana , lost 3:06, throwing away the good work he had done so far. In general, he loses three minutes with Roglic and sees how his hopes of winning this Tour fade away almost definitively.

Only Valverde is saved

Who better saved the day, Roglic on the sidelines, was Alejandro Valverde . "Not bad, it is logical," said the Murcia when he was told in the finish line that he had lost 1:38 with the Slovenian, which serves to place him second in the general, 1:52 from Roglic and with 19 seconds of advantage over Lopez. The fifth element, Tadej Pogacar , began the chrono as a motorcycle but went from more to less, finally yielding 1:29 with his compatriot. The good thing for the young UAE runner is that he stays less than a minute and a half from the podium, a more than real goal for him.

Pau's time trial leaves a very interesting career scenario, with a potential 'all against Roglic' to animate the stages of Asturias and those of the Central System in the last week. It will be necessary to see if López and the Movistar are able to plot alliances that allow Roglic to be taken out of the race and fight the victory between them. The problem for them is that the Slovenian has not emitted a single symptom of weakness in what goes back and that he enjoys an important mattress to play with. Right now, the feeling is that you can only lose La Vuelta.

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  • Back to Spain
  • Nairo Quintana
  • Alejandro Valverde
  • Primoz Roglic

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