• Narration Stage 14

  • Classifications.This is the general

After the time trial on the Costa de Morte, with the already unpleasant autumn sea breeze fanning the cyclists, the peloton changes the chip and plunges into the interior Galicia, where green is a thread of continuity that cannot be it breaks during the 205 kilometers that separate Lugo and Orense, in which the road avoids the plain, always up and down.

And although the terrain is not so demanding as to do real damage, its aftermath remains etched on legs that are already very squeezed during these two weeks of the Autumnal Vuelta that is already seeking the arrival in Madrid from the northwest of the peninsula.

[Narration] [General classification]

It is day for a leak and it is not a prediction, but a certainty that everyone accepts as good, even since the route of this edition was announced.

So the start, after the ten long kilometers of neutralization in Lugo, is electric, with the teams trying to integrate their riders into the good break.

Even the Jumbo of the still leader Roglic tries boldly, three gregarious of the Slovenian at a time, but only seven tickets are distributed in the front car and none is for them.

One is achieved by Marc Soler, who in a certain way is rediscovering himself in this Vuelta.

He still lacks the consistency necessary to become a rider who fights for the generals of the great tours and may never achieve it, but he begins to take a liking to fighting for partial victories.

Not in vain, the only two that Movistar has achieved in this fateful season bear his name and in this Vuelta he already accumulates the triumph in Lekunberri, second place in La Farrapona and the fifth with which he had to be satisfied this Wednesday in Orense.

What makes Soler twist the gesture is to verify the level of the riders who accompany him: Tim Wellens, Michael Woods, Zdenek Stybar, Dylan Van Baarle, Pierre-Luc Périchon and Thymen Arensman.

The first three already know what it is to win in the Vuelta, the first two had already done it in this same edition, Wellens in Sabiñánigo and Woods in Villanueva de Valdegovía.

It will be difficult, concludes the Catalan, but he only has to keep pedaling and try to save his strength for the demanding final finish in Orense.

The break is consented, but two teams do not share the general opinion.

Astana, who has tried to sneak in without success, decides to try to make it decline, but 60 kilometers from the finish and with four minutes still to spare, the Kazakhs decide that it is not worth the effort, what better to think about another day.

Who reacts then is the Total, who burns his entire squad, it is not known if as a punishment from the car or because they have faith in someone, let's say Julien Simon, and redouble the effort.

When there are about 20 kilometers left, the escapees only have a minute and a half of advantage, but Total has already run out of energy and no one takes over.

The effort of Astana and Total, in short, only serves to give the peloton a little unnecessary and inconvenient heat at this stage of the race, but it does not destroy a breakaway that advances with good understanding towards the final victory.

Only in the absence of 12 kilometers do the attacks begin, with Soler very active in them, but the movements only make Périchon conclude that it is not his day and that it is better to return to the peloton.

After the unsuccessful skirmishes, the six survivors reach the final kilometer together, one of those that Unipublic likes so much, on a continuous slope in the middle of a city.

Woods feels strong and tries to keep the chicken coop calm from the first position, Soler appears but he already knows that he will not have strength.

And finally it is Wellens who launches the blow when there are less than 400 meters to go.

Woods reacts, but there is nothing left to do and the Belgian finds the goal after a 90 degree turn in the final 25 meters and he, who loves winter Spain, the Challenge of Mallorca and the Vuelta a Andalucía, where he always finds the brilliance, he discovers that autumnal Spain is as beautiful or more and that perhaps it is his place in the world.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

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