Bastien Tronchon has claimed his first stage victory in the Vuelta. The 24-year-old Frenchman pulled off a surprise win in the peloton sprint on the tenth stage. At the end of the 184.7-kilometre stage from Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra, Denmark’s Magnus Cort finished second. The favourite, Belgium’s Wout van Aert, came fourth.
Following Monday’s rest day, a breakaway group formed shortly after the start, featuring the German rider Jasha Sütterlin. The route took the riders over undulating terrain, featuring three third-category climbs and a short ascent to the finish. The seven riders built up a lead of several minutes, but the sprinters’ teams did not let the gap grow too large. Three kilometres from the finish, the last riders in the group were caught. Sütterlin, from Freiburg, had already dropped back into the peloton earlier. There were further attacks, but no one managed to break away for good.
Roglic is banking on the time trial
In the general classification, Spain’s Enric Mas remains in the lead following Tadej Pogacar’s withdrawal at the weekend due to a crash. The 31-year-old has a lead of 1 minute and 18 seconds over four-time Vuelta champion Primož Roglič. Third in the general classification is the Austrian Felix Gall, 1 minute and 39 seconds behind. On Tuesday, the favourites largely kept a close eye on one another.
Wednesday offers another opportunity for the sprinters. The 153.8-kilometre stage between Cartagena and Lorca is predominantly flat. However, there is a third-category climb around 30 kilometres from the finish, which could encourage attacks. The tour concludes on 13 September in Granada.
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