Contest on the ruinous Alto de l'Angliru at the conclusion of stage 13 in the Vuelta a España cycling race
In the heart of the Asturias mountains, João Almeida of UAE Team Emirates secured a stunning stage victory at the Vuelta a España 2023, narrowing the gap with race leader Jonas Vingegaard.
With just 2km left to ride and the leading duo nearly at the levelling off at the top, Almeida made his move 5.5km from the finish. Vingegaard, Kuss, and Hindley were the only ones who could keep up, creating a lead group of four.
Almeida, who has yet to win a Grand Tour, displayed his mountain prowess, setting a relentless pace that left Vingegaard struggling at times. Only Tadej Pogacar has managed to match Vingegaard on a mountain like this in recent years.
Meanwhile, Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) and Egan Bernal (Team INEOS) were dropped earlier on the climb. Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) managed to limit his losses, finishing 1:30 down on the leaders and maintaining his third position in the General Classification (GC).
The stage was a gruelling one, with the Angliru averaging 9.8% for 12.4km. The road ramped up to gradients of over 20% towards the end, testing the limits of even the strongest riders.
As Almeida crossed the finish line, Vingegaard's expression spoke volumes - he had been made to hurt. The Dane's lead over Almeida at the top of the classification has been reduced to just 46 seconds due to the bonus seconds.
Behind the leaders, a battle for survival was taking place. Riders like Marc Soler (Movistar Team), James Knox (Deceuninck-Quick Step), and Fausto Masnada (Team Qhubeka-NextHash) were fighting to stay in contention.
With another gruelling day in the Asturias mountains ahead, the race for the red jersey is far from over. Join us tomorrow for live updates as the battle for the Vuelta a España continues.
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