Irish cycling photographer Karen M Edwards captures the brutality of surviving the Vuelta in these finish line photos of the Aqua Blue Sport riders. The facial expressions on Conor Dunne and Adam Blythe conspire with the message between the pair to make for compelling images.
Karen M Edwards captures Vuelta survival battle
Irish cycling photographer Karen M Edwards is currently on the Vuelta working with the Aqua Blue Sport team. And at the end of yesterday's stage 9 she was in the right place at the right time.
Edwards captured these images of Conor Dunne and Adam Blythe as they came across the finish line on the summit of the cat 1 Puig Llorença at the end of 174km
Dunne had been in the breakaway for most of the day. For Blythe, and fastmen like him, these kind of finishes are about getting to the line inside the time limit.
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The two riders look shattered after a scorching hot day, with stifling humidity.
Blythe comes from behind Dunne right on the finish line. He gives him a tap on the arm to acknowledge his efforts earlier in the day.
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It's a fleeting moment but it's captured brilliantly by Edwards; the two men covered in perspiration and with their sunglasses off so we can get a look at their full facial expression.
These are two men on their last legs for the day. And they're sticking together to ensure they make it home inside the time limit.
They may look shattered here but they'll recover on today's rest day. And they'll be ready to go again on the stage 10 start line tomorrow; they have to be.
Don't be surprised to see former British champion Blythe on the podium again before the race is out, just as he was on stage 2.
Likewise, Dunne is as tough as they come and a breakaway specialist. It's very unlikely we've seen the last of him off the front of this race.
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