Jesús Herrada took a great stage win for Cofidis on his, and his team's, home roads at La Vuelta on Friday; the significance of the victory clear to see in his reaction after the finish, videos below.
The 32-year-old made the winning breakaway on the 190km stage 7 to Cistierna after going clear in the opening 10km. And when five of the original six riders from the escape group just about help off the bunch, Herrada timed his sprint to perfection. He won a very tight gallop ahead of Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan) and Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious).
It was Herrada's second stage victory on the Spanish Grand Tour after claiming stage 6 back in 2019. “I cried because it was letting go of all the tension I've had these days," he said of his latest win. "I got emotional and expressed it like that, without words.
“The final sprint was crazy. I knew I had to be patient, try to be at the wheel of the first of the breakaway. There were faster people, but I trusted my top speed. It’s very important because it took a lot to break away until we had a considerable lead."
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⏪ 🥹No estamos llorando, tu estás llorando... La emoción de ganar una etapa en #LaVuelta22 desde la fuga.
😭 Tears of joy for today's winner @jesushl90 - @TeamCOFIDIS... All the feels after an immense win from the breakaway. pic.twitter.com/rqwskc0BrP— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 26, 2022
