Remco Evenepoel (QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl) has secured the first Grand Tour victory by a Belgian rider for 44 years after easily holding the race lead at La Vuelta on the final stage in Madrid today. The 22-year-old looked in complete command on this race from the moment his main rival, Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), crashed at the end of stage 16 and did not start the following day.
But, that incident aside, nothing could take from Evenepoel's win; the young Belgian taking TT and mountain top stage victories and looking incredibly strong during the first two weeks of the race. The one question mark that lingers is how he will do against a top flight Grand Tour opponent, especially in the difficult third week.
Roglič went into the Vuelta undercooked after being forced onto the sidelines following his crash and abandon at the Tour de France in July. He said he did not ride his bike until two weeks before La Vuelta and would need to ride himself into the event.
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While Evenepoel was much stronger than his main rival on the opening phase of the Spanish Gand Tour - in the mountains and in the TT - Roglič took time back on him on stages 14, 15 and 16. However, Jumbo Visma's hopes that their leader Roglič would get better in the final week, and perhaps win La Vuelta for the fourth consecutive time, were ended when he crashed so heavily.
And once he was forced out due to that fall, the race for the general classification was over. Enric Mas (Movistar), who finished in 2nd place overall, put in numerous attacks on the climbs in recent days but they never looked like troubling Evenepoel in the way Roglič was able to last weekend in the high mountains.
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Today's final stage in Madrid came down to a bunch sprint, with Juan Sebastián Molano taking a surprise victory. The Colombian was leading out his UAE Team Emirates team mate Pascal Ackermann in the final sprint. However, when the big German simply did not have the legs to come around his lead-out man, Molano kept his effort going and just about denied Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) a fourth stage win.
Pedersen had to settle for 2nd place today, with Ackermann in 3rd. The fight for stage honours came down to a bunch gallop after breakaway riders Luke Plapp (Ineos Grenadiers) and Julius Johansen (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) were caught just over 1km from the finish.
But it was all about Evenepoel today; aged just 22 years and already a Grand Tour winner. He topped the final podium by 2:02 from Mas with 19-year-old Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) capping a sensational Grand Tour debut with 3rd overall at 4:57.
Ryan Mullen was the sole Irishman in the race today after his Bora-hansgrohe team mate and compatriot Sam Bennett was forced out after testing positive for Covid-19 just before the stage 10 TT. Mullen had ridden a great race in support of Bennett to that point, bossing the lead-out as his team mate won two stages in the opening week.
However, while Bennett's withdrawal was a blow, Mullen continued his efforts within the team as Danny van Poppel tried for a sprint stage victory several times. Mullen finished the final stage today in 30th place and ended the event in 128th overall. His finish today is the second Grand Tour he has completed in his career, some four years after his debut at the 2018 Giro.
