Van Eetvelt celebrates too early and Roglič makes him pay at Vuelta | Video

Lennert Van Eetvelt was livid with himself after starting his victory celebration only for Primož Roglič to school the young Belgian rider (Photo: Unipublic-SCA)

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) has won the first summit finish of La Vuelta 2024 after young Belgian rider Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto Dstny) really put it up to him but celebrated too early and blew his chance.

With the finish line located on the sweeping right-hander Van Eetvelt took the faster inside line and was in the process of putting his right arm in the air to celebrate when Roglič came around him to win.

Roglič may have won the stage anyway, as he finished so fast, but Van Eetvelt also put in a very strong final charge to the line atop the Pico Villuercas and may have just taken it had he not begun his celebration too early.

Ireland's Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) was 41st today, at 3:02, which is no harm considering his team his targeting stage wins, especially from breakaways on the hilly stages as the race progresses.

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Darren Rafferty, the Irish national road race champion competing in his first Grand Tour with EF Education-EasyPost) peeled off with 7km to go today and finished in 118th at 13:34. On what was a brutally had finish, Rafferty's team leader Richard Carapaz slipped down the pecking order today, placing 25th on the stage at 1:29.

Today's stage winner and runner-up were among a three-strong group, with Enric Mas (Movistar Team) that pulled ahead on the climb as the gradient really kicked in with about 5km to though. Though their three-man group became seven before the top of the climb, Roglič, Van Eetvelt and Mas looked very strong today.

Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) was the first to push on when the riders hit the steepest section - between 5km and 2km to go. Though the Austrian opened a gap solo, it was Roglič who took charge just a few seconds behind, with only Mas and UAE Tour winner Van Eetvelt (23) able to hold him.

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After they caught Gall, and distanced him a little, the three leaders came off the steepest section - a concrete laneway up the side of the mountain - and back onto a tarmac road, where the gradients evened out a little.

Gall got back to the three leaders, along with João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech). Once the lead group had swelled to six, it go more tactical up front, with the pace easing a little, allowing Mikel Landal (Soudal QuickStep) back to the front group.

And soon after he got back on, Landa attacked in a bid to take the stage win, with Van Eetvelt rapidly responding. And though the Belgian opened a gap on Roglič it wasn't enough, with the three-time overall winner - and now 13-time stage winner - closing down the 23-year-old and passing him on the line.

Somehow the front seven were all credited with the same time, Almeida taking 3rd on the stage and Roglič going into the leader's red jersey. Today's race leader, Wout van Aert (Visma Lease a Bike) lost 16:44 today and his general classification challenge is over, as expected.

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