The Cycling Podcast / Stage 8 | Santa Pola – La Manga del Mar Menor

Although it was a quiet day on the Vuelta a España there’s plenty for Daniel Friebe, Richard Moore and Lionel Birnie to talk about.

They discuss the sprint finish and a second victory for Fabio Jakobsen before reflecting on some comments from EF Education-Nippo sports director Juanma Garate about Hugh Carthy, who withdrew from the race yesterday.

We ponder the impact of pressure and leadership responsibility following an excellent result – Carthy was third in last year’s Vuelta – and whether general classification contenders sometimes have to take a step back before moving forwards.

The finish town of Mar Menor has been battling ecological disaster over the past couple of years and there were some protests from people hoping the Vuelta’s visit would shed some light on the issue. While it’s understandable the Grand Tours want to show off the best of the areas they pass through we discuss whether the sport also has a responsibility to help publicise important issues.