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Urko Berrade (Equipo Kern Pharma) secured his first professional victory on stage 18 at the Vuelta a España.
The Spaniard broke away from what was left of an original 42-rider breakaway on the final climb located 6km from the finish and then crossed the line four seconds ahead of the chase-group sprint won by Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) and teammate Pau Miquel (Equipo Kern Pharma) in Maestu-Parque Natural de Izki.
“I hope,” Berrade said, when asked if this victory was a strategy to become famous in the international racing scene. “At the beginning of the Vuelta, our manager told me that I had to become famous. I said that It’s difficult for me, because I’m not a big media guy, but I think with this victory, maybe I have a chance.”
On a day that put pressure on red jersey Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), he managed to maintain his overall lead by five seconds ahead of runner-up Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and 1:25 ahead of third-place Enric Mas (Movistar) and 1:46 ahead of fourth-place Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost).
In what was a major change in the overall classification, Mikel Landa (T Rex Quick-Step) was distanced from the group of GC favourites over the day’s category 1 climb, Puerto Herrera. He finished the day 10 minutes behind the stage winner and 4:20 behind the GC group, slipping to 10th place overall now at…
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