The first summit finish of the Vuelta a España at Pico Villuercas has already led to significant time gaps among riders aiming for the top of the general classification. After just four days of racing, some hopefuls have already lost two minutes or more to stage 4 winner Primož Roglič.
Richard Carapaz, who leads EF Education-EasyPost’s efforts in the final Grand Tour of the season, finished in 25th place at the top of the steep climb, 1:29 down on the three-time winner. The Ecuadorian heads into stage 5 already holding a 2:02 deficit to the race leader. He mentioned after stage 4 that the heat had a big impact on the stage’s outcome.
“It was very hot, and, in the end, it affected me a lot,” Carapaz told *ESCiclismo*. “40 degrees was too much, and the pass was very explosive. I tried to defend myself as best I could, but I couldn’t get any further ahead. Today was a day to defend. I think I did well. I was with the frontrunners in the early stages of the climb, but in the end, I was also short of water. It was very hot and I got into a zone of desperation.”
Carapaz crossed the line with Adam Yates, who also had a challenging day, losing 1:29. Other general classification contenders to lose over a minute included Ben O’Connor (1:11), Cian Uijtdebroeks (1:38), and Louis Meintjes (2:23).
With plenty of mountain stages left in the Vuelta, there are several opportunities for Carapaz and others to regain time. He said that he’ll need to “stay in the right frame of mind” to continue the battle.
“I lost a minute and a half, but we still have some very tough stages, and I think we have to continue to stay in the right frame of mind for everything that’s left.”
Other riders have also felt the effects of the intense heat and challenging climbs. The Vuelta’s tough course means that every stage can bring unexpected changes to the standings, keeping the race thrilling and unpredictable.