Primož Roglič delivered a commanding performance on the eighth stage of the Vuelta a España, reclaiming crucial time on race leader Ben O’Connor and winning his second summit finish of this year’s edition. The Slovenian rider attacked on the brutally steep final climb to Cazorla, leaving his rivals in his wake and closing the gap on the red jersey to under four minutes.
Roglič, who had already signalled his intent with a strong ride on the previous stage, seized the opportunity to apply pressure on O’Connor once again. As the peloton reached the foot of the five-kilometre ascent, the Slovenian launched a series of attacks that eventually proved too much for the Australian.
“I was suffering quite a bit, it was hard today, but at the end, the opportunity was there and I went for it,” Roglič said after the stage. “I had the legs, and I was lucky. For sure today was a good stage, but maybe tomorrow I will lose ten minutes—we’ll see.”
While Enric Mas managed to hang on to Roglič’s wheel initially, the triple Vuelta runner-up couldn’t match the Slovenian’s final acceleration and finished second on the day. O’Connor, who had responded well to Roglič’s initial pace, soon found himself in trouble, eventually losing almost a minute to his rival.
“It was a bit of a letdown; it wasn’t my best day,” O’Connor admitted. “I’m still in the red jersey, so I’ll look back on this with an open mind. But I certainly didn’t want to lose that time.”
The searing heat once again played a significant role in the day’s proceedings, with temperatures soaring as the riders tackled the climb. O’Connor, who has struggled in the heat before during this Vuelta, recognised its impact on his performance.
“It was just the heat; it’s so hot, it got to me today. Yesterday I didn’t feel it at all. It’s a bit frustrating to get cooked, but it happens to everybody at some point. It’s just a shame it happened today,” he remarked.
Roglič, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the high temperatures, delivering a typically dry response when asked how he was coping with the conditions. “I’m also not cold, it’s just hot right now, eh? I try to drink as much as possible, but you have to accept it. And obviously for me, it’s definitely better hotter than when it’s cold.”
Despite the setback, O’Connor remains in the lead and is looking forward to Sunday’s stage, which he knows well from previous training camps in Sierra Nevada. “It doesn’t finish on a summit, but it’s going to be a fun one,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sepp Kuss, who was involved in a crash on the final climb, managed to limit his losses and finished 21st, just over a minute behind Roglič. “I felt good and we were well positioned as a team for the final climb,” Kuss reflected. “In the beginning of the climb I got held up by the crash, so I had to chase. I still tried to rejoin the group of favourites, but unfortunately that just did not work out.”
The stage, which covered 159 kilometres from Úbeda to Cazorla, saw early breakaways, but the real action began on the climb where the GC contenders battled it out. With Roglič now in striking distance of the red jersey, the race is poised for more drama as it heads into the high mountains.
2024 Vuelta a Espana Stage 8 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Unipublic/Sprint Cycling Agency
