Stage 16 of the Vuelta a España was a gruelling day of racing, culminating in a dramatic ascent to the legendary Lagos de Covadonga. The 181.5km route from Luanco to the summit in Asturias was always destined to be a day for the climbers, and it did not disappoint.
The day began with a tense battle to establish the breakaway, which finally took shape after 35km of racing. A 17-rider group, including Wout van Aert, Marc Soler, Filippo Zana, and Max Poole, among others, managed to slip clear of the peloton. The breakaway quickly built a substantial lead, which at one point extended to over nine minutes.
Van Aert, chasing points for both the mountains and points classifications, was the first to crest the day’s climbs, including the first-category Collada Llomena. However, disaster struck on the descent of the Collada Llomena when Van Aert, along with a few other riders, crashed on a damp curve. The Belgian star, who had been a key contender, was forced to abandon the race due to a knee injury, leaving the breakaway to continue without him.
As the breakaway approached the final climb to Lagos de Covadonga, the remaining riders began to jockey for position. Soler, who had been a constant presence in breakaways throughout the Vuelta, made his move with 7km to go. Despite efforts from Zana and Poole to reel him in, Soler’s attack proved decisive. In the misty, rain-soaked conditions, he powered away to claim his first stage victory since 2022.
Meanwhile, behind the breakaway, the general classification battle intensified. Mikel Landa launched an attack from the peloton with 7km remaining, drawing out Primož Roglič, Enric Mas, Richard Carapaz, and David Gaudu. Race leader Ben O’Connor was left struggling to keep pace. Although he lost significant time on the final climb, O’Connor managed to limit his losses and retained the red jersey by a narrow five-second margin over Roglič.
Photo Credit: Unipublic/Cxcling/Toni BaixauliRider reactions
Marc Soler, jubilant after his victory, reflected on the race: “I’ve attacked a lot, but this time I was able to finish it off. It was a very, very high-quality breakaway, but I knew that if I got away, I had a chance. Max Poole followed me, and the pace was high behind, but I did it. This is very special. I haven’t won a lot with this team, so after three years, to win at the Vuelta is special.”
Ben O’Connor, visibly exhausted after the stage, admitted the climb had been incredibly tough: “I didn’t have any power data today, so I had no idea what I was doing, but I felt actually pretty strong, to be honest—just not strong enough.” Despite the difficulties, O’Connor remained determined: “I have the red jersey for tomorrow, so I’ll try to soak it up and enjoy it as much as I can because I’m not sure it will last that long.”
With the race continuing towards Santander in stage 17, the battle for the red jersey is far from over, and the riders will need every ounce of strength as they head into the final stages of the Vuelta a España.
2024 Vuelta a Espana Stage 16 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
