The thirteenth stage of the Vuelta a España saw the peloton tackle the fearsome Puerto de Ancares, a 176-kilometre route with four categorised climbs that culminated in a punishing summit finish. From the outset, the stage promised to be decisive, and it did not disappoint.
After a flurry of early attacks, the day’s breakaway took shape, but the real action began on the final climb. With about 4km remaining, the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team, led by Dani Martínez, Florian Lipowitz, and Aleksandr Vlasov, set a blistering pace that shattered the front group. As the slopes steepened to 15%, Primož Roglič made his move. He surged ahead with such force that only Enric Mas and Sepp Kuss could initially respond, but even they soon found themselves unable to keep up.
Roglič powered on alone, gaining nearly two minutes on overall leader Ben O’Connor, who had chosen to ride at his own tempo, a decision that likely saved his red jersey. The Slovenian crossed the line with a significant advantage, reducing O’Connor’s lead to just 1:21 and sending a clear message to his rivals.
Further down the climb, O’Connor struggled but managed to hold onto the leader’s jersey, despite losing considerable time. Richard Carapaz and Mikel Landa also had their moments of struggle and resilience, with Carapaz opting to manage his effort and limit his losses, while Landa benefited from strong teamwork to move up in the overall standings.
Rider reactions
After the stage, the riders gave their thoughts on the brutal day of racing. Sepp Kuss, who initially tried to follow Roglič’s attack, admitted the effort was overwhelming. “I knew Primož would go super hard,” Kuss said. “There was a bit of headwind, and I figured I would just try to hang on as long as I could, but, yeah, I definitely exploded.”
Enric Mas, who had shown promise earlier in the race, struggled to keep pace with Roglič on the final climb. Reflecting on his performance, Mas said, “The feeling wasn’t good from the start of the climb. I felt empty, and that’s why I couldn’t ride on the front with Primož. Up until today, I was feeling good. Maybe I overdid it following Roglič.”
Ben O’Connor, despite losing a significant chunk of his lead, struck a defiant tone after the stage. “I was pretty cooked; I wasn’t going anywhere in a hurry today,” he said. “I’m going to wake up tomorrow still leading this race and give it another crack. It wasn’t my best day, but I’m still in the same scenario.”
Richard Carapaz, who finished the stage with minimal time loss, saw some positives in his performance. “We can see that O’Connor is suffering bit by bit,” Carapaz noted, signalling his intent to stay in the hunt for a podium finish. Mikel Landa, who moved up to fifth overall, was also cautiously optimistic. “Primož is definitely a bit stronger than us, but there’s still a lot of Vuelta left to race,” he said, acknowledging the challenge ahead.
As the Vuelta enters its final stages, the riders’ reactions reveal a mix of determination and realism, with Roglič now firmly in control and his rivals plotting their next moves.
2024 Vuelta a Espana Stage 13 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
