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2014 Vuelta a España Stage 19: Grand Tour ironman Adam Hansen triumphs

September 12, 2014
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Australian Adam Hansen of Lotto-Belisol, riding his 10th consecutive Grand Tour, took his first Vuelta a España and second Grand Tour stage win Friday in Cangas do Morrazo. Alberto Contador’s lead wasn’t bothered and he’ll wear the red jersey into the 2014 edition’s final weekend.

It was a 176.5-km middle mountain stage containing two widely-spaced Cat. 2 climbs, the final one peaking 15-km from the finish in Cangas do Morrazo. On Friday morning the race organizers decided to shorten the final climb by two-kilometres for safety reasons, arguably making it a Cat. 3. Only three men could be tempted into the breakaway at the 25-km mark: two Dutchmen in Wout Poels (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Pim Ligthart (Lotto-Belisol), along with Frenchman Laurent Mengel (FDJ).

Poels was first over the early Cat. 2 Monte da Groba as Orica-GreenEdge and Giant-Shimano controlled the peloton’s pace. With 34-km and Monte Faro to go, the gap was 1:00 and rain began to spatter the race.

When the catch came at 21-km the sun had reappeared. Immediately the Faro began, and Astana’s Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) was the first to fly away. Sky marshaled the front of the peloton. Lutsenko summited alone and scuttled downhill, with 7th place Sammy Sanchez (Spain/BMC) in hot pursuit.

Sanchez was brought back as the road flattened but Luksenko beat on at the 10-km to go mark with a 19-second lead. Giant-Shimano riders were slaying themselves in pursuit. Once Lutsenko were in their sights, other teams participated in the pace making. The Kazakh was brought back on a hill with 5.3-km to go.

On that little rise Hansen attacked a couple of times to final nose off the front. As with most moves in the Vuelta’s final week, a Cofidis rider tried to bridge over. A lack of cohesion in the peloton chase gave Hansen a decisive gap. He added the Vuelta victory to the Giro d’Italia win he picked up last year. Points competition leader John Degenkolb (Germany/Giant-Shimano) was the day’s runner-up.

Saturday’s penultimate stage is the last high mountains day, with five categorized climbs and a summit finish on the Especial category Puerto de Ancares.

2014 Vuelta a España Stage 19
1) Adam Hansen (Australia/Lotto-Belisol) 4:21:58
2) John Degenkolb (Germany/Giant-Shimano) +0:05
3) Filippo Pozzato (Italy/Lampre) s.t.
23) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
147) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Cannondale) +13:35

2014 Vuelta a España GC
1) Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo) 76:00:40
2) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) +1:19
3) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +1:32
25) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Garmin-Sharp) +53:39
152) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Cannondale) +4:10:48

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