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Bravery and misfortune: chaotic finale to Vuelta’s 16th stage sees Roglič crash hard after bold attack

Pedersen is fourth 2022 Vuelta rider to win two stages

September 6, 2022
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Three-time Vuelta a España champion Primoz Roglič made an audacious late attack that almost paid off with a substantial time gain on red jersey Remco Evenepoel, but he crashed within sight of the finish line in Tomares, paying a heavy price to take back only eight seconds. Green jersey Mads Pedersen joined Sam Bennett, Jay Vine and Richard Carapaz in the Brace of 2022 Vuelta a España Victories Club on Tuesday, cementing his points classification lead in the process.

You can watch the 77th Vuelta a España at FloBikes.

The Course

Tuesday’s fare was for the sprinters, as there were no classified climbs and only a couple of ripples near the end of 189.4 km.

Fitting the pattern of the stages last week, only two riders, chaps from Spanish wildcard teams, bothered to go out in the breakaway on such an obvious sprinter’s day. Cofidis and Trek-Segafredo did most of the pace-making in the peloton.

Ander Okamika (purple) and Luis Ángel Maté volunteered to be Tuesday’s rabbits.

Everything was going to script, the intrepid Spanish duo sopped up with 14 km to go.

With 2.6 km to go Roglič attacked on a little uphill rise.

An audacious attack.

Pascal Ackermann was able to follow and as other riders were making their way over to the move, Evenepoel punctured, the Belgian protected by the 3 km rule. That was the Slovenian’s first bit of bad luck.

Evenepoel punctures inside 3 km.

Roglič crashed after a touch of wheels with 100 metres to go. It left him dazed and bloodied. The commisaires decided that the Jumbo-Visma man had only eight seconds on Evenepoel when the latter flatted.

2022 Vuelta a España Stage 16
1) Mads Pedersen (Denmark/Trek-Segafredo) 4:45:29
2) Pascal Ackermann (Germany/UAE-Emirates) s.t.
3) Danny van Poppel (The Netherlands/Bora-Hansgrohe) s.t.

2022 Vuelta a España GC
1) Remco Evenepoel (Belgium/Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) 61:26:26
2) Primož Roglič (Slovenia/Jumbo-Visma) +1:26
3) Enric Mas (Spain/Movistar) +2:01
4) Juan Ayuso (Spain/UAE-Emirates) +4:49
5) Carlos Rodriguez (Spain/Ineos) +5:16