Home > News

Quintana takes race lead into first rest day as Vuelta a España detours into Andorra

Tour of California champion Pogacar rules on wet mountain stage

September 1, 2019
Share on SMS

Nairo Quintana seized the red jersey on the Vuelta a España’s short, explosive visit to Andorra, and leads Primoz Roglic by six-seconds. A crash caused Angel Lopez to lose the most time of the four main contenders before the first rest day. Sunday’s winner was 20-year-old Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, the Tour of California champion.

The Course

What a stage it was. An early Cat. 1 ascent led to a HC-rated climb approximately in the middle of the 97-km length. The day ended with a three step 22-km climb with gravel sections.



Enormous Breakaway

On the first climb, Coll d’Ordino, a leading duo crested ahead of a huge 34-rider chase. On the downhill of the Cat. 1, the breakaway swelled. The HC-rated Collada de la Gallina was 12.1 km of 8.4 percent and the fugitives hit its foot with a 4:00 gap on the Movistar-led peloton.

Astana took over pacemaking even though the team had men in the break. AG2R’s Geoffrey Bouchard broke free of the fugitive group. Behind, Esteban Chaves had an unfortunately timed flat and red jersey Nicolas Edet couldn’t hold Astana’s pace.

The Andorran Staircase

Lopez went early on the first of the three climbs, with Quintana the first to latch on before Alejandro Valverde and Primoz Roglic made the junction. After a surge from Valverde, Lopez skipped away again.

Gorka Izagirre came back from the large chase to help Lopez between the first and second step. Next, Jakob Fuglsang came back to aid his Colombian teammate. Valverde and Quintana kept hitting Roglic with one-two punches. Before they reached the gravel, rain and hail began to pelt the riders and disrupt both race radio and television footage.

A few riders joined Bouchard up front. Valverde and Quintana attacked together heading onto the sodden gravel. After catching Lopez, who crashed when the cameras were down, Quintana attacked with Pogacar. On the pointy end of the race, Quintana’s teammate Marc Soler took the lead on the last of the climbs. Then Valverde accelerated, achieving typical Movistar mayhem. Called to sit up, Soler was vexed.

Pogacar left Quintana. With 2-km to go, Lopez found himself having to catch up. Quintana would come in 23-seconds after the Slovenian, who is up to fifth in the GC. Another Slovenian, Roglic, fought hard to lose time only to Quintana.

Monday is a well-deserved rest day.

2019 Vuelta a España Stage 9
1) Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) 2:58:09
2) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) +0:23
3) Primoz Roglic (Slovenia/Jumbo-Visma) +0:48

2019 Vuelta a España GC
1) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) 35:18:18
2) Primoz Roglic (Slovenia/Jumbo-Visma) +0:06
3) Angel Lopez (Colombia/Astana) +0:17
4) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +0:20
5) Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) +1:42