There was no photo. At the end of a false flat sprint rising in Montilla, Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) won the 13th stage with ease, frustrating Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), who came from behind and ranked 2nd, overtaking Pascal Ackermann (UAE Emirates) in the last meters. The Dane thus signs his first victory on the Vuelta, the 2nd in the grand tour a few weeks after his success in Saint-Etienne. He also consolidates his green jersey nine days before arriving in Madrid. The day after his fall and on the eve of a weekend in the high mountains which could be decisive, Remco Evenepoel (Quick Step) did not experience any problems for his 7th day in red. The general classification remains unchanged.
The gently sloping roller coaster offered by this 13th stage promised an enticing battle between the breakaway and the peloton. Vain hope since only three men tried their luck, from the first kilometer, and it was already the last attack of the day. Julius van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost), Ander Okamika (Burgos-BH) and Joan Bou (Euskaltel-Euskadi) bravely tried their luck but never counted more than 3’30” in advance. The alliance of the Trek-Segafredo, Cofidis, Bora-Hansgrohe, Alpecin-Deceuninck and BikeExchange-Jayco teams was too powerful to hope to go all the way.
Tour of Spain
Pedersen: “In the wheel of Ackermann, I almost did a 200m sprint!”
AN HOUR AGO
Pedersen finally rewarded
Van den Berg got up in the intermediate sprint, won by Bou ahead of Okamika. And the Spanish duo was also seen again, 9.5km from the line. The uphill false-flat finish inspired a lot of people. Sprinters and puncher-sprinters could all believe in victory, Pedersen the first. Wearing the green jersey without having raised his arms since the start of the Tour of Spain, the 2019 world champion had chained three second places from the 2nd to the 4th stage. A frustrating series. He was waiting for his day, and it arrived this Friday.
Pedersen has everyone in agreement: the finish of the 13th stage on video
In the wheel of Ackermann when the German launched the sprint, Pedersen took advantage of a break produced behind him to win with a substantial margin. Coquard also had the legs. But the “Rooster” started with a delay. Prohibitive against a runner of the caliber of Pedersen. The French thus misses again (by little) the opportunity to win in the World Tour. At 30, he is still waiting for his first success at this level.
Coquard: “We talk a lot about Evenepoel, but it is perhaps Pedersen the strongest”
Roglic wanted the stage, in vain
Remco Evenepoel finished warm in the peloton and maintains the same lead over his first pursuers, namely 2’41” over Primoz Roglic and 3’03” over Carlos Rodriguez. Despite a positive test for covid-19, Juan Ayuso (UAE Emirates) remains 5th at 4’53”. The Spanish nugget was authorized to take the start under a viral load deemed sufficiently low. Roglic, he was aiming for the stage victory this Friday.
Jacky’s palette: “From his position to the start of the sprint, Ackermann did anything”
His team put him in the best conditions as he approached the slightly uphill sprint. But the Slovenian didn’t have the rods and settled for 9th place. Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) finished 6th, his second “plot” on this Vuelta after his 4th place at Laguardia. The French clan thus signs two new top 10s this Friday. But he is still waiting for his first victory in this Tour of Spain.
Pedersen: “In the wheel of Ackermann, I almost did a 200m sprint!”
Tour of Spain
A caught breakaway and a well-crafted sprint for Pedersen: the summary of the 13th stage
AN HOUR AGO