Set to finish third overall in the Vuelta a España on Sunday, having fought to the last to try and turn the tables on his rivals on stage 17, Hugh Carthy (EF Pro Cycling) has described his first-ever podium finish in a Grand Tour as a breakthrough moment in his career.
The winner on the Angliru six days ago and with a notably strong time trial performance on the Tuesday, on the Vuelta’s final summit finish of the Covatilla, the 26-year-old Briton was the first of the GC contenders to try to attack Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) and Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma).
However, the strong headwind on the Covatilla severely limited his options. “I was getting a bit desperate,” Carthy said later. It was only in the closing two kilometres, after Carapaz had gone clear, that Carthy finally shook off Roglič.
Sandwiched between Carapaz and Roglič in the results, Carthy finished 15 seconds down on the Ineos Grenadiers racer and six ahead of the Jumbo-Visma rider. His third place, at 47 seconds, was secure, and he considers it a breakthrough performance regarding his GC ambitions.
“My career has changed a lot now, in the future, I want to try for the Grand Tours,” Carthy told reporters afterwards.
“I don’t want to stop now, and with the team I have, I’m in a perfect place to fight for those races. I’ll be able to count on great support from the squad, and there are lots of opportunities ahead.”
Carthy admitted that it had been anything but straightforward on the last ascent of the Covatilla, but he argued that in general, he could be very satisfied with how his Vuelta a España had gone.
“The headwind didn’t favour me, but I had to try something and attack, to try and move up on the GC. Finally, I was a bit desperate, but I tried it, “ he concluded. “Overall, I’m very pleased and satisfied with how these three weeks have gone.”
