Vuelta a Espana: Jesus Herrada wins stage 6

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It was a day of firsts at the Vuelta a España, Jesús Herrada (Cofidis) taking his debut success in a Grand Tour when he jumped clear of fellow breakaway Dylan Teuns (Bahrain-Merida) inside the final kilometre of the stage six finale on the Ares del Maestrat climb. Teuns, though, also pulled off a huge coup, moving into the red jersey thanks to Astana’s decision not to defend Miguel Ángel López’s lead and, just as significantly, to the Belgian’s power on the final ascent, which saw off his main rival for red, Ineos’s David De La Cruz.

The stage was, unfortunately, also notable for a number of high-profile abandons as the result of a mid-stage crash. EF Education First were the team most affected. Their leader Rigoberto Urán and climber Hugh Carthy were forced out of the race, the Colombian suffering a broken collar-bone. The incident also resulted in the abandon of Nicolas Roche (Sunweb), the Vuelta leader for three days, and CCC’s Victor De La Parte.

Following the crash, which involved a significant number of riders in the peloton, Astana eased off with their pace-setting, which allowed the advantage of the 11-man breakaway to grow. In addition to Herrada, Teuns and De La Cruz, this group also contained David de la Cruz, Gianluca Brambilla (Trek-Segafredo), Pawel Poljanski (Bora-Hansgrohe), Dorian Godon (AG2R La Mondiale), Tejay van Garderen (EF Education First), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Tsgabu Grmay (Mitchelton-Scott) and Robert Gesink (Jumbo-Visma).

Astana held the group’s leading to around four minutes until the penultimate climb, the third-category Puerto de Culla, then let it steadily drift out, clearly under orders to allow one of the breakaways to have an unexpected prize.

Up ahead, Grmay hit out on his own on the Culla, crossing it with a lead of 20 seconds. On the descent, misfortune struck EF Education First again, as van Garderen went down heavily on a sweeping right-hand bend. The American lay under a bush near the roadside for some time, but did manage to remount and finish the stage after receiving treatment.

Nelson Oliveira bridged across to Grmay with 20km remaining, the pair maintaining a lead of 30 seconds as they started up the final third-category ascent to the finish. The nine riders behind them held fire until four kilometres from home, when Frenchman Armirail launched an attack that was countered by Teuns, with Herrada quick to jump onto the Belgian’s wheel. More significantly, De La Cruz, 11 seconds ahead of Teuns on GC, didn’t make any move to respond.

Teuns and Herrada quickly passed Grmay, who’d been dropped by Oliveira, then breezed up to the Portuguese, who soon fell back as well. In the final two kilometres, Teuns kept signaling for Herrada to come through and work, but the Spaniard continued to sit in, perhaps remembering how his elder brother José had lost out by doing too much too soon in the break the day before, but no doubt also mindful that the Belgian was pressing hard to take the race lead.

With 400 metres to the line, Herrada made his move, flying past Teuns, who didn’t respond. The two-time Spanish road champion crossed the line seven seconds clear of Teuns, who then had a five-minute wait to see whether he had done enough to move into red.

The peloton was led in by Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirate), who made a brave solo attack a kilometre from the line with the aim of gaining time on his GC rivals. Ultimately, he came in just two seconds ahead of the rest of the favourites, who were led in by Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale), with Astana’s López safely tucked in a couple of places behind, his red jersey destined for Teuns’ shoulders.

“I started to realise that it was possible to get the leader’s jersey in a Grand Tour. It was a goal in this Vuelta and yeah, I did it,” said the new Vuelta leader. “I knew it was possible, that’s why yesterday I was disappointed about not being in the break. But I still kept going on the climb so as not to lose too much time. It was all in the plan actually.

“With 4km to go, I knew a 3-4 minute climb is my speciality, like the Ardennes, and from there I just went full gas, with the hope nobody would stay in the wheel, but there was one guy who could follow. He didn’t want to do a turn, and then I didn’t have the punch anymore. I gave everything for the jersey today. Also for the victory, but in the end one guy was smarter or stronger.”