Vuelta a España stage 11: Primož Roglič bests Enric Mas with late surge

Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) won stage 11 of the 2021 Vuelta a España.

The two-time defending Vuelta champion overhauled Magnus Cort Nielson (EF Education-Nippo) — who had stayed away in a day-long break until 100m to go — and put 3 seconds into Enric Mas (Movistar Team) in the closing 80 meters.

“It was fair, again. The other day he [Mas] finished first and I second, I was a bit short. Today was a short stage but complicated, it was still very hot. It was a nice end, with big inclines, [and I] knew it was right for me,” Roglič said. “I suffered a lot, but by luck, it ends with a win for me. Enric Mas was also great [and] strong. But luckily, I had a little more juice on the end.”

Odd Eiking (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) spent the day in the race leader’s jersey and had to rapidly adjust to the attention that came with the responsibility of the maillot roja. He struggled on the categorized climb some 12km from the finish but managed to stick with the group.

“It feels like you can’t imagine — it feels really, really nice,” said Eiking. “It’s unbelievable to be the leader of such a big race as La Vuelta. For sure it’s one of the greatest moments of my career. It’s a responsibility, but it’s actually also just a bonus for us in the team.”

How it happened

The 133.6-kilometer route from Antequera to Valdepeñas de Jaén was very lumpy and concluded with a punchy, 3km climb to the finish. The final 1,000m presented riders with grades at 20 percent.

After more than 90 minutes of racing, five in the break — Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education-Nippo), Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Edward Planckaert (Alpecin-Fenix), Harm Vanhoucke (Lotto Soudal), and Joan Bou (Euskaltel-Euskadi) — had 1:12 at 100km of racing remaining.

Jumbo-Visma was on the front of the chase with a few Movistar Team and Ineos Grenadiers sitting on their wheels.

A crash at 87.5km to go near the front brought down Mikel Landa (Movistar Team) and Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) when the American appeared to have a flat rear tire on a tight right hand turn on an uphill stretch. Landa was quick to remount, but Simmons had to wait for a wheel.

The gap between the break and the peloton hovered around 1:45 at 78km remaining, and remained thus for the following 40km.

With 46km to go, the break still had 1:47 advantage when the Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux squad moved to the front of the peloton, ahead of the Jumbo-Visma squad.

At the intermediate sprint point, none of the riders in the break contested it, and they rolled through with 34 km to go, and still maintained a 1:37 advantage on the peloton, which was strung in single-file formation.

Chasers bring back break

Like a flip of a switch, the peloton brought the gap to 1:15 at 27km to go as the big, chasing bunch regrouped on a small rolling hill.

Olympic champion Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) looked to be in distress at the back of the peloton while at the front, Michael Matthews (Team BikeExhcnage) stayed in the slipstream of his teammates and also several Jumbo-Visma riders.

The pace of the chasers brought the gap to less than a minute at 20km of racing remaining, with Movistar doing a turn on the front aided by Ineos Grenadiers.

The front of the race cracked with 17km to go when Vanhoucke was shed from the break as Nielsen lifed the tempo to try to extend the gap to the big bunch. Lastra was the next rider to be dropped on the only climb of the day.

Nielsen shook the other four ridres and went solo over the top of the cat 2 climb as the remains of the break were absorbed by the peloton lead by Jumbo-Visma at 15km from the finish.

Team BikeExchange went to the front to bolster the pace of the chase as the gap hovered at around 40 seconds with 12km left.

Eiking struggled with the fast and aggressive pace in the main bunch, as Sepp Kuss pressed towards the front of the chasing bunch.

David de la Cruz (UAE Team Emirates), 13th overall, attacked the bunch at 10km to go and only Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma) responded to this move.

The EF Education-Nippo rider came over the top with 20 seconds advantage with 8km to go while Movistar went to the front of the chase. Nielsen was in sight, just 500m up the road.

The gap came down to 18 seconds with 1,200m of racing remaining. The road pitched straight up, at a 20 percent grade.

Roglič dominant with final kick

Sepp Kuss and his team captain Roglič attacked at 900m to go, and only Mas could match their move.

Nielsen was caught at 300m to go — his legs emptied — when Roglič attacked. Neilson weaved side-to-side on the road to the finish.

In the final 50m, Roglič put 3 seconds into Mas as the Spaniard tried to stick with the Slovenian’s late attack. He held on for second on the stage, and a six-second time bonus.

The stage-winner and the runner-up embraced after the finish line, still freewheeling on their bikes, while the stage stragglers caught up to them.

“It was a nice finish with a steep uphill where I can normally do well,” said the Slovenian. “It’s always nice to win, you never know when it’ll be your last one.”

What’s to come

Stage 12 is another day suited for a breakaway, if the break can withstand the pace of Movistar Team and Jumbo-Visma.

After losing elevation in the first 70km of the stage, the route goes over a cat 3 climb at 113km into the stage, and a cat 2 climb at 145km gone, before a fast run-in with 15km remaining.