Vuelta a España: Pascal Ackermann takes final stage sprint as Primož Roglič secures red jersey

Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) safely finished the final stage on the Vuelta a España in Madrid on Sunday, securing his overall victory and successfully defending his 2019 title.

With the short 120-kilometer stage largely a procession for the GC riders, the action all came down to the bunch sprint, with Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) edging out Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) by the narrowest of margins. Max Kanter (Sunweb) and Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates) took third and fourth-place respectively.

“I wasn’t sure if I won,” Ackermann said of his victory, which was awarded by video referee. “We were really unsure and had to wait some minutes after the finish until we got the message in the radio. Today was a really amazing lead out, and I’m really happy to finish the season with a victory. It was my 30th victory, and I’m just so happy.”

Ackermann’s victory is his second of the race. He was awarded the win on stage 9 after Bennett was relegated for shoulder-barging in the Aguilar de Campoo sprint. By crossing the line first Sunday, Ackermann ensured the race’s three top sprinters – himself, Bennett and Philipsen – have all taken one indisputable victory at this Vuelta.

“Everyone won one stage,” Ackermann said. “I’m not really counting, but now everyone has won one victory and we can be happy with that.”

After the champagne was drunk and the photos were taken in the opening hour of celebratory pedaling, Jumbo-Visma led the peloton through the opening stretch of the stage as the road led into Madrid.

Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) and Willem Smit (Burgos-BH) went off the front when the peloton hit the first of the 5.9km circuits of the city center at around 40km to go, with Dmitriy Gruzdev (Astana) and Gonzalo Serrano (Caja Rural) joining them around a lap later.

The quartet gained a maximum of around 20 seconds before UAE-Team Emirates and Deceuninck-Quick-Step began to pick up the pace for their sprinters, with the escapees being caught just before the start of the final lap.

Quick-Step piled on at the front through the start of the last lap before riders started to swamp at the front to safely navigate a tricky 360-degree bend with 5km to go, allowing UAE-Team Emirates to jump into the middle of their train.

Sunweb was next to move up, coming forward en masse with 3.5km to go, crowding out the rival sprint teams before Bora-Hansgrohe rallied and took to the front going into the final straight. Bennett and Philipsen were both left to surf wheels as they briefly looked isolated from their teammates.

Bora-Hansgrohe lead out the final charge, with Ackermann going early at around 200 meters to go.

Bennett marked out the German’s wheel as Philipsen and Kanter began to come up fast to their left around 10 meters behind. Bennett came off the wheel of his German rival to make his move with around 50 meters to go, but ran out of road. The pair crossed the line neck-and-neck, with neither knowing the outcome until the race jury awarded Ackermann his win.

The GC standings were unchanged, with Roglič securing his second red jersey, and Richard Carapaz  (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Hugh Carthy (EF Pro Cycling) taking second and third-places.