Second rest day of this Vuelta looks like a good moment to digest everything that happened during the second week, and to go over the latest news. The biggest news of the weekend was the confirmation that Pogačar will not race again this season. UAE and Tadej have decided to take all the time needed to recover properly, without putting any pressure on a return date. It’s obviously a shame to see him finish the season this way, especially after the way he started La Vuelta and aiming to get a 3rd World Championship in a row... But well, the upcoming races this year will be full of riders that I’m looking forward to watching perform too. Such as Wout van Aert… Second victory yesterday, this time in the Córdoba “oven” after a brutally stage. Really hope he can maintain this form until the WC in Canada. Tomorrow, La Vuelta is back… a unique opportunity for Enric Mas to win a Grand Tour is only a few days ahead of him. Roglič and Gall look like the only riders able to stop this for happening.

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Eyes on La Vuelta 🇪🇸 Stage 15… Great ride from Marco Brenner yesterday! A new stage winner name in this Vuelta, and another young rider showing off. Enric Mas keeps doing his job with 25 seconds more gained on Roglič, taking his lead to more than two minutes and putting even more pressure on the rest of the GC contenders. Today… we have a very different stage. The extreme heat in southern Spain has forced the organisers to cut almost 80 km from the original route, bringing the stage down to just 110 km. That completely changes the race. A much shorter and more explosive stage, it is maybe another opportunity for Visma to try to take control and bring Brennan into the sprint… or maybe another attempt from the unstoppable Wout van Aert. The fact that the stage has been shortened changes everything, and I'm curious to see how all the teams in the peloton will handle it… Photo by Getty Images

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Eyes on La Vuelta 🇪🇸 Stage 14… What a joy to finally see Wout van Aert winning yesterday! I really like this guy and his competing philosophy. He explained at the end of the stage that his victories are “muscle and sacrifice”, and yesterday, that formula was multiplied by two. After all his attempts and the work alongside his teammate Brennan, it all paid off. Today, completely different story. The race heads to Sierra de la Pandera, with a final summit climb and plenty of room for the GC contenders to make a move. After what we saw at Calar Alto, Enric Mas has shown he is the man to beat uphill. But Roglič, Gall, Carapaz and the rest cannot afford to just let him ride away. I think that today we can see some more GC battleling. Photo by Getty Images

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epaper all the screens

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Eyes on La Vuelta 🇪🇸 Stage 13 live… Today’s race is already well underway, and there are less than 40 km to go until the finish… but I want to start by mentioning the great stage Jakob Omrzel had yesterday! Another young Slovenian who delights us with his riding style. He broke away solo on the last climb, claimed his first stage victory in a Grand Tour, and almost without anyone noticing he has climbed up the GC standings. And then there’s Enric Mas. Vvery strong performance from the red jersey, being the strongest of the GC contenders and extending his advantage over the rest. He’s proving that, right now, he is the best climber in this Vuelta. The breakaway, it’s a big one. Van Aert, Brennan, Vermaerke, Mattias Skjelmose, Buitrago, Küng and many other strong names are up the road. Skjelmose has already managed to gain some time on his GC rivals, so this is not just about the stage anymore. A have a soft spot for Wout van Aert, will today finally be his day? Photo by Getty Images

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Eyes on La Vuelta 🇪🇸 Stage 12… Mountains today! Once again, a lot of elevation gain and a finale linking several hard climbs before the summit finish at Calar Alto. Perfect terrain for the GC guys to do some damage. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean the stage winner will come from the GC group. I think the control could be very different today. Movistar doesn’t really have the firepower to control a stage like this all day, and I don’t think Decathlon will make the same mistake of taking their leader to the limit just to see him launch a 15 meters attack that he can’t follow up... Enric is still the favorite to finish in red. So, maybe today is finally a good day for the breakaway, if there are still some riders with the legs and the courage to go for it. Everything will depend on how the race reaches Bacares and the gap there from any leading group. GC battle at the end, breakaway for the stage? I am having 4 hours of cycling today to find out! 🤓😅 Photo by Sirotti

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Eyes on La Vuelta 🇪🇸 Stage 11… First of all… Mads Pedersen is out, one of my favorites... he did not perform as he wanted to and was not feel well either. Also one of the names I had on my list for today’s stage. On paper, today should be an even clearer day for Visma to control the race and take their men into the final sprint. But after what happened yesterday… I’m not so sure anymore. The late doubts and the changes of strategy in the final kilometres left Visma without the control they were looking for, and Bastien Tronchon appeared from nowhere to surprise everyone... himself included! 😅 Given the crosswinds, will today bring us another surprise? Photo by Keystone

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Eyes on La Vuelta 🇪🇸 Stage 10… Back racing after a rest day… and still trying to get used to this Vuelta without Pogačar. On paper, today’s stage will be for the sprinters who survive the day’s mountains. It might seem like a flat stage, but there’s once again nearly 3,000 meters of cumulative elevation gain. I’m curious to see how Team Movistar manages the race now that Enric Mas is the leader in his own right after his great performance on Sunday. I get the feeling that the peloton will want to test the Spanish team with a large breakaway right from the start. If everything stays relatively under control at the end, this will be a win for one of the Visma riders: Wout van Aert or Matthew Brennan. Photo by Angel Camarena / Cxcling

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Just watched the highlights of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic. What a fun race to discover. That circuit really has a bit of everything, especially the Manayunk Wall at a 17% grade. Any Philly locals here who followed it live? Photo by Brian Hodes

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Today, La Vuelta set off from one of the most beautiful towns in Spain… La Vila Joiosa It’s a shame to miss the great Pogačar…

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Eyes on La Vuelta 🇪🇸 Stage 09 live… I’m still trying to process Pogačar’s crash yesterday. Seeing him out of this Vuelta after such a nasty crash has really gotten to me… I’ve never been so moved by seeing such a bad stroke of luck hit a professional athlete. I guess I really admire this guy! Pogi’s absence leaves the GC wide open, and today, is a grat day to reopen this fight: 185 km, more than 5,000 metres of elevation gain and the Alto de Aitana waiting at the end. This is as close as it gets to a queen stage, so it could completely reshape this Vuelta. Now, no more Pogačar to control the race, no clear favourite anymore, and everyone has a reason to believe. Who ends up in the red at the end of the day? Photo by Getty Images

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Just the day I start talking about crashes, the ugliest crash to watch has happened….😱 Tadej is out! What a shame! The race changes now!

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Eyes on La Vuelta 🇪🇸 Stage 08 live… …but just before getting into today’s stage, I just want to mention something that has been on my mind since yesterday. Luca Van Boven crashed hard and still managed to finish the stage. Then, reading the news afterwards, I found out he did it with two broken ribs and a collapsed lung. It’s just insane. These guys are pushing their bodies to the limit every single day. After my own crash a few weeks ago, I simply cannot watch these crashes in the same way anymore. This sport is beautiful to watch, and even more beautiful to practice, but it can also be brutal sometimes. Now, back to today’s stage. There’s a solo breakaway up the road, with brave Sinuhé Fernández, while Visma is keeping things under control behind. Today looks like another opportunity for the sprinters who can survive the final climb. My names: Pedersen, Wout van Aert, Brennan… and as my surprise pick of the day, I’m going with Pau Miquel.

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Eyes on La Vuelta 🇪🇸 Stage 07… Yesterday, we got something… unexpected. Not really in the overall picture, but there was a one-off moment, definitely worth mentioning. Enric Mas did something I haven’t seen many riders do in recent years: close the gap after a serious Pogačar attack. It reminded me of those moments when Vingegaard managed to do something similar against Tadej during the Tour de France. Maybe that came as a shock even for Pogačar, and that's why he almost went off the road on the descent a few minutes later 🫣 But he controlled the bike like very few riders, even at the professional level, could and went back on track and won the stage. Honestly, the more days I watch Tadej Pogačar racing, the more I feel I'm watching something unique. The greatest cyclist in history, and quite possibly one of the greatest athletes of all time. It’s already become extraordinary when someone else manages to respond to one of his attacks. Photo by Getty Images

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Eyes on La Vuelta 🇪🇸 Stage 06… Today: gravel! We’re entering Castellón, one of the most mountainous regions in Spain, second only to Granada in overall elevation and with one of the highest densities of mountain passes in the country. Perfect scenario for cycling. Today’s stage is 177 km with, again, almost 3,000 metres of elevation gain and four climbs… but the big question is what happens on El Bartolo. A new climb for La Vuelta, with a gravel section right in the middle of the ascent and ramps going over 20% 🤯 Ambush? Pogačar is always hungry, so I wouldn’t rule out anything... but one thing is for sure: if Pogi wants it, it’s going to be very difficult to stop him. However, this could also be a stage for a strong or late breakaway to try something special. Stage wins are expensive in this Vuelta, so there are plenty of names on the board today. Today is another fun one!

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