The Belgian bike star Jasper Philipsen celebrated his third day victory in the 80th Vuelta a España.
Team Alpecin-Deceuninck’s ten-time tour-de-france-france team prevailed on the 19th and third-last section after largely flat 161.9 kilometers in the slightly rising finish in Guijuelo in the mass sprint ahead of ex-world champion Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Orluis Aular (Movistar). On Friday, too, numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrators were on the route, but there were no larger protests.
The overall leading Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Lease A Bike) and his pursuer Joao Almeida (UAE Emirates-XRG) spared their legs on the Navacerrada Pass before the showdown on Saturday. Both came to the finish on the unspectacular stage with the main field, from the sprint the Dane and the Portuguese stayed out. In this, Philipsen, who had already won the first and eighth stage, drove confidently with a big lead to the 57th victory of his career.
However, since the tour of the tour of Vingegaard duped Almeida and the UAE team and surprisingly won the intermediate sprint in Salamanca, the top favor was expanded by four seconds at the top of the overall classification. Vingegaard takes 44 seconds into the last difficult mountain arrival of the 80th Spain tour, which will probably decide on victory. It would be his first at the Vuelta.
On the 164.8 kilometers from Robledo de Chavela to Bola del Mundo north of Madrid are on the program. The last two have it all: twice it goes up to Puerto de Navacerrada (1st category), but then a bit higher in the final. At the end of the highest category, 12.3 kilometers are waiting for an average of 8.6 percent, a maximum of 20 percent is achieved.
In view of the expected protests, an additional 400 security forces will be available, including the national police and the national gendarmerie. On Sunday, 1100 officials are to ensure security around the last stage in Madrid.