MONACHIL, Spain — Team DSM Dutch Thymen Arensman won his first Grand Tour stage on stage 15 of Vuelta a Espana, a 153km mountain ride from Martos to Sierra Nevada, as Remco Evenepoel fought hard to retain his red jersey.
Arensman attacked to catch and pass Marc Soler of UAE Team Emirates and pushed on to win alone on the “queen stage” to the altitude finish atop Sierra Nevada.
The Dutchman was the only rider from the breakaway who was able to resist Movistar rider Enric Mas, who came second after finishing one minute 23 seconds behind the winner.
“It’s still really hard to believe, it really hasn’t sunk in,” Arensman said according to Reuters.
“When I was alone… I only kept thinking that I got to push and it was enough. It’s unbelievable.”
Miguel Angel Lopez of Astana Qazaqstan came third, while Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider Evenepoel finished 10th after coming under pressure early on the climb.
Evenepoel retained his lead but lost time to Jumbo-Visma’s Primoz Roglic, who made an attack in the final kilometre and finished fifth.
Richard Carapaz hung on to win the mountainous 14th stage, while Primoz Roglic reduced the gap to Remco Evenepoel after the race leader wilted on the final ascent.
Carapaz, of Ineos Grenadiers, won his second stage in three days after forming part of an early breakaway and clinging to his slim lead over the final metres as Roglic and another chaser came on strong.
The Ecuadorian completed the gruelling ride in southern Spain from Montoro to the category-one Sierra de la Pandera summit in just over four hours.
Miguel Lopez Angel of Astana Qazaqstan and Roglic were a few seconds behind. They chewed up what had been a four-minute gap but Carapaz just had enough.
Roglic, the three-time defending champion, accomplished his main goal, however, when the Jumbo Visma leader attacked on the final climb and watched as Evenepoel failed to keep pace.
Roglic slashed the gap to Evenepoel from 2min 41sec at the day’s start to 1:49 with seven stages remaining. Enric Mas was third overall at 2:43 behind.
Evenepoel will wear the red leader’s jersey for an eighth consecutive day, but Roglic was finally able to do some damage to the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider’s advantage and could try to press his momentum on back-to-back mountain stages.
“It wasn’t my best day for sure, I didn’t have the best legs, I couldn’t accelerate when Roglic went,” Alpha Vinyl said.
