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© Sportreport
After the general classification was decided yesterday, the sprinters had one last chance today in the 139 km to win a long distance. The race started at the Hipódromo de la Zarzuela, on the outskirts of Madrid, and ended on a circuit in the center of the Spanish capital with one last big speed showdown of the fast men.
After overall winner P. Roglic traditionally celebrated his triumph in the first half of the track, the race only really opened afterward. A small group tried their luck to escape, but their efforts were ultimately not rewarded. Deceuninck – Quickstep initially led the field in the final kilometers before BORA – hansgrohe took the lead and set up the sprint for Pascal Ackermann with three drivers. When the German opened his sprint, S. Bennett rallied, but could no longer overtake the Palatinate man and Pascal claimed the second stage victory in the Tour of Spain.
In addition to Pascal Ackermann’s ninth and final stage victories, Felix Großschartner also impressed at this year’s Vuelta, finishing a Grand Tour in the top ten of the overall standings for the first time. The Austrian also had five places in the top 10 on the mountainous stages, results that underscore his strong skills on a three-week tour.
Result: 18th stage
01 P. Ackermann 3:28:13
02 S. Bennett +0: 00
03 M. Kanter +0: 00
04 J. Philipsen +0: 00
Result: general classification
01 P. Roglič 72:46:12
02 R. Carapaz +0: 24
03 H. Carthy +1: 15
09 F. Großschartner +8: 15
Reactions on the target
“I am so happy that I won today. This result was only possible with the support of my teammates, who did an extraordinary job, especially in the last 3 km. Here at the Vuelta we have never had an easy stage. There was always a tough fight for the dissident group and then, in stages like yesterday, the sprinters had to suffer a lot. It was important to save as much grain as possible and I am happy that I was able to save energy and it was worth it today. At first we held back a bit in the crucial phase because we knew we had a strong sprint. We went at full speed for the last 10 km and we were able to get the victory. Many thanks to the whole team! “- Pascal Ackermann
“I am very happy to have finished my first Grand Tour as a captain in the top 10. A great result and the most important thing is that I was able to demonstrate my skills here and that I can use them in the future. That result is good for my self-confidence. I think my performance also shows my strength and that I have talent. My thanks to the whole team and everyone who was part of the team at the Vuelta. Now I’m looking forward to the offseason. ” Felix Großschartner
“A ninth place in the general classification for Félix and his very good performance in all stages are very commendable. We concentrated beforehand on making sure he was in the general classification, but we entered the race without any pressure and we just wanted to see how well he could constantly keep up with the best for three weeks. At the end of the Vuelta we can see that he had a very good race. He wasted very little time on the difficult stages against the best drivers and has never had a bad day. He drove with concentration every three weeks and certainly did not lose his seventh place yesterday due to weakness, but two drivers drove more aggressively. We tried to get the escapement group back to the beginning of the stage, but it didn’t work. Felix lost two places as a result, but in the end we have to accept that. Of course, this is not particularly pleasant, but we are still very satisfied with the result and we will continue to give him the opportunity to confirm or improve his performance in one or the other Grand Tour. ” Enrico Poitschke, sports director
“Pascal’s victory was a great finale for us, for the Vuelta and for the entire 2020 season, and we are traveling home with a big chest. We won two stages and with Félix also in the top ten, his first result in the top ten in a Grand Tour. This was a first attempt to use him in the general classification and he did so with great success. As for sprints, we won the first sprint after Sam Bennett descended. But today in the man-on-man duel, Pascal was better, which makes us very happy and thus we can enter the winter break with satisfaction ”. Ralph Denk, Team Principal
Presseinfo BORA – hansgrohe
08.11.2020
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