Race leader Primoz Roglic further extended his overall lead in the Vuelta a España on Friday, netting second on the wall-like finish of Los Machuchos Monumento Vaca Pasiega behind Slovenian compatriot Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). The duo were strongest towards the end of the 166.4 kilometre stage, reeling in dangerous attacker Nairo Quintana (Movistar Team) and others, then opening a time gap over the other rivals. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Quintana conceded 27 seconds, while Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana), who had started the day third overall, dropped one minute and one second and slid to fourth.
Sam Bennett rolled in 27 minutes back, again pacing himself in the mountains. Team Jumbo-Visma rider Roglic is now two minutes 25 seconds ahead of Valverde and three minutes one second up on Pogacar. Bennett is seventh in the points classification.
At home, former Irish international Josie Knight (Britain) took a superb third successive stage win at the Rás na mBan, further building her overall advantage. She unleashed a strong sprint finish to reach the top of The Cut climb two seconds ahead of Claire Steels (Brother UK Fusion RT) and three ahead of Anna Shackley (Great Britain); Maeve Gallagher (Team Ireland) was best of the home competitors, 45 seconds back.
The 108.8 kilometre stage was the most gruelling yet of the race, scaling The Cut after the earlier category one climb of Wolftrap.
Knight is now seven seconds clear of Steels, with Shackley 18 seconds behind in third. Gallagher is fifth with fellow Team Ireland rider Alice Sharpe seventh. The race continues on Saturday with two stages: the riders will contest a 6.4 kilometre individual time trial in the morning, and then line out again in the afternoon in a one hour circuit race around Kilkenny. The event, the biggest women’s cycling event in Ireland, concludes on Sunday with an 88 kilometre road stage.
Vuelta a España Stage 12, Bilbao to Los Machuchos Monumento Vaca Pasiega
1, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 166.4 kilometres in 4 hours 28 mins 26 secs; 2, P. Roglic (Team Jumbo-Visma) same time; 3, P. Latour (AG2R La Mondiale) at 27 secs; 4, A. Valverde (Movistar Team); 5, N. Quintana (Movistar Team); 6, R. Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) all same time
Irish: 155, S. Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 27 mins 19 secs
Primes:
Mountain 1 - Alto De La Escrita, km. 39.4: 1, Wout Poels (Team Ineos) 3
Mountain 2 - Alto De Ubal, km. 56.6: 1, Jesus Herrada (Cofidis Solutions Credits 3
Mountain 3 - Collado De Asón, km. 86: 1, Wout Poels (Team Ineos 5
Mountain 4 - Puerto De Alisas, km. 106: 1, Jesus Herrada (Cofidis Solutions Credits 5
Mountain 5 - Puerto De Fuente La Varas, km. 137.3: 1, Hector Saez Benito (Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 3
Mountain 6 - Puerto De La Cruz Usaño, km. 147.2: 1, Hector Saez Benito (Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 3
Mountain 7 - Los Machucos. Monumento Vaca Pasiega, km. 166.4: 1, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates 15
Young riders: 1, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 4 hours 28 mins 26 secs; 2, M. Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team) at 1 min 1 secs; 3, R. Guerreiro (Katusha-Alpecin) at 1 min 13 secs
Teams: 1, Movistar Team, 13 hours 27 mins 20 secs; 2, Astana Pro Team, at 3 mins 50 secs; 3, Team Jumbo-Visma, at 4 mins 10 secs
Other: 11, Bora-Hansgrohe, at 17 mins 28 secs
General classification: 1, Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo-Visma) 49 hours 20 mins 28 secs; 2, A. Valverde (Movistar Team) at 2 mins 25 secs; 3, T. Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) at 3 mins 1 secs; 4, M. Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team) at 3 mins 18 secs; 5, N. Quintana (Movistar Team) at 3 mins 33 secs; 6, R. Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 6 mins 15 secs
Irish: 156, S. Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 2 hours 51 mins 54 secs
Points Classification: 1, Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo-Visma) 109; 2, T. Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 86; 3, N. Quintana (Movistar Team) 82
Irish: 7, S. Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) 45
Mountains Classification: 1, Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Burgos-BH) 32; 2, G. Bouchard (AG2R La Mondiale) 30; 3, T. Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 25
Young Riders Classification: 1, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 49 hours 23 mins 29 secs; 2, M. Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team) at 17 secs; 3, S. Andres Higuita Garcia (EF Education First) at 8 mins 51 secs
Teams Classification: 1, Movistar Team, 147 hours 10 mins 3 secs; 2, Astana Pro Team, at 25 mins 51 secs; 3, Team Jumbo-Visma, at 43 mins 44 secs
Other: 15, Bora-Hansgrohe, at 2 hours 22 mins 18 secs
Rás na mBan, Ireland, Stage 3, Kilkenny - The Cut
1, Josie Knight (Great Britain) 108.8 kilometres in 3 hours 19 mins 56 secs; 2, C. Steels (Brother UK Fusion RT) at 2 secs; 3, A. Shackley (Great Britain) at 3 secs; 4, N. Grinczer (Brother UK Fusion RT) at 5 secs; 5, M. Gallagher (Team Ireland) at 45 secs; 6, E. Backstedt (Storey Racing) at 56 secs
Queen of the Mountains:
Category one climb of Wolftrap: 1, Molly Patch (Brother UK Fusion RT) 12 points; 2, E. Backstedt (Storey Racing) 10; 3, N. Grinczer (Brother UK Fusion RT) 8
Category one climb of The Cut: 1, Josie Knight (Great Britain) 12 points; 2, C. Steels (Brother UK Fusion RT) 10; 3, A. Shackley (Great Britain) 8
Best young riders: 1, Josie Knight (Great Britain) 3 hours 19 mins 56 secs; 2, A. Shackley (Great Britain) at 3 secs; 3, M. Gallagher (Team Ireland) at 45 secs
General classification after 3 stages: 1, Josie Knight (Great Britain) 7 hours 28 mins 3 secs; 2, C. Steels (Brother UK Fusion RT) at 7 secs; 3, A. Shackley (Great Britain) at 18 secs; 4, N. Grinczer (Brother UK Fusion RT) at 20 secs; 5, M. Gallagher (Team Ireland) at 1 min; 6, E. Backstedt (Storey Racing) at 1 min 11 secs; 7, A. Sharpe (Team Ireland) at 1 min 29 secs; 8, M.y Patch (Brother UK Fusion RT) at 1 min 59 secs
Points classification: 1, Josie Knight (Great Britain) 30 points; 2, C. Steels (Brother UK Fusion RT) 22; 3, E. Backstedt (Storey Racing) 15
Queen of the Mountains: 1, Natalie Grinczer (Brother UK Fusion RT) 35; 2, E. Backstedt (Storey Racing) 31; 3, C. Steels (Brother UK Fusion RT) 24
Best domestic-based Irish riders: 1, Maeve Gallagher (Team Ireland) 7 hours 29 mins 3 secs; 2, L. Gillespie (Team Ireland) at 5 mins 14 secs; 3, M. Claffey (UCD Cycling) at 5 mins 21 secs
Best young riders: 1, Josie Knight (Great Britain) 7 hours 28 mins 3 secs; 2, A. Shackley (Great Britain) at 18 secs; 3, M. Gallagher (Team Ireland) at 1 min
