The queen stage of the Vuelta a San Juan was run. The expected route between chimbas and the Alto del Colorado that always defines more than ninety percent of the race because it is the only one that has a suitable ascent for the favorites to show their legs. It happened like that.
A breakaway of six men made the stage, then only four Manuele Tarozzi, Christofer Jurado, Leandro Messineo and Laureano Rosas remained. And later, only Tarozzi who had a combative stage resisting the passage of the main group, which he managed to take more than five minutes ahead of.
The peloton, in which all the Colombians held out, including Fernando Gaviria, woke up with 20 kilometers to go before the finish line. A few meters before starting the final ascent of 18.8 kilometers and 4.4 percent average slope and a maximum of 7.1 in the penultimate kilometer.
Remco Evenepoel against the Colombians. This is how the general classification in Alto del Colorado was going to be defined. The Belgian against Daniel Martínez, Egan Bernal, Miguel Ángel López, Sergio Higuita and also Harold Tejada.
But other nationalities of runners who were in danger also appeared. Jan Hirt, the Czech from Soudal, who reduced his options by having to work for Remco, the American Quinn Simmons and the Italian Dario Cataldo, both from Trek.
At the beginning of the ascent, Team Medellín took command of the group with Óscar Sevilla, Víctor Ocampo and Miguel Ángel López. For his part, Remco followed the wheel of Egan Bernal and joined the Ineos train.
The Colombian team took Alto del Colorado very seriously, working conscientiously for their leader. He didn’t want to give any advantage and hoped to always be ahead for a possible attack from Superman.
Remco surprised with 7 kilometers to go, but he did not measure his forces in the drag and chase the Ineos, Miguel Ángel López, Einer Rubio and Sergio Higuita, left him without an engine and was left. The power of the Colombians prevailed over that of the Belgian.
And in the Colombians, the strongest was Superman. Medellín’s work paid off and López continues to show that despite his problems and not being able to ride on the World Tour, He is one of the best climbers in the world.
Egan tried, but worked for his partner Filippo Ganna, who in the end was the one to follow Superman. But he did not reach, The Pesca cyclist won the queen stage of the Vuelta a San Juan, he had not celebrated since April 21, 2022 when he won the fourth fraction in the Tour of the Alps and reached his 24th victory. A few days ago he had won the classic Ciudad de Villeta.
In second place came the Italian Ganna, the only non-Colombian in the top 6 of the stage. The third was Sergio Higuita, Egan Bernal fourth, Einer Rubio fifth and Brandon Rivera sixth. The taking of San Juan. Evenepoel came seventh. The new leader of the race is López and Colombia adds its second stage after Gaviria’s victory.
Sixth stage of the Vuelta a San Juan
The sixth stage of the Vuelta a San Juan will begin and end at the Vicente Chancay velodrome after a 144.9-kilometer journey. It will be a fraction with two third category mountain prizes and a special sprint.
Again, It is a stage suitable for packers and with a prolonged ascent of almost 100 kilometers until ending at the velodrome with a sprint.