In pictures: A red third week of La Vuelta a España
Jonas Vingegaard sealed our fifth Vuelta a España victory after a thrilling final week, where he fought hard to keep and ultimately triumph in the red jersey, making the last weekend of the race unforgettable. Scroll through the pictures from the third week to relive the ending of this year’s Vuelta.
Stage 16 & 17
In typical Vuelta-fashion, the last week began with two summit finishes. Team Visma | Lease a Bike put on the pressure on stage 16, but before Jonas could test his rivals on the explosive last climb, the stage was cut short. Instead, the GC-contenders got to battle it out on the burnt slopes of Alto del Morredero the day after. Jonas, still struggling with a cold, fought hard to stay in red.
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Stage 18 & 19
12 kilometers against the clock awaited the riders on stage 18 of the Vuelta on an intense day, where Jonas did well to limit his losses to João Almeida. A ninth place for our red rocket was enough to stay in the jersey, setting the scene for an explosive final mountain stage to Bola del Mundo on stage 20. First, the team made sure our Danish captain stayed safe all day in what turned out to be the last sprint stage of the Vuelta on stage 19.
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Stage 20 & 21
With only 44 seconds separating Jonas and João Almeida before the brutal stage 20, everything was still to ride for in the final Grand Tour of the year. A rapid stage ended with a big showdown on the vertical ramps of the Bola del Mundo, where it all came together for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Jonas took a dominating stage win in the red jersey, and Sepp Kuss rode away to second place, writing Yellow B. history in the Vuelta once again.
The day after, big protests in the center of Madrid led to both the last stage and the big ceremony being cancelled. However, no Grand Tour should finish without a celebration, and so the staff of Team Visma | Lease a Bike put together a makeshift podium to mark the end of a memorable Vuelta a España.
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