Lorenzo Germani and Lewis Askey Join Breakaway in Vuelta Stage 18

Italian cyclist Lorenzo Germani and British cyclist Lewis Askey made a strong showing in stage 18 of the Vuelta a España, joining the breakaway group in yet another challenging day for climbers. Despite their efforts, the climbers from Groupama-FDJ were unable to catch up and compete for the stage victory. Remco Evenepoel ultimately took the win after a solo ride.

The stage featured a tough course with a total elevation gain of 4,600 meters and the challenging double ascent of the Puerto de La Cruz de Linares in the final kilometers. The breakaway group, consisting of fourteen riders including Germani and Askey, established themselves quickly and built a significant lead. However, the leading group’s advantage was too large to be overcome by the chasing peloton.

Both Germani and Askey had hopes of their team’s climbers joining them in the breakaway, but unfortunately, it did not happen. “We didn’t take turns… because we hoped that the race would restart behind and that one of our climbers would be able to join us,” said Askey. Groupama-FDJ director Benoît Vaugrenard expressed disappointment in missing the break with their climbers and stated that the team lacked concentration, costing them in the end.

Germani and Askey were eventually caught before the final climb, where Sepp Kuss solidified his position as the leader in the general classification. The upcoming stage is expected to favor sprinters, with a flat course that may be affected by strong winds.