Santiago Buitrago Takes Third Place in Stage 15 Breakaway at La Vuelta

In an exciting day of racing at La Vuelta, Santiago Buitrago of Bahrain Victorious claimed third place in the breakaway on stage 15. The stage, which marked the end of the Pyrenees section, offered a slightly easier terrain compared to the previous days, but still provided plenty of action within the breakaway group.

The breakaway took several attempts to form, with a high pace set in the first half of the 158 km route from Pamplona to Lekunberri in the Basque Country. The main breakaway included Buitrago, along with Tiberi, Landa, and yesterday’s stage winner, Remco Evenepol. The goal for the rest of the breakaway members was to outdo Evenepol and secure a stage win.

With about 20 km to go, on the last climb of the day, Buitrago launched a successful attack and was joined by Lennard Kamna and Rui Costa. The trio worked together to maintain their lead over the rest of the breakaway, with Buitrago attempting to distance himself from Costa for an advantage in the final sprint. In the last few kilometers, they strategically conserved energy for the sprint to the finish.

Costa ultimately won the stage, with Kamna in second place and Buitrago taking third. Despite missing out on the stage win, Buitrago’s performance allowed him to bridge the time gap back to the top ten in the general classification. Sports Director Neil Stephens expressed some initial disappointment but acknowledged the tactical brilliance and effort put forth by Buitrago and his team.

Reflecting on his performance, Buitrago expressed his satisfaction with his climbing abilities and looked forward to the upcoming stages in the final week of racing. La Vuelta will continue with four stages featuring high mountains, promising further battles in the overall standings.