ProTeam Arjen Livyns sprints to a top ten finish in stage 14 of the Vuelta

Today’s stage, from Villafranco del Bierzo to Villablino, was also the longest of this Vuelta at 200.5 kilometers. Along the way, the peloton faced two climbs and over 2,876 meters of elevation gain. “Especially that last one, 22 kilometers long, felt like a slow ‘strangulation’ until the top,” Livyns joked.

“Since Lennert (Van Eetvelt) left the Vuelta, we had to reassess the race to see where our opportunities still lay. For me, that turned out to be in stage 14. After my escape in stage 11, I tried to take it as easy as possible for two days to recover as much as possible for today.”

And that strategy seemed to work. After a fast-paced race, Arjen Livyns sprinted to a strong top ten finish. “Initially, I actually tried to be part of the breakaway. The day began with another long battle to secure a spot in it. We absolutely had to have someone in the break. Everyone tried, more than once even. I did too. But it was ultimately Victor (Campenaerts) who had the right legs. The group stayed ahead for a while, but when Visma-Lease a bike started controlling the race, we knew the breakaway wouldn’t last.”

“In the lead-up to the final climb, Jonas (Gregaard) positioned me well at the front. It was up to me to survive those 22 kilometers… I managed to hang on and reposition myself a bit during the descent, but in the last kilometer, I felt that I had spent my best energy on that climb. Nevertheless, I’m very happy to start the second weekend of my first Grand Tour with another top ten finish.”

Picture: PhotoNews