September 16, 2023 – Wout Poels of Bahrain Victorious emerged victorious in a thrilling battle against Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step in stage 20 of La Vuelta 23. Poels showcased his prowess in breakaways as he narrowly edged out Evenepoel in a challenging day of racing in the Sierra de Guadarrama. This marks Poels’ second stage win in the Spanish Grand Tour, following his triumph in the Tour de France two months ago.
The general classification (GC) contenders fiercely competed on the final climb of La Vuelta 23, the Alto de San Lorenzo de El Escorial. However, it was Sep Kuss of Jumbo-Visma who controlled his rivals and is now on the brink of sealing the overall victory on the eve of the final stage in Madrid. If he succeeds, Kuss will become the first American since Chris Horner in La Vuelta 13 to win a Grand Tour.
The stage was characterized by an impressive breakaway. Attackers launched their assaults early on, with Marc Soler of UAE Team Emirates leading the way on the first ascent. Evenepoel and 29 other riders, including past La Vuelta stage winners such as Poels, Lennard Kämna, and Romain Bardet, were part of the breakaway group.
Evenepoel’s teammates played a crucial role in controlling the breakaway as they maintained a steady pace on the final ascents of the day. With three teammates at the front, Evenepoel was able to maintain control of the situation. In the meantime, the gap between the breakaway group and the peloton grew to over 10 minutes.
It was on the final and steepest ascent, the Alto de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, that Poels made his move. Leading the way to the summit, he was closely followed by Evenepoel, Soler, Lennert Van Eetvelt, and Pelayo Sanchez. After a rapid descent, the group worked together on the flat. Poels surprised his rivals with a sprint from a distance and managed to hold off Evenepoel to secure the stage win.
In the GC group, Enric Mas and Mikel Landa launched attacks, while Primoz Roglic controlled the pace for Jumbo-Visma. Roglic, along with Jonas Vingegaard and Sep Kuss, crossed the finish line together, already celebrating their achievements in La Vuelta 23 before the final stage in Madrid.
