Remco on the ropes

Rivals fight back as the Vuelta hits the high mountains, writes James Shrubsall

- James Shrubsall

It was with renewed confidence that Remco Evenepoel’s main GC rivals anticipated the final week of the Vuelta a España on Monday’s third and final rest day.

The Belgian Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl rider had suffered a torrid weekend in the mountains of south-west Spain, losing more than a minute to secondplaced Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) and Enric Mas (Movistar) in third. The Belgian goes into the final week with 1.34 over Roglič and 2.01 over Mas.

Evenepoel ceded most of his time to Roglič when the Slovenian attacked on Saturday’s tough summit finish to La Pandera to gain 48 seconds, while the next day, stage 15 to Sierra Nevada, it was Spaniard Mas’s turn to skip off the front in the final kilometres and take 41 seconds.