Remco Evenepoel extended his overall lead at the Vuelta a Espana as he stormed up the final climb during stage nine.
Evenepoel held a 28-second lead in the General Classification heading into Sunday's 153.4-kilometre route from Villaviciosa to Les Praeres, but is now over a minute ahead of the chasing pack, including three-time reigning champion Primoz Roglic.
Indeed, Roglic's chances of claiming an unprecedented fourth straight Vuelta crown will look bleak if Evenepoel can replicate this form for the rest of the race.
Louis Meintjes was the stage winner on the category one climb to the line, finishing over a minute ahead of Italian duo Samuele Battistella and Edoardo Zambanini.
Evenepoel came in fourth, well over a minute behind Meintjes, but he was 44 seconds clear of Enric Mas, who occupies second in the race for the red jersey, and 53 seconds ahead of Roglic.
The Belgian is now one minute and 12 seconds ahead of Mas and almost two minutes better off than Roglic, and his feat is even more impressive considering he went into the stage having lost a key figure in his team, with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl domestique Pieter Serry having tested positive for COVID-19.
Likewise, Roglic and Jumbo-Visma will have to manage the rest of the La Vuelta without Sepp Kuss, who withdrew with a fever, while Wout Poels joined Serry in returning a positive coronavirus test.
Maiden win for Meintjes
While Evenepoel did the damage in the GC, Meintjes' ride cannot be overlooked. He was the strongest of a nine-man breakaway and held on to claim his first stage win at a Grand Tour.
"It's something really special – I think it still needs some time to sink in. I've actually never been on the podium of a World Tour race except for team classifications so that was one of my main goals before stopping my career," the South African said.
"The last few days in the mountain finishes I was just not quite fast enough to keep up with the GC guys. Then, if I don't get a result that way, the best is to go in the breakaway. It worked out perfectly today. I was quite lucky – my team controlled it quite well and I tried once and picked the right breakaway so that was good teamwork."
STAGE RESULT
1. Louis Meintjes (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 4:32:39
2. Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan Team) +1:01
3. Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious) +1:14
4. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) +1:34
5. Filippo Conca (Lotto Soudal) +1:58
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 34:02:32
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +1:12
3. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +1:53
Points Classification
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 147
2. Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) 142
3. Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) 81
King of the Mountains
1. Jay Vine (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 40
2. Robert Stannard (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 21
3. Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 17
Dream on: Paul urges young T&T cyclists to keep pushing for Olympic feat as 2028 LA Games in sight
While looking ahead to possibly making another Olympic Games appearance in 2028 in Los Angeles, Trinidad and Tobago’s cycling stalwart, Nicholas Paul, is also hopeful that he will be able to share that occasion with a few more riders from the twin island republic.
Well aware of the depth of the talent that Trinidad and Tobago possesses, Paul, who relished a second-consecutive Olympic Games appearance at the just-concluded Paris showpiece, believes it is very much possible for those cyclists to also achieve their dreams of competing at the global multi-sport event.
The decorated Paul, who has numerous championship medals under his belt, and Kwesi Browne represented Trinidad and Tobago with much gusto and pride in Paris, as they gave their all on the track in both the sprint and keirin events, though both failed to make the finals.
“Team sprint, sprint, Keirin, team pursuit, I just want as many cyclists as possible to be able to make it on the Olympic stage,” Paul told the Express.
“It’s a big, big, big pool of talented young cyclists coming up. I have been trying to be a good role model for them, to let them know that they can come out here because the dream is possible. You just have to work hard. We can make a good driving force from juniors straight up to the elite,” he added.
Having contested both the Sprint and Keirin quarterfinals in Paris, Paul expressed an even deeper desire to improve his standards going forward, especially after watching Australian Matthew Richardson and Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen erase his previous world record of 9.100 in the flying 200 metres.
Lavreysen stopped the clock at 9.088 seconds, mere minutes after Richardson clocked 9.091 seconds.
“It (the quarterfinals) was not the outcome I wanted, but you live, you learn, and you come again. But I’m happy for Harrie. That was a great ride, and at the same time, it’s giving me more hunger to get back on that length to be able to break the world record and get that fast again,” Paul noted.
However, for now, the 25-year-old pointed out that the focus is on rest and recovery ahead of his next major assignment, the UCI Track World Championships scheduled for October 16-20 in Denmark.
“I think I’ll back off a bit, have a bit of a rest, and then go into Worlds. I’m really hungry, but at the same time, the build was until Paris. It was a bit stressful, so I have to ease off and then go into Worlds with as much form as possible,” Paul said.
On that note, Paul also expressed gratitude for the support from Trinidad and Tobago’s sporting enthusiasts, though some comments were not welcoming of the athletes’ overall efforts in Paris.
“I never think about the negatives because we could only work with the positives, and we have a lot of positives to work with. Moving forward, us athletes should come together and try to make Trinidad and Tobago better as a whole. Athletics, cycling, and every sport; to raise the level not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but in the Caribbean,” he ended.
Melaika Russell secures bronze at Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships
Jamaica’s Melaika Russell delivered an impressive performance to secure a bronze medal in the Female 17-18 Road Race at the Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships in St. Martin on Sunday. Russell's remarkable determination and grit were on full display as she crossed the finish line in 2:06:23.840, just behind her rivals from Guadeloupe and Martinique.
The race, held under challenging conditions, saw competitors from across the region push their limits. Russell, despite not being fully aware of her speed throughout the race, remained focused on finishing strong.
"It feels great. I did not even know I was running that fast. I just wanted to go out and try and finish. I was running blind, and it was difficult, but all praise and thanks to God. Without Him, this would not be possible," Russell expressed after the race, her voice filled with gratitude and relief.
The young Jamaican cyclist has a special connection to the St. Martin venue, where she felt a familiar sense of magic that has accompanied her throughout her career. "This stadium has always been magic for me. This is where I got my two world medals and the beginning of my career; I felt the magic again today," she shared.
This bronze medal is more than just another achievement for Russell; it's a symbol of her hard work and dedication. "This race was really important; it meant a lot, and to come away with a huge PB (personal best) is amazing," she said, adding that she plans to celebrate but remains focused on not getting too carried away.
The gold medal was claimed by Guadeloupe’s Emma Glorianne, who finished in 2:06:22.145, while Dahila Reine from Martinique took the silver with a time of 2:06:22.829. Russell was hot on their heels, showing that Jamaican cycling is on the rise, with young talents like her leading the charge.
T&T’s Nicholas Paul’s Olympic journey comes to an end in Men's Keirin at Paris 2024
Trinidad and Tobago’s Nicholas Paul saw his Olympic campaign come to an end on the final day of the 2024 Paris Games after finishing fifth in Heat 2 of the men's Keirin quarterfinals Sunday. His placement fell short of the top four qualifying spots needed to advance to the semifinals, bringing his journey at this year’s Olympics to a close.
The 25-year-old cyclist entered the Paris Olympics with high ambitions, fueled by an impressive track record that included a sixth-place finish in the sprint at Tokyo 2020 during his Olympic debut. Over the years, Paul has established himself as one of the world’s fastest cyclists, earning multiple accolades on the global stage.
Paul’s accomplishments are highlighted by his two silver medals at the World Championships—one in the sprint event in 2023 and another in the 1km time trial in 2021. Additionally, he made history for Trinidad and Tobago by winning gold in the Keirin at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, marking the nation's first cycling medal since 1966. His performance at those games also earned him a silver medal in the sprint and a bronze in the 1km time trial.
Beyond his medal haul, Paul holds the world record for the flying 200m sprint, a testament to his incredible speed and skill on the track. Although his Olympic journey in Paris ended earlier than hoped, Paul’s achievements and contributions to the sport remain significant, and he continues to be a source of pride for Trinidad and Tobago.
Paul will undoubtedly look to build on the lessons learned and continue striving for excellence in future competitions.
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