Vuelta Stage 18: Miguel Angel Lopez wins on the Altu d’El Gamoniteiru as climb makes its debut

Movistar’s Miguel Angel Lopez has become the first man to conquer the climb of the Altu d’El Gamoniteiru as the Asturian climb, billed as tougher than the Angliru, made its debut in the Vuelta. Jumbo-Visma’s Primoz Roglic, seeking a third consecutive overall victory, was next across the line, 14 seconds down, to consolidate his overall lead.

Today’s Stage 18 was the most anticipated of the race given the first-time inclusion of the final climb, and it was also the second consecutive summit finish after yesterday’s visit to Lagos de Covadonga, won by Roglic.

The Slovenian, winner of the Olympic time trial in Tokyo last month, can look back with satisfaction on two days in which he first regained the race leader’s red jersey, then extended his advantage over his closest rival, Enric Mas of Movistar, to 2 minutes 30 seconds.

Michael Storer of Team DSM, winner of two stages earlier in the race, had attacked from what had been a big breakaway group 2km from the top of the day’s third last climb, the Altu de la Cobertoria, with 70km left to ride.

The Australian would remain alone in front alone until halfway up the final climb, when he was passed by David de la Cruz of UAE Team Emirates, but takes over the leadership of the mountains jersey by 5 points from his team mate Romain Bardet.

De la Cruz, who had followed a move by Geoffrey Bouchard of AG2R Citroën from the main group approaching the final climb, had a lead of around half a minute as he passed beneath the 5km to go banner.

Behind, Egan Bernal of Ineos Grenadiers, who attacked from 61km out yesterday, tried to get off the front of a reduced GC group and as happened 24 hours earlier, Roglic was first to respond as the riders headed up into the thickening mist and tougher gradients ahead.

It was Astana-Premier Tech’s Miguel Angel Lopez, third overall, who set off alone in pursuit of de la Cruz, catching the Spaniard with a little less than 3km to go and shooting straight past him.

The hardest part of the climb, with a gradient of 17 per cent, still lay ahead for the Colombian, and back down the mountain Roglic attacked and now had just Enric Mas of Movistar and Bernal with him.

Lopez, third overall, would not be caught, while in finishing second and with two hilly stages plus a time trial to come, Roglic is increasingly looking assured of a third Vuelta victory in a row.