Magnus Cort (EF Education-Nippo) held on from the break-of-the-day to take a breathless victory atop the Alto de la Montaña de Cullera on Stage 6 of this year’s Vuelta a Espana. The Dane, strained every sinew and kept pumping those legs to keep ahead of a fast finishing Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) – when I tell you I YELLED! What a finale! Roglic’s imperious, smooth acceleration may not have grabbed the stage win, but it did put him back in red as Trek-Segafredo’s Kenny Elissonde surrendered on the finale. All this AND we finally had our longed for crosswind action.
Well, well, well La Vuelta, THAT was a bit more like it! The VeloVoices write up schedule had this stage down as ‘weird flat day’. With a largely downhill start, a long flat stretch in the middle, a finish atop a Cat 3 climb, and a seeming paucity of crosswinds in the region -I wasn’t about to argue with the description.
Ok… is it today? https://t.co/fwwbX6geHp
— Journal Velo (@JournalVelo) August 19, 2021
However, as always with the Spanish Grand Tour, the devil is in the detail, and today those were worthy of Saint Nick himself. A delicious coastal loop of the finishing town exposed to the sea breezes, some Strade Bianche like road surfaces and a 1.9km Cat 3 with a 10% sting in the tail. Let’s get into the spicy action.
Well, that’s a finish! #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/aXBU1fgnSX
— Phil Lowe (@Lowe_Profile_) August 19, 2021
Crosswinds AT LAST!
They have been promised for the past two days, but we finally got some echelon action in the final 35km. Nerves were already high in the peloton after BikeExchange started to force the pace to catch the breakaway. The speed kept increasing, the roundabouts appeared thick and fast. Lots of little crashes and mishaps as they fought for space at the front.
The peloton once again is very nervous before they reach the dangerous zone for crosswinds. They keep on crashing. #LaVuelta21
— Domestique (@Cyclingvision) August 19, 2021
Disaster for Zeits as he's taken out by another rider at the head of the peloton!!! 😣
The gap to the breakaway has fallen to 3 minutes thanks to our work on the front, but we're now down 2 riders to lead the chase now…48km to go. pic.twitter.com/TrhfRWehA5
— Team BikeExchange (@GreenEDGEteam) August 19, 2021
A small change of direction onto a road exposed to the sea and POWWWWW!
ECHELONS!!! #LaVuelta21
— Sadhbh O'Shea (@SadhbhOS) August 19, 2021
When you least expect them.
— Sadhbh O'Shea (@SadhbhOS) August 19, 2021
INEOS Grenadiers drilled it at the front and suddenly gaps appeared everywhere.
The race is well and truly on. @Tompid has forced a selection as the crosswinds come to play at #LaVuelta21 💥@Eganbernal and @RichardCarapazM are right there, with @AdamYates7 just behind. pic.twitter.com/Eg1RSZDxRZ
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) August 19, 2021
South Americans López and Carapaz showing the Europeans how it's done in the crosswinds of southern Spain.
Vamos!#LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/UyDmPKHUcZ
— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) August 19, 2021
Oh les bordures ! 💨 pic.twitter.com/8JSupXXrqi
— Team Cofidis (@TeamCOFIDIS) August 19, 2021
A group of 30 or so riders got a gap with the Jumbo Bees, Movistarlets and INEOS sitting pretty.
Good to see the echelons finally happening today!😍 But the crosswind sections are not long so it might all come together… #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/ZvcSI3pPgj
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) August 19, 2021
Race leader King Kenny was caught out. I do love how poetic this sounds from Trek-Segafredo.
#LaVuelta21
The wind has risen and the race has exploded.@KennyElissonde is caught behind.
We have a couple riders chasing hard to help him regroup to the front.
Not sure where @giuliocicco1 is at the moment.— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) August 19, 2021
It's not easy when you're 30 kg lighter than specalists enjoy riding in windy conditions. Kenny is fighting bravely. #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/v8po4dmLKt
— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) August 19, 2021
The race calmed down for a while and the groups came back together including INEOS’s Adam Yates who also appeared to have been caught out when his teammates broke the race part. However, it was only a brief respite as the riders raced into the crosswind section again with 17km. This time Movistar bossed the front.
Movistar with the whole team on the front showing full commitment to the Teams Classification.#CouchPeloton #LaVuelta21
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) August 19, 2021
Are Movistar aware that Carapaz isn't in the break? #LaVuelta21
— Issie 💙 (@IssieAtch) August 19, 2021
The pressure at the front saw Hugh Carthy gapped and it took an EF team time trial to bring him back. It was touch and go.
Hugh Carthy v the peloton #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/zf1XIOJ2Np
— Sadhbh O'Shea (@SadhbhOS) August 19, 2021
Au prix d'un énorme effort, l'équipe EF parvient à ramener Hugh Carthy à 8km de l'arrivée. 1 minute d'avance pour l'échappée. Pour rappel, ce sera une arrivée pour les puncheurs à l'Alto de la Montaña de Cullera (1,9km à 9,4%). #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/CRdYwtXXHl
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) August 19, 2021
The effort cost Carthy. As his teammate took victory, the man from Preston trailed in almost three minutes later and now sits at +4.28 to the red jersey holder Roglic.
King Cort
There is nothing I love more than a win for the breakaway. Make that a Danish rider and I’ll be happiness personified. Make it one like today and I will sing all the praises. Yes a Danish win is enough to break out the red and white bunting in my corner of VeloVoices Towers, but holy heck the manner of this victory deserves the plaudits.
Etapa 6 – Stage 6 | #LaVuelta21
🇪🇸 Vive el último kilómetro de la victoria de @MagnusCort en el Alto de la Montaña de Cullera gracias a @CarrefourES
🇬🇧 Live the last km. of 🇩🇰Magnus Cort Nielsen's victory thanks to @CarrefourES#CarrefourConLaVuelta pic.twitter.com/yUFFvSyGq1— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 19, 2021
Just watch that video and then remember that at the foot of the 1.9km climb, the break held just 20secs on the peloton. Into the final kilometre and Magnus was holding mere seconds as the GC favourites massed behind him. One surge and he would be swept away. But somehow he just kept it going, kept churning that gear. Roglic accelerated and jumped to him, so close that he must have felt him breathing down his neck.
One of those pictures that doesn't tell the full story – Cort survives after a day-long break to snatch the win ahead of a rampaging Roglič.
What a finale, what a winner, chapeau @MagnusCort!#LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/wWyl1rLO5d
— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) August 19, 2021
Yet STILL the Dane kept his cool and as the gradient lessened chose his moment to launch his sprint for his 3rd Vuelta victory.
I looked back with 150 metres to go and I could see him (Roglic) coming. I sprinted with everything I had and I luckily could keep him behind. This one is special for me in a very different way. The stages I win are always in sprints and I’m very happy to show I can also do it in other terrains and finish off a breakaway like this today.
Only one rider in the peloton could have pulled off what @MagnusCort just did. And that’s @MagnusCort. He has an incredible ability to keep going flat out even when he’s incredibly fatigued. Glad he’s with us.
— Jonathan Vaughters (@Vaughters) August 19, 2021
When a plan comes together
Cort: 'I'll go in (a break, red.) to fight for the stage. From a break the finish should suit me fine, but it's a tough climb so in the peloton it's to hard for me' #LaVuelta21
— Dennis Korsbæk Præst (@DennisPraest) August 19, 2021
Cort: 'Have permission to chase the break if a big group goes. 8 guys, says my DS. Any less and I can't go, but I think a lot of guys would like to be in the break, so think there's a bigger fight for it than the last couple of days' #LaVuelta21
— Dennis Korsbæk Præst (@DennisPraest) August 19, 2021
So was I ….
Nah I was SWEATING that Roglič was going to come around in the final second and steal the stage win
— Robyn (@robynjournalist) August 19, 2021
King Kenny to King Rog
I love this interview. I love that he had a day in red. I loved his smiles and waves as he came over the finish line.
👑 @KennyElissonde
🎙️"I really enjoyed today's stage. I still haven't decided what I'm going to do with the red jersey, I even haven't washed it yet. I'll keep among the highlights of my career, the ones I'll show to my children telling – You see, I wasn't that bad as a prof" pic.twitter.com/wPlOnGJZGb— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) August 19, 2021
Most of all I LOVE his reasoning, that he now has time in hand that might allow him to be part of a breakaway. ALLEZ KENNY!
#LaVuelta21
No more red. 🔴
But still a King. 👑🎙👑 King Kenny Elissonde. pic.twitter.com/ADLqRsOiMK
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) August 19, 2021
“As much fun as possible on a very nervous day in the life of the red jersey”. I don’t think you can ask for more.
Primoz Roglic looked in control and like a rider who has another gear he can move up to. He left his GC rivals when he wanted to, and only the tenacity and timing of Cort kept him from stage and the race lead. He is back in red and riding into his favoured territory.
🇪🇸 #LaVuelta21
A second place and back in the race lead.
💬 “I wasn’t really concerned with the stage win today. It was mainly a matter of getting to the finish line safely." – @rogla
— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) August 19, 2021
I expect fireworks. I expect him to keep grabbing those bonus seconds, but I don’t expect him to have it all his own way. The Movistar trio of Enric Mas (+0:25), Miguel Angel Lopez (+0:36) and Alejandro Valverde (+0:41) are massed behind him. Will they have the tactics to take it to the top step of the podium this year? – the GC, not the Team classification!
Whisper it but Enric Mas has looked more than solid all week
— Journal Velo (@JournalVelo) August 19, 2021
Game 🔛 at 🇪🇸 #LaVuelta21!
Good performances from all of our Blues on st. 6 as @EnricMasNicolau, @SupermanlopezN and @alejanvalverde now sit second, third and fourth overall before Friday's grueling Alicante mountains.
Report, @PhotoGomezSport 📸 and quotes from all three ↓↓
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) August 19, 2021
Stay tuned people, the Vuelta just upped the spiciness.
The final word
We should never underestimate Magnus. Cort. Nielsen. #CouchPeloton #LaVuelta21
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) August 19, 2021
All the results
Stage results
1 Magnus Cort (EF Education-Nippo) 3:30:53
2 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) same time
3 Andrea Bagioli (Deceuninck-Quick Step) +0:02
4 Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana-Premier Tech) +0:04
5 Enric Mas (Movistar) same time
GC Top 10
1 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 21:04:09
2 Enric Mas (Movistar Team) +0:25
3 Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar Team) +0:36
4 Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) +0:41
5 Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) +0:41
6 Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana-Premier Tech) +0:53
7 Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) +0:58
8 Lilian Calmejane (AG2R Citroen) +1:04
9 Mikel Linda (Bahrain Victorious) +1:12
10 Fabio Aru (Qhubeka NextHash) +1:17
All the jerseys
🏆 Líderes tras la etapa 6 | Leaders after stage 6
❤️🇸🇮 @rogla
💚🇧🇪 @JasperPhilipsen
🔵🇪🇪 Rein Taaramäe
⚪🇨🇴 @Eganbernal #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/2wgsdSoQwD— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 19, 2021
Leader’s jersey : Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma)
Points jersey : Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix)
King of the Mountains: Rein Taaramae (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert)
Best young rider : Egan Bernal (Ineos)
Best team : Movistar
For full race results, go to CyclingNews.com