Stage 15 of Vuelta 2021. It was a long stage (197.5km). Rafal Majka (UAE) rode 87km all by himself to take his first win in four years. Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo) and Chris Hamilton (DSM) came in second and third respectively. Intermarché-Wanty rode on the front of the peloton. Odd Christian Eiking stays in red. GC top 10 changes not. Rest day tomorrow.
Majka winks
This review is going to be super short because, well, I’ve said pretty much everything in the opening paragraph.
He wasn't anybody's pick to win Stage 15, but a sensational performance sees Rafal Majka in a very strong position with just over 30km to go.
It will take something pretty special to stop him from here … pic.twitter.com/gdsyRtCuMJ
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) August 29, 2021
There's a wink under those glasses, I just know it.#LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/RPjxQCJnhx
— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) August 29, 2021
How is Majka even managing this? He's on…….RIM BRAKES! pic.twitter.com/QGoYaWrcKW
— John Galloway (@VelocastJohn) August 29, 2021
On a more serious note, he had a special reason to win today.
Rafal Majka dedicates win to family and his father, who recently died
— Andrew Hood (@EuroHoody) August 29, 2021
Rafal Majka takes first victory in almost 4 years after impressive 87.4 km solo attack. In Tour de France he worked as super domestique for Tadej Pogacar (=🏆). Majka equals Lech Piasecki's record as most successful Polish rider in Grand Tours. Both have 5 stage wins. #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/l58LebHS0L
— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) August 29, 2021
Aruuuuuuuuuu
Fabio Aru (Qhubeka) gave it a good go today, riding with Majka until the Polish rider rode away from him on the second climb – and I would have loved to see him win the stage in his final professional race of his career. It wasn’t to be today.
🏁 – 112 km | Etapa 15 – Stage 15 | #LaVuelta21
⛰️ @majkaformal y @FabioAru1 coronan en solitario el Alto de la Centenera
🚴Rafal Majka and Fabio Aru are the head of the race after the 1st climb of the day!@loterias_es
👉https://t.co/zqaO4Bw62K pic.twitter.com/7T4Rv4ZoUO
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 29, 2021
Fabio Aru has only won nine races across his career. The thing is, six of those are Grand Tour stages and the seventh is the overall at the 2015 Vuelta.
When he wins, he wins big. Could today be his day? He only has four more chances left for that sweet swansong.#LaVuelta21
— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) August 29, 2021
The snooze of the GC
The Wanty Train kept everything under control today and all kudos to them. They kept their leader, Odd Christian Eiking, in red for another day – well, two, as tomorrow is a rest day.
❤️ @Oddeiking: "It was a really long, hard day. Huge thanks to my team, without them I might not be in red now"
🇳🇴 @Oddeiking: "Ha sido un día largo y duro. Gracias a mi equipo, sin ellos quizás no seguiría de líder"#LaVuelta21
📸: @charlylopezph pic.twitter.com/9ljDvbIxu6
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 29, 2021
Eiking keeps red!! Really wish I clicked the buy now button on that Viking helmet 5 stages ago. #CouchPeloton #LaVuelta21 #RookieRacingError
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) August 29, 2021
The only glimmer of … anything … in the GC group was Adam Yates (Ineos) attacking off the front near the end of the stage, gaining 15sec, as no one really had the interest in chasing him. He’s still just under 3min down from Primoz Roglic.
Lopez gained 4 seconds yesterday, Adam Yates 15 today…At this rate, they will certainly beat Roglic in the 5th week of La Vuelta! 😅 Well done to @IntermarcheWG and Eiking for entering the final week in the Red Jersey. Rest day tomorrow. 😴 #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/l9Fs2FJswi
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) August 29, 2021
Third week hopes
Stage 16 is flat. It’s really down to stages 17 and 18 in the GC battles. And they look like this.
Stage 17
Stage 18
That steep HC climb up close – a 14km climb that ends at a 17% gradient. Sqwauk-a-doodle-doo
The Last Word
If Majka and Kruijswijk join together it will create the highest EVER concentration of Js and Ks in a Grand Tour breakaway
— tom owen (@tomowencc) August 29, 2021
All the results
Stage results
1 Rafal Majka (UAE Team Emirates) 4:51:36
2 Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma) +1:27
3 Christopher Hamilton (Team DSM) +2:19
4 Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) +2:42
5 Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) +2:57
GC Top 10
1 Odd Christian Eiking (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) 59:57:50
2 Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) +0:54
3 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +1:36
4 Enric Mas (Movistar Team) +2:11
5 Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar Team) +3:04
6 Jack Haig (Bahrain-Victorious) +3:35
7 Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) +4:21
8 Adam Yates (INEOS Grenadiers) +4:34
9 Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) +4:59
10 Felix Grossschartner (BORA-hansgrohe) +5:31
All the jerseys
🏆 Líderes tras la etapa 15 | Leaders after stage 15
❤️🇳🇴 @Oddeiking
💚🇳🇱 @FabioJakobsen
🔵🇫🇷 @romainbardet
⚪🇨🇴 @Eganbernal🚴🚴🚴 @INEOSGrenadiers
👊🇵🇱 @majkaformal #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/WVHETYBvU4— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 29, 2021
Leader’s jersey : Odd Christian Eiking (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux)
Points jersey : Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick Step)
King of the Mountains: Romain Bardet (Team BDSM)
Best young rider : Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers)
For full race results, go to CyclingNews