Today was the day where, if he hadn’t already at this Vuelta a Espana, Magnus Cort Nielsen cemented himself as KING Cort in the hearts and minds of viewers and pundits. On the undulating roads of Stage 19, the EF rider stormed to a Vuelta stage-victory hat-trick by assuredly out-sprinting his breakaway companions in the city of Monforte de Lemos. Just behind, the peloton, who had been brutally attempting to chase down the group out front for much of the stage, reached the finish line only a slender 18 seconds after the stage victor. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma), Michael Storer (DSM) and Egan Bernal (Team INEOS) finished safely in the main bunch, while Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) rolled in latterly among the grupetto, meaning no change to the jerseys as we head into the final weekend.
A Stage for the Rouleurs
Stage 19 was earmarked as a day for the breakaway. Early climbing, followed by a lumpy/rolling terrain and a flat finish. With only one pure sprinter left in the Vuelta, and the stage coming on the back of two humongous mountain top finishes, it was unlikely there were many teams that would want to control the front of the peloton.
And then… Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) the quickest man in the race was dropped from the peloton, and suddenly Team Bike Exchange and Team DSM‘s ears perked up as they spotted one final opportunity for their sprinters.
#LaVuelta21 – 72 to go, DSM is the main team working in peloton because Dainese is still there with Demare and Jakobsen dropped#LFRLive
— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) September 3, 2021
Breakaway vs Peloton
The stage saw one of the tightest tussles between the breakaway and peloton that I’ve seen this season. Continuously on a knife edge – a few seconds gained by the peloton here, a few seconds taken back by the break there. The gap was as undulating as the roads themselves.
We're helping to set a 🔥 pace at the front of the peloton and with 64km to go the gap to the breakaway is 1'30". pic.twitter.com/Wl5JiJ9IGW #LaVuelta21
— Team DSM (@TeamDSM) September 3, 2021
The Vuelta has done these stages better than either of the other two Grand Tours in the last couple of years – a race at the front, a race at the back and a race between the two races.
— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) September 3, 2021
Bike Exchange and Team DSM were the teams most invested in bringing back the break, and took it in turns to burn themselves on the front.
DSM couldn't have made a more dramatic reentrance into the chase. #LaVuelta21
— Felix Schönbach (@Felixschoenbach) September 3, 2021
Bardet dragging the pelo. 🤩#CouchPeloton
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) September 3, 2021
Though the gap never really got much below 30 seconds.
After some time to catch our breath, we're back on the front of the bunch and going full gas again 💪🏻
With 14.5km to go the 7 rider breakaway holds onto a 27" advantage. #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/Qf9HrktvUU
— Team DSM (@TeamDSM) September 3, 2021
Tenacious tactics from the break
The driving force from behind wasn’t enough to deter the group of seven riders that ended the stage in front of the peloton. Working extremely well together, they fought tooth and claw to keep their gap unassailable by the charging pack.
Quite the finale at the Vuelta, break versus BikeExchange & it’s not a fine deal
— William Fotheringham (@willfoth) September 3, 2021
This is tactically fascinating. #LaVuelta21
— Felix Schönbach (@Felixschoenbach) September 3, 2021
A mention for Meintjes
While the battle was on for the stage, the fantastic Louis Meintjes (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert), who had ridden so exceptionally on Alto del Gamoniteiro during Stage 18 and had forced his way into the general classification Top 10, sadly crashed out of the Vuelta on Stage 19.
Oof, that looks bad for Meintjes.
— Susan Westemeyer (@WestemeyerSusan) September 3, 2021
Aw, man. Such crap luck for Louis Meintjes. He looks like he's in a bad way and his Vuelta is definitely over. #LaVuelta21
— Sadhbh O'Shea (@SadhbhOS) September 3, 2021
Poor Meintjes. This was his best GC performance in years and then he has to abandon in such an unnecessary crash. #LaVuelta21
— Felix Schönbach (@Felixschoenbach) September 3, 2021
He also wasn’t the only crash on Stage 19, with Ion Izaguirre crashing into a soigneur from Team Bike Exchange – totally bizarre!
#CouchPeloton Soigneur crash. Goodness me. 😳
Hope everyone is OK.— SusanMM (@susanmm3) September 3, 2021
Magnificent Magnus
When cyclists ride with such endeavour, spirit and determination such as a rider like Magnus Cort they easily become crowd favourites.
With two stage wins already under his belt, and not to mention that oh-so-near-win-but-not-quite on Valdepenas de Jaen, everyone and their dogs were rooting for Maggy Cort in the breakaway on Stage 19 when it became clear the victory would come from that group.
Magnus no doubt maniacally laughing right now. He thrives on the peloton being this close to his ass.#LaVuelta21
— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) September 3, 2021
Spank them, Magnus. #LaVuelta21
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) September 3, 2021
Thank god. Looks like Cort is still in session 👨🏼⚖️
— Robyn (@robynjournalist) September 3, 2021
A monstrous sprint from the Dane, after some stellar teamwork, saw Cort win Stage 19 by a bike-length on the line over his breakaway companions. A hat-trick of stage wins by Magnus is nothing short of MAGNIFICENT.
Cort is on another planet
— jackson roman (@YoungAjax) September 3, 2021
YES MAGGIE YOU BEAUTAY! 🤩🇩🇰#LaVuelta21
— Dan Deakins (@DanDeakins) September 3, 2021
Me (two weeks ago): It would be cool if Magnus Cort won a stage.
Magnus Cort: 🔥🔥🔥#LaVuelta21 https://t.co/00dS4ZsgCR
— KJZoya (@KJZoya) September 3, 2021
With Magnus Cort's stage win, there are now three riders who have won three stages at this Vuelta — Fabio Jakobsen, Primoz Roglic, and Cort. Throw in Michael Storer and Jasper Philipsen with two apiece, and that's five riders holding 13 wins out of 19 stages. #LaVuelta21
— Neal Rogers (@nealrogers) September 3, 2021
Lawson Love!
One of the most heartwarming and special things about cycling is that behind every Supreme Champion there is always a selfless teammate celebrating as though *they* have just won the race.
Today this award goes to Lawson Craddock (and if this was the Arctic Tour of Norway, Lawson would be in the viking jersey right now!). Craddock, Magnus Cort’s EF teammate, was in the breakaway alongside the Dane and in the very final metres set Magnus up to sprint for victory.
"I have to thank my teammate Lawson Craddock for doing an amazing job. I wouldn't have been able to do it without him in the breakaway today."
We couldn't be prouder of the way Craddock and Cort worked together in stage 19. Our Dane now has THREE stage wins at @lavuelta 🏅 🏅 🏅 pic.twitter.com/QhNQ53n3ig
— EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) September 3, 2021
Craddock was the key figure in the breakaway. His effort excluded premature tactical stalemate
— Lars B. Jørgensen (@LarsBartoli) September 3, 2021
Lawson, we quite frankly adore you!
The Good Guy™️ American in the Top 10 😍 #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/VLSkfHC3RR
— Issie 💙 (@IssieAtch) September 3, 2021
bestie vibes only 🥰 pic.twitter.com/Hxx2DkrUFS
— Robyn (@robynjournalist) September 3, 2021
Craddock is Cort’s biggest fan. #CouchPeloton #LaVuelta21
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) September 3, 2021
Teamwork makes the dream work…
Absolutely brilliant from EF there, it'll go down as Cort's third win of the race but Craddock deserves at least half of that stage – get em both up there on the podium!#LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/PAQKj2Xu61
— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) September 3, 2021
Well done Magnus BUT HOW GOOD WAS LAWSON! #couchpeloton
— Danya Wellington ✳️✳️ (@danyadoi) September 3, 2021
A shout to Jens Keukeleire of EF Education Nippo also, who at the front of the peloton disrupted the chase in the closing kilometres.
Jens Keuk shuffling his way to front of the pelo in the last few kms. 😂 }#CouchPeloton #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/s5gcwErIpV
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) September 3, 2021
King of the Mountains showdown?
With Michael Storer currently in the blue polka dots and Team DSM teammate Romain Bardet also within touching distance of the jersey, dare we dream of a King of the Mountains showdown on the final categorised climbs of the Vuelta tomorrow?
Kind of want to see Storer & Bardet sprint it out on the Cat 3 tomorrow. #CouchPeloton
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) September 3, 2021
Pick your fighter: Storer v Bardet #CouchPeloton #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/duCPNPuD8C
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) September 3, 2021
The Last Word
Phenomenal recreation from @musettedutour on Twitter of Stage 18!
Stage 18 Salas to Altu d'el Gamoniteiru – Look! Up on the climb. It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman Lopez! #lavueltamunecas #couchpeloton #sbsvuelta pic.twitter.com/3OPpc5k6V9
— MrsFrog (@musettedutour) September 3, 2021
All the results
Stage results
1 Magnus Cort (EF Education – Nippo) 4:24:54
2 Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates) same time
3 Quinn Simmons (Trek Segafredo) s/t
4 Andrea Bagioli (Deceuninck-Quick Step) s/t
5 Anthony Roux (Groupama – FDJ) s/t
GC Top 10
1 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 77:49:37
2 Enric Mas (Movistar Team) +2:30
3 Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar Team) +2:53
4 Jack Haig (Bahrain-Victorious) +4:36
5 Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) +4:43
6 Adam Yates (INEOS Grenadiers) +5:44
7Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) +6:02
8 Gino Mader (Bahrain Victorious) +7:48
9 Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) +8:31
10 David De La Cruz (UAE Team Emirates) +9:24
All the jerseys
🏆 Líderes tras la etapa 19 | Leaders after stage 19
❤️🇸🇮 @rogla
💚🇳🇱 @FabioJakobsen
🔵🇦🇺 @mjstorer_au
⚪🇨🇴 @Eganbernal #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/JdVkwkj36w— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) September 3, 2021
Leader’s jersey : Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma)
Points jersey : Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick Step)
King of the Mountains: Michael Storer (Team DSM)
Best young rider : Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers)
Team : Bahrain Victorious
For full race results, go to CyclingNews