Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live cꦚoverage of stage 6 of the Vuelta a🀅 España
We've had a couple of hilly stages in the Basque Country but things start to get serious now with the first summit finish of the Vuelta. Roglič won on a kicker in Laguardia but this is another beast. While stiffer tests await in the second week, the category-1 and all-new ascent of Pico Jana in Cantabria will provide the first real climbing test of the race, and start to give some more clues and more shape in the battle for the red jersey.
The riders have all signed on for the stage and are gathering on the start line. Jဣust five minutes away from the roll-out, with the official start a further 20 minutes away.
Today's start is at the Sam Mamés footꦇball stadium in Bilbao, home to Athletic Club de Bilb𓆏ao.
Before we get going, why not catch up on yesterday's action? There was a breakaway thriller and the red jersey changed hands. Rep𒅌ort, r𝔉esults, and photos all in here:
We're on the move. A slightly delayed roll-out but th𓄧e riders are now heading towards kilometre-zero.
Here's a first peek at the final climb. You won't have seen it before, because it's not been used in a professional race before. 6.5🍰% is a modest average gradient but you have two pretty flat kilometres in the middle, with some pretty serious stuff either side.
It's not all about the summit finish today. The Pico Jana is in fact preceded in fairly short order by another cat-1 climb, th🔴e Collada de 🔥Brenes, which is steeper still - 6.8km at 8.2%
For all you could poꦏssibly want to know about today's climbs, here's the trusty Alasdair Fot❀heringham.
We're off
Mikel Iturria (Euskaltel-Euskadiꦫ) is the fir⛎st attacker, but he doesn't get far.
It's another rapid start.
We've got a 10-man move going clear and this𓆉 looks promising.
Yes, the peloton are ⛦letting this go after almost 20km of racing.
In the breakaway are:
Breakaway analysis
150km to go
Here's a first shot of the breakaway
The riders have just tackled a short uncategorised climb but the proper climbing begins with the cat-2 Puerto♓ de Alisas, just after we cross from꧋ the Basque Country into Cantabria with 110km remaining.
The gap extends to 4:45. We're around 15km fro🌄m the foot of the first climb of the day.
Big news coming out ahead of the World Championships is that Caleb Ewan hasn't been🎃 selected for Australia. The fi🎃nal line-up is currently subject to two appeals.
T⛄here was one non-starter today and that was Jan Hirt (Inte﷽rmarché), who tested positive for COVID-19. After a few pre-race withdrawals, Hirt is the second rider to leave the Vuelta with COVID after Dan Hoole (Trek-Segafredo) yesterday.
114km to go
The Puerto ෴de Alisas is 8.7km long at an average gradient of 5.8%.
Here's the map. We're heading west along Spain's north coast before turning inland into hillier terrai𒈔n and our final ascent of Pico Jana.
The br🅷eakaway hit the climb and take their lead beyond the five-minute mark, making Bakelants the virtual leader of the Vuelta.
The gap stretches out towards the six-minut🌌e mark on the Puerto de Alisas.
At the top of the Puert🦋o de Alisas, Ruben Fernandez is first to the line, ahead of Cataldo and Azparren.
A𓆏 descent now and then 50k💮m before we hit the big final two climbs.
It's a dark and cloudy afternoon in Cantabria and we've had the first drops of rain༺.
The peloton pass over the Alisas at an arrears of five minutes. FDJ have been controlling so far but we could see GC teams start to come to the fore in the valley as we approach the first of the two cat-1 clཧimbs.&nb🌞sp;
92km to go
Here's a bit more on the red jersey.
QuickStep-AlphaVinyl send a rider to the front of the peloton to help set pace. The team have a rider in the breไak.
It's Remi Cavagna who has been sent t𝄹o the front for QuickStep, now r💮iding ahead of four FDJ riders.
The gap comes down to 4:30, and QuickStep, despite having a rider in the bཧreak, seem keen to kill its chances today, Evenepoel possibly sensing a🌌n opportunity.
A steadily drizzle has wettened the roads and the riders. The skies are🅠 so grim today.
74km to go
And now Cavagna a𒁃pp🥀ears to knock off his effort. Odd.
Ah, Evenepoel has hಌad a mechanical. That's why. The young Belgian gets sorted back at the car and is on his way back to the bunch with a teammate.
Evenepoel is back in with a minimum of fuss but the rain is coming down harder now. This could make for an interesting descent between the two cat-1 climbs. It might actuaꦕlly𒉰 deter any vague thoughts of aggression on the first of them.
Ev♒enepoel's mechanical haಞs seen the gap go back out to 4:50. Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) is also back in the cars now.
65km to go
The breakaway hit the uncategorised bump you should be able to see in the stage profile at the top of your page. It's a sapper but it's just an appetiser for the real cl🐓imbing to come.
The peloton hits the climb and there's a bunching up. Luke Plapp hitsꦍ the front on the rig♌ht to keep his Ineos teammates in position.
Over🍌 that short climb and the gap has fallen back down to 4:30.
50km to go
Ineos have started to make a conওcerted push at the head of the bunch now. They are fully in command.
The gap falls to three minutes now as Plapp leads the way for Ineos.&n💮bsp;
Crash. Cataldo has crashed out of the breakaway, slipping oꦛut on a wet corner.
Another crash! Same corner as Cataldo!
The peloton hit that same bend and several riders go down. One from Israel h𝓀as stayed down and looks (or sounds) in a great deal of pain.
It's Carl Fredrik Hagen for Israel and he lays stricken. The Norwegian made his breakthrough at this race a few years ago ꩲbut this looks like Vuelta over for♔ him.
Gregor Muhlberger was shouting even louder, though in frustration. He has crashed on almos🍒t every stage so far at this Vuelta.
The peloton has been disrupted by that crash and it ♏looks ♚like a sizeable split.
Not many riders l༒eft in the front peloton after that crash. Maybe 15 riders.
Ben Turner continues to drive it on for Ineos, while the main bunch - where Molard sits - scrambles to get back ahead of t🧜he Collada de Brenes
That second peloton is coming back, juಞst in time.
Rogl🔜ic was safely up front, as was Evenepoel, and now his teammate Ala꧟philippe comes through ahead of Ineos to keep the pace high.
41km to go
The breakaway quickly breaks up𝔉 and Padun goes on the attack
Alaphilippe leads the peloton at 1:45. A peloton where a number of riders started this steep🃏 climb very much on the back foot.
Padun sails cle♔ar of the rest of the break. He has had a largely anonymous season, and of course there has been the significant difficulty of the war unfolding in his native Ukraine, but he could be on his way back here. He looks really strong and re🌺ally fast.
Padun has opened a lead of 37 seco♚nds, with Masnada the next rider on the road from the break. Wow. The EF rider has put the peloton back to two minutes, having started the climb 1:40 ahead.
Q🃏uickStep c🏅ontinue to set the pace with three riders at the head of the thinning bunch.
Masnada has been joined by Ferna💞ndಌez, and now dropped by him.
Padun is flying. He won back-to-back stages at last year's Dauphiné and has shown other flashes of world class form but🌼 is a really inconsistent rider. He looks like he's on one of his good days here.
There were some riders and teams who anonymously voiced suspicions of doping at last year's ไDauphiné, which seemed to be grasped upon when Padun wasn't selected by Bahrain Victorious for the Tour de France and not given a new contract. It's something EF boss Jonathan Vaughters opened up about when we spoke to him over the winter, discussing how he made sure he was signing a clean rider, and ꦬwhy he feels Padun has massive untapped potential.
Padun is i💯nto the final kilometre of the Collada de Brenes and he has put his closest chaser, now Fernandez, back to 55 seconds. The peloton is🍸 now at 2:10
Molard dropped. The💎 red jersey has lost contact with the Alaphilippe-led bunc🍬h.
Alaphilippe is still on the front for QuickStep. They're gaining on al🍌l the breakaway riders, but not Padun.
35km to go
Fernandez and Masnada are the only riders left in the chase from the break as the peloto𓂃n🧜 crest at 2 minutes down.
The descent is soaking w🦂et, and it's treacherous, with a number of technical and blind bends. He's nursing the bike at the moment.
Bahrain take over in the bunch for the descent.
I'm not sure if Fred Wright got over that climb in the bunch. If so, with Molard dropped, he could ride into the red jer🙈sey. Otherwise Bahrain are just riding to keep Landa safe.
Masnada catches and passes Fernandez, wඣho is not𓂃 a strong descender.
28km to go
Alaphilippe takes back over from ✤Bahrain and flies out in front, casually flicking his bike round a corner on sodden roads.
Masnada continues t🌜o gain. 25 sec💮onds now and Padun can't wait for this descent to end, which it is now.
Padun is on the flat now as he heads into the final 25km. We have 10km in the valley - some of it uphill - before we start the 🍸final ascent.
Alaphilippe leads the peloton through the valley and the rain is h♈ammering it down now. Everyone got down safe, thougಌh.
Padun gains some time on the flight. 30 seconds now over Masnada. The Ukꦿrainian is clearly strong, but his hopes have taken a huge blow on that descent.
Padun has a minute in hand. He still has a slim, slim chance, but even with the way he's been climbing, this stretch in the valley is going to really hurt him, while the GC contenders will be freౠsh when they open the taps on the final climb.
Alaphilippe continues to lead the peloton. Eve🐎nepoel surely will try something af𒉰ter all this work.
Ineos have taken a back seat since the Bernes, but they've also be🅺en prominent. The interesting t💛hing is that the pre-race leader, Richard Carapaz, lost some seconds on the first uphill finish a couple of days ago, while Pavel Sivakov and Tao Geoghegan Hart were up front. The Ecuadorian remains their number one card, but it will be interesting to see how they play the other two.
Meanwhile Jumbo have been qui🌜et after handing over the red jersey.
Molard is still chasing with four teamꦗꦬmates now. He's not far behind the cars at the back of the peloton.
19km to go
The final climb will likely be new to you, unless you're a reallꦓy committed cycling nerd or Cantabrian connoisseur. That's because it's never been used in a pro race before. Here's Alasdair Fotheringham (with the help of Mikel Bizkarra) with all you need to know about it.
The peloton catch Masnada and Fernandez. The Cofidis riꦑder slips back into anonymity but Masnada is put straight to work on this QuickStep train.
The reduced peloton chugs along 50 seconds behind Padun with 15km to go an🦄d ju𝓀st under 3km to the foot of the Pico Jano.
Here's what the climb looks like. Steep forಞ 🔴6km, flat for 2km, then fairly hard again at the top.
Alaphilippe is still on the front for QuickStep and is sur♏ely just taking this onto the climb before handing over.
A short dip down to the foot of the cli♉mb, and Padun almost come🃏s unstuck on a corner!
12km to go
The peloton hit the climb 55 seconds down and Alaphඣilippe pulls aside and almost comes to a standstill. 🍸A great shift from the world champ.
Here was Padun on the previous climb.
Molard got himself back in the bunch in the nick of time but it's going to split open again soon.&nb✤sp;
Masnada takes over from Alaphilippe. But he was in the break and already climbing slower ﷽than Padun.
And the gap dul🀅y goes up! Padun moves out to 1:05.
Evenepoel i𒅌s posed in second wheel. Masnada is his final teammate.
Will Evenepoel go from range? Masnada is grimacing and doesn't haveไܫ much left. What will QuickStep's leader do here. He might have expected to be taken further up.
Attacks! The pace is slow, so Padun pulls out to 1:10 and now riders ❀are attacking from t♎he bunch.
A r🌺ider apiece from Cofidis and Arkea are on💙 the move.
It's Elie G🔜esbert for Arkea and Davide Villella for Cofidis. Jay Vine (Alpecin) sets off in pursuit now.
More go now! QuickStep have look🌳ed to control and set things up but they've lost all control. They can't ride fast enough here aไnd Masnada is done now! Evenepoel is isolated.
9.5km to the top an𒅌d Padun has 1:15 in hand. Wow. 🌳;
Meintjes hits the front of the bunch. It'♓s calm.
But Simon Yates attacks now!!
This is the first big attack from a favourite at this Vueltﷺ💃a. Responses have to come.
Geoghegan Hart goes after it!
It looks like O'Connor is ther🌺e,🍸 plus we can see Sivakov coming through the mist behind as well.
෴Roglic is there as the f❀avourites come up to Yates.
Landa dropped!
He was whispering about🐎 not going for GC but it seems real. Landa is way off it.
Evenepoel accelerates!
Thꦺey breeze past the earlier attackers as the young Belg🐻ian looks to keep the GC battle open.
Roglic is right on it.
8.5km to to the top and Vine is the last interloper, 40 seconds behind ꦚPadun, with the GC g🦩roup at 1 minute.
Evenepoel continues to set the pace on the front, and doesn't seem to mind. 🅷;
Mas and O'Connor are up there with Roglic. Sivakov is looking 🧸good but we can't see Carapaz at ꧃the moment.
Even🐼epoel is splitting this GC gr🥂oup! He's riding riders off the wheel! Six left!
Roglic, Mas, Sivakov, O'Connor, Yates, Hindley..
Carapaz is well dropped and with Sepp Kuss.
Yates loses contact!
Only Sivakov, Mas, and Roglic cಌan follow 𓆏Evenepoel!
And now Roglic and Sivakov are dropping!
Incredible.
Mas is the only rider left i🔯n Evenepoel's wheel💝. This has been an elimination one by one from the young Belgian. Remarkable.
Is Evenepoel a Grand Tour rider? It's the big question of this Vuelta and it won't be answered ♔until Madrid but this is looking like a big first sta𝕴tement.
7km to go
Evenepoel looks aroun🍨d and sees if Mas wantℱs to come through. The answer is a predictable no.
Vine catches Padun 6.6km from the summit.
And Vine immediately drops him. Vine🐽 alone in the lead but Evenepoel advancing quickly.
Juan Ayuso 🧜attacks behind! The Spanish super talent ridඣes away from Roglic et al.
6km to go
Ayuso has left Sivako🗹v, Yates, Roglic for dead. What a ride this could be. The UAE Team Emirates rider is one of the big talents in pro c🌸ycling but his time could be now. He's 19!!!
They're dealing with the flatter sec🎀tion and the skies are so close🌄d-in and grey, and spray is being kicked up by every wheel.
Mas hangs with Evenepoel, a dream scenario for him. They're 20 seconds a𒆙head of Aysuo.&🐽nbsp;
A regrouping behind. Yates, Roglic, Sivakov, O'Connor🌱, Rodriguez, Kelderman, Lopez, Higuita all toge💞ther.
No Hindley, no Carapaz.
3.5km to go and Vine is on on🉐e.... He𝄹 has 25 seconds over Evenepoel and Mas. Ayuso is at 43 seconds.
Sivakov🌱 attacks from the main GC group. Geoghegan Hart is there too.
Gino Mader is also there ♍for Bahrain but they're losing 40 seconds to Evenepoel an🥂d Mas as it stands.
Evenepoel and Mas close to 20 seconds♏. Will Mas finally offer up a turn?
If Mas isn't suffering too much in the wheel then he could thi𒁏nk about hitting out for the stage win at the last, but they have to catch Vine first!
2.5km to go
Roglic is forced to lead the chase groupౠ. Hindley is 𒅌in the wheel, present and correct after all.
Vine heads into the final 2km. He wants to win his first race. He o🉐nly became a pro cyclist after winning a video game... it would be a remarkable story.
Vine ൲is matching Evenepoel, matching Mas, matching Ayuso, matching Roglic and the rest. Ti♚me gaps are stable with 1700m to go and this is quite a ride
Almeida is back with the GC group, Thym𓃲en Arensman too.
Ayuso is fading! 48 seco💛nds now after a flying attack.
Evenepoel and Mas are at 18 seconds with 1300 metres to go and it looks like Vine mig꧂ht hold💎 on!
20 seconds now!
1km to go
Ayꦰuso is suffering. He'❀s at 55 seconds and if he returns to the GC group we'll get a definitive time gap.
Roglic still on the front of the GC group.
60൩0 metres to go for Vine and he still has 20 sꦛeconds.
Vine's going to take the stage but Evenepoel is going to make a statꩵement and Mas is going to gain. What will the damage be? We'll count them across the line.
Vine springs from the saddle! He still h🐻as somethiܫng left. He's going to do it
Vine, enshrouded in mist, comes to the finish. We can barely see him. The photos of his first pro victory won't amount t𒁏o much, but the memories will endure. What a moment.
Vine wins it!
Evenepoel sprints and takes second place 𓆉at 15 seconds, Mas third one or two seconds behind in the𒆙 end.
Here comes Ayuso. He's staying🍸 ahead of the main GC group.... 56 seconds down.
Roglic and the rest are going to lose around 90 seconds to Evenepoel a✨nd Mas.
They cross the line 1:35 down, so a deficit of 1:10 to Evenepoel, who also took six😼 bonus seconds for second pla𓂃ce.
We'll await official confirmation, with Molard still to finish, but it looks like Evenepoel has taken the🌞 overall lead.
What a stage!
Results
Let's hear from the winner, who became a pro cyclist in 2021 after winning the Zwift Academy, which is basically indoor cycling X-Factor.
The finish line photo🐻s are delayed🍷 given the conditions at the top of the mountain but here was Vine a little further down it
And here's the days' main GC winne🐲r, and new overall leader, Remco Evenep🐽oel, on the charge.
Let's delve into the GC damage...
What that all means is...
Finally, a winner's phot꧅o. Hang that on your wall, Jay Vine, or don't...
Reaction from Roglic
And here's the run-down of the overall standings
Evenepoel in red
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