Storer Storms to another Stage Win as Roglic hits the Deck
Norway's Odd Christian Eiking took the overall lead in the Vuelta a Espana on Tuesday after a mass breakaway survived as Roglic lets the Red Jersey and his back wheel go!
DSM rider Michael Storer claimed his second stage victory at La Vuelta, on a day that caused a major shake up in the rankings.
Eiking was not alone, as Frenchman Guillaume Martin climbed to second place at 58sec onto the podium
The new race leader came second in his homeland race the Arctic Tour of Norway and has racked up top ten classics finishes this season.
Double defending champion Primoz Roglic slipped to third at 2min 17sec after Jumbo-Visma let the breakaway go.
In an attempt to drop his main rivals and gain more time, Roglic fell on a descent, remounted and finished the stage with seven other GC contenders, 11min 49sec behind Storer.
In the attack Bernal and Adam Yates were distanced, Bernal losing 37s on GC.
Roglic remained upbeat after the stage, "No risk, no gain," he said, "It was good, an active, day, and I should be alright. I just slipped. Without the crash it would have been better, but it's not too bad. There was some action huh? Why not? No risk no glory. It was good."
"Taking that risk on the descent... ?????? ??????????!"
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) August 24, 2021
?? @SeanKellyCC and @nicholasroche have their say on Primoz Roglic's crash in Stage 10 ??@SportsOrla | #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/gzHGwpWK8w
Enric Mas and Miguel Angel Lopez round out the top five, while Ineos rider Egan Bernal dropped further behind Roglic and is 4min 46sec behind.
How in Happened
The stage itself was largely flat but with a second category climb just before the finish.
The peloton left Roquetas de Mar under low grey skies and slight rain, unusual for the Costa del Sol that has suffered several years of drought.
After 80km, an unusually large breakaway group formed and swiftly stretched out a huge lead that the chasing pack would have struggled to close even if they wanted to due to the sheer number of riders up ahead.
Australian Storer broke away from the escape group on the final climb to solo over the finish line at Rincon de la Victoria in a carbon copy of his triumph on stage 7.
"I dreamt of one stage win at this Vuelta and now I have two after 10 day days. It's really unbelievable," said Storer, "It's even more unbelievable than the last time."
Nicknamed "Storer the Destroyer", the 24-year-old from Perth arrived at the finish line 22sec ahead of the chasers.
VIDEO: 2021 La Vuelta Stage 10 Highlights
2021 La Vuelta Stage 10 Top 10
1 Michael Storer (Aus) Team DSM 4:09:21
2 Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:22
3 Clément Champoussin (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
4 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers
5 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
6 Jhonatan Narvaez Prado (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:51
7 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Team BikeExchange
8 Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
9 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
10 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
2021 La Vuelta GC Favorites After Stage 10
1. Roglic
2. Mas 28
3. López 1:21
4. Haig 1:42
5. Bernal 2:29
6. Kuss 2:40
7. Yates 2:44
8. Großschartner 3:25
9. Ciccone 3:53
10. Vlasov 3:55
11. De La Cruz 4:32
12: Mäder 4:37
13. Meintjes 4:42
14. Aru 5:13
2021 La Vuelta GC after Stage 10
1 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 38:37:46
2 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis 0:00:58
3 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma 0:02:17
4 Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Movistar Team 0:02:45
5 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Movistar Team 0:03:38
6 Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious 0:03:59
7 Egan Bernal Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers 0:04:46
8 Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma 0:04:57
9 Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:05:01
10 Felix Grossschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:05:42