Tadej Pogacar pretty much unbeatable at the 2023 Vuelta Andalucia

UAE Team Emirates took another win in a stage race with Tadej Pogacar taking the overall title at the Vuelta Andalucia in Spain. Ineos Grenadiers rider Omar Fraile has won the final stage beating Alessandro Covi in the final sprint

Alessandro Covi came close to closing the race with a stage with with a 2nd place sprint behind Omar Fraile (Ineos-Grenadiers) on the uphill rise to the line.

The team closes out the week with four victories at the race: three stage wins for Pogacar and the GC along with a solo stage victory for Tim Wellens.

Seven riders, namely Kevin Colleoni, Dries De Bondt, Erik Fetter, Pascal Eenkhoorn, Xabier Isasa, Dries Van Gestel, and Vincent Van Hemelen, established a breakaway early on in the final stage. The group worked together to create a gap of 3 minutes and 20 seconds.

With 40 kilometres to go, De Bondt decided to attack the rest of the breakaway group. The peloton caught the other riders in the breakaway with 24 kilometres to go. However, De Bondt's lead was downto just 18 seconds.

He was reeled in with 8.6 kilometres to go, Tadej Pogacar decided to lead out for his teammate Alessandro Covi. But Omar Fraile sneaked in behind, and came round Covi before the finish line.

Tadej Pogacar won three stages and looked pretty much unbeatable, dropping the whole peloton several times on the uphill stages.

Pogacar said afterwards, ”It was really great. We did a perfect job throughout the week. I’m super happy with my shape and with the shape of the team. With the result, I’m maybe a little bit surprised, but I knew that my level is good. In this race, I felt really strong, and I hope I can feel as strong in the next races.My plan now is to just continue the season as it has been until now and hope it goes as smoothly.”

The attention will now turn to the home race of the season with the UAE Tour getting underway tomorrow with a flat parcours on Stage 1 from Al Dhafra Castle to Al Mirfa (151km).

2023 Vuelta Andalucia General classification after final stage

1  POGACAR Tadej UAE Team Emirates 21:04:57
2  LANDA Mikel Bahrain - Victorious 1:23
3  BUITRAGO Santiago Bahrain - Victorious 1:28
4  RODRÍGUEZ Carlos INEOS Grenadiers 1:44
5  MAS Enric Movistar Team 2:03
6  GEOGHEGAN HART Tao INEOS Grenadiers 2:52
7  CARUSO Damiano Bahrain - Victorious 3:05
8  ROTA Lorenzo Intermarché - Circus - Wanty 3:23
9  KRON Andreas Lotto Dstny 3:45
10  SIVAKOV Pavel INEOS Grenadiers 4:02

2023 Vuelta Andalucia Stage 5 Top 10

1  FRAILE Omar INEOS Grenadiers 4:27:59
2  COVI Alessandro UAE Team Emirates 0:00
3  PASQUALON Andrea Bahrain - Victorious 0:00
4  KRON Andreas Lotto Dstny 0:00
5  SCHULTZ Nick Israel - Premier Tech 0:00
6  SERRANO Gonzalo Movistar Team 0:00
7  BOASSON HAGEN Edvald TotalEnergies 0:00
8  CARUSO Damiano Bahrain - Victorious 0:00
9  EZQUERRA Jesús Burgos-BH 0:00
10  ROTA Lorenzo Intermarché - Circus - Wanty 0:00