Juan Ayuso Claims Solo Victory on Stage Seven of La Vuelta
Spanish cyclist Juan Ayuso delivered an impressive solo victory on stage seven of the Vuelta a España on Friday, marking the third consecutive stage win for Team UAE
The challenging 188-kilometre mountainous route from Andorra La Vella to Cerler saw Ayuso break away early and maintain his lead to the finish line.
Despite falling out of contention for the overall race on Thursday, Ayuso demonstrated remarkable determination and strength. “I think it was one of my best wins, considering the difficulty,” Ayuso said. “I had to do the first hour of the race by myself... It's amazing to win a stage here in the Vuelta, my favourite race. I’ll always remember it, and I’m very proud.”
Ayuso’s bold move began with an early attack as part of a breakaway group that included stage six winner Jay Vine and Mads Pedersen. With 11 kilometres left, Ayuso launched a decisive attack, distancing himself from Marco Frigo of Israel Premier Tech, who briefly bridged the gap. Ayuso maintained his lead to cross the finish line with fingers in his ears, a signature celebration. Frigo finished second, one minute and 15 seconds behind, and Raul Garcia Pierna of Arkea took third place.
Meanwhile, the general classification leader’s red jersey remained with Orstein Traen of Bahrain Victorious, who finished safely in the peloton alongside favorites Jonas Vingegaard and Joao Almeida. Traen holds a solid two-and-a-half-minute advantage over Vingegaard, the two-time Tour de France champion and a favorite for the overall title.
Vingegaard and other top contenders adopted a cautious approach to conserve energy for the remaining stages. “It was a decent day in total, it was not an easy day. We want to save the team for the second and third week,” said Vingegaard.
Following two demanding mountain stages, riders will face a flat 163.5-kilometre stage eight from Monzon Templario to Zaragoza on Saturday, offering a brief respite before the race intensifies again.