Jonas Vingegaard Powers to Stunning Stage Nine Victory at Vuelta a España
Danish superstar Jonas Vingegaard claimed a powerful victory on stage nine, closing the gap on the general classification leader Torstein Traen. The 195.5-kilometer hilly route from Alfaro to the Valdezcaray ski resort tested riders’ endurance, but Vingegaard’s explosive finish left fans and rivals in awe.
Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France champion and a top favorite for the Vuelta title, launched a daring solo attack with 10 kilometers remaining. Despite expecting the finish line to be closer, he maintained his lead with sheer determination, finishing nearly two minutes ahead of Traen and gaining critical time on his chief rival, Joao Almeida of Team UAE. This victory narrows Vingegaard’s deficit to just 37 seconds behind Traen in the overall standings, setting the stage for a thrilling battle in the coming weeks.
The stage itself was marked by fierce competition, with early breakaways including five riders like Michal Kwiatkowski, who built a temporary lead but were reeled back by the peloton as the race hit the final climb. Almeida and British contender Tom Pidcock gave chase but couldn’t match Vingegaard’s blistering pace. Pidcock’s impressive climbing secured him fourth place overall, signaling his rising potential among the elites.
“I felt super great today, especially on the last climb,” Vingegaard said, “My team did an amazing job speeding up when I asked, and I’m really happy I could finish it off. I couldn’t do it without them. When I attacked, I thought the finish was closer, so I was surprised by the 10-kilometer marker, but I just had to keep going.”
After a well-earned rest day on Monday, riders will face a largely flat stage 10 on Tuesday, spanning 175 kilometers from Sendaviva Natural Park to the Larra-Belagua ski resort. The race continues to promise high drama as the contenders jostle for the coveted red jersey.