Juan Ayuso Bounces Back To Claim First Vuelta Stage Win As Træen Stays In Red

Spaniard Juan Ayuso showed a singular betterment aft his illness successful nan Pyrenees only 24 hours antecedently to spell it unsocial connected nan climb to nan decorativeness and triumph successful shape 7 of nan Vuelta a España.

Torstein Træen retains nan reddish jersey, holding a 2 minutes and 33 seconds lead complete Jonas Vingegaard, who moved from 5th to 2nd successful nan standings but without closing nan spread to nan Norwegian.

Ayuso, tipped to beryllium 1 of nan main challengers to pre-race favourite Vingegaard, had slipped measurement down nan wide classification aft being dropped connected nan last climb connected Thursday, but was backmost to his champion connected nan 188km thrust from Andorra la Vella to Cerler.

Italian Marco Frigo crossed nan statement much than 1 infinitesimal down Ayuso successful second, pinch different Spaniard, Raúl García Pierna third.

Ayuso was nan first to break distant early successful nan stage, earlier he was joined by a group of 11 riders, including UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate and stage six victor Jay Vine. He made his telling move pinch 11 kilometres near to nan finish.

The 22-year-old, who vanished 3rd wide successful 2022 and 4th nan pursuing year, was conscionable 8 seconds down past leader Vingegaard successful 2nd spot earlier Thursday’s downfall. While Ayuso is still almost 7 and a half minutes disconnected nan reddish jersey, he has managed to triumph his first individual Vuelta stage, pursuing up nan squad clip proceedings triumph connected shape five.

“It’s astonishing to triumph a shape successful nan Vuelta, which is my favourite race,” Ayuso said. “The measurement I won nan race, I will retrieve always. I’m ace proud.”

Vingegaard had managed to get distant from Træen successful nan last kilometres, but nan Bahrain Victorious cyclist fought back, leaving nan Dane still pinch it each to do.

“It was a decent time successful total,” Vingegaard said. “It was not an easy time and we wanted to effort to prevention our power a bit, truthful we decided not to do thing today.”

Saturday’s shape 8 will beryllium a level 163.5km thrust from Monzón Templario to Zaragoza.

Chris Froome has had room aft a superior clang connected Wednesday. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

Elsewhere location was affirmative news regarding nan information of Chris Froome, pinch Israel-Premier Tech posting that nan British cyclist was successful “good spirits” aft successful room pursuing a crash successful nan southbound of France that near him pinch a fractured vertebrae, collapsed lung and 5 surgery ribs.

Froome, 40, collapsed while connected a training thrust connected Wednesday and was airlifted to infirmary successful Toulon, astir 100 miles from his location successful Monaco.

A connection from Israel-Premier Tech said: “Chris has successfully undergone room aft his caller injuries. The procedures went arsenic planned, and Chris is presently recovering successful infirmary nether nan attraction of his aesculapian team. He is successful bully spirits and grateful for nan fantabulous aesculapian support he has received. Chris and his family would for illustration to convey fans, friends, and nan cycling organization for their interest and benignant messages during this time.”

Froome’s injuries will extremity his play and could mean nan extremity of 1 of nan astir successful Grand Tour careers successful cycling’s history, pinch nan four-time Tour de France champion successful nan last months of nan five-year statement he signed erstwhile he near Ineos Grenadiers to subordinate Israel Premier-Tech up of nan 2021 campaign.

Froome besides won nan Giro d’Italia successful 2018 and nan Vuelta a España successful some 2011 and 2017 – each pinch Team Sky. Only 4 men person much Tour de France titles, pinch Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin each five-time winners. Only Merckx, Anquetil and Hinault person much than Froome’s 7 Grand Tour titles, which time off him tied pinch Induráin, Alberto Contador and Fausto Coppi.

However, Froome has ne'er recovered his champion shape since a superior clang during nan 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné, which near him successful intensive attraction pinch a fractured femur, elbow, ribs and pelvis.

The past of his 46 master profession wins came astatine nan 2018 Giro and his champion consequence since that 2019 clang was 3rd spot connected shape 12 of nan 2022 Tour de France to Alpe d’Huez arsenic Tom Pidcock took victory.

Froome collapsed his collarbone astatine nan UAE Tour successful February and had antecedently hinted that 2025 could beryllium his last twelvemonth of competitory racing. He past raced astatine nan Tour of Poland earlier this month, finishing 68th overall.