Remco Evenepoel emerges victorious in stage 18 of Vuelta a Espana, while Sepp Kuss edges closer to securing the title
Remco Evenepoel Claims Third Vuelta a Espana Stage Win as Sepp Kuss Closes in on Grand Tour Victory
In a stunning display of strength, Remco Evenepoel secured his third triumph at this year’s Vuelta a Espana on stage 18. The Soudal Quick-Step rider launched an audacious solo attack from a breakaway group and crossed the finish line with nearly five minutes to spare.
Unfortunately for Evenepoel, he has been out of contention since stage 13 and currently sits in 13th place overall. His chances of winning the race are slim, with an almost 28-minute deficit separating him from the American leader, Sepp Kuss of Jumbo-Visma.
Kuss, who has maintained his composure throughout the grueling mountain stages, extended his lead over second-placed Jonas Vingegaard to 17 seconds with just three stages remaining. The Jumbo-Visma team is poised to make history by becoming the first team to win all three Grand Tours in one year; Primoz Roglic claimed victory at the Giro d’Italia in May, while Vingegaard emerged triumphant at the Tour de France in July.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to be able to support Sepp after everything he has done for me and Primoz,” said Denmark’s Vingegaard. However, both riders acknowledge that they need to approach Saturday’s challenging long stage cautiously.
Kuss navigated through the dramatic Asturian landscape under the protection of his esteemed teammates before Friday’s flat stage. However, a demanding penultimate stage awaits them, which could prove to be a decisive test.
Meanwhile, Evenepoel may no longer contend for victory in the final weekend but he did secure the king of the mountains title during Thursday’s 179km ride from Pola de Allande. His tactical attack on the first climb of Puerto de La Cruz de Linares enabled him to celebrate his 50th professional career win.
Stage 18 Results:
- Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal Quick-Step) – 4hrs 47mins 37secs
- Damiano Caruso (Ita/Bahrain Victorious) +4mins 44secs
- Andreas Kron (Den/Lotto Dstny) +5 mins 10secs
- Max Poole (GB/DSM-Firmenich) +5mins 12secs
- Paul Ourselin (Fra/Totalenergies) +5mins17 secs
- Julien Bernard (Fra/Lidl-trek)+6mins11 secs