MADRID, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Joao Almeida (UAE-Team Emirates-XRG) won the 13th stage of the Vuelta de Espana cycle race on Friday with a heroic ascent of the mythical L'Angliru climb.
Almeida started the race second overall behind Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease-A Bike) and led the Danish rider all the way up the brutal slopes of the most feared climb in Spain, before holding on in the last kilometer to take a stage that was entirely deserved.
The Angliru is not the highest climb in La Vuelta at 1,550 meters above sea level, nor do its 12.4 kilometers make it the longest climb. What makes L'Angliru special is its average gradient of 9.7 percent, which give the riders no chance to recover, while sections of up to 23 percent gradient in the last three kilometers reduce the speed down to just above walking pace.
Before reaching L'Angliru, the riders had to get over the first category Alto de la Mozqueta and the Alto del Cordal to soften them up before the final test.
Bob Jungels (Ineos Grenadiers) was the last survivor of the breakaway, but he was caught with around five kilometers left to ride by the leaders' group of Almeida, Vingegaard, his team-matt Sepp Kuss and Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
Almeida worked to leave Kuss and Hindley, but despite his tremendous effort, he was unable to shake Vingegaard, although the race leader could do little more than hang onto his wheel on the incredibly steep ramps.
The stage was decided in the final kilometer where Almeida's extra turn of speed saw him hold off Vingegaard to take a win that was completely deserved, before the two warriors embraced in mutual respect of their efforts.
"This is crazy, it's the hardest climb in the world," said Almeida after the finish.
"I just out my head down and although Jonas was on my wheel, we were both on the limit. I thought he could pass me, but I knew the finish and the way I took the final corners meant he couldn't overtake."
Vingegaard leads Almeida by 46 seconds overall, with Tom Pidcock in third place 2.18 behind the leader. ■
