Published on : 10/29/2020
After a very tough beginning of the Vuelta, the riders were able to spare themselves today during this flat stage. Emmanuel Morin got very close to the 'top 10' (11th) whereas Guillaume Martin keeps the polka-dot jersey of the best climber.
Luckily, there is cycling. The Vuelta, the 3rd Big Tour of the season, is a breath of fresh air in this very particular context, whereas the Covid-19 epidemic is on the rise again all over Europe.
Morin close to the 'top 10'.
Ride and forget the time of each stage and the gloomy weather conditions: this is what the riders in the peloton, including team Cofidis, are doing daily on the road. This Thursday, the conditions for riding were ideal - clear skies and lots of sunshine, despite the coolness of autumn.
The goal of the team was above all to stay in the middle of the peloton. The stage ended in a sprint and Emmanuel Morin tried his luck. He has been the author of his first 'top 10' in a big Tour last week and came close to do the same today by finishing in a respectable 11th place. Since no points were awarded in the mountain classification, Guillaume Martin keeps the polka-dot jersey for the third consecutive day.
Tomorrow, watch out for the "bordure"
Tomorrow, the scenery will be breathtaking. The peloton will follow the Cantabrian coast between Castro Urdiales and Suances. While there are no major difficulties to report (apart from a 3rd category pass), the frequent wind in the area could cause some echelon formations.
The day should nevertheless end with a second consecutive massive sprint. After that, the road will rise again and we will be able to observe two more spectacular stages in the Vuelta again this weekend.
GUILLAUME MARTIN SAID...
"It was a short and relatively quiet stage. I think it was the easiest day since the beginning of the Vuelta. We stayed calm in the peloton and tried to recover as much as possible and not to take any risks.
The stage finished without any problems, Emmanuel Morin made a nice sprint and we all arrived safely. We are all aware of the rather particular situation that this Vuelta is happening in, especially as French riders. We measure how lucky we are to be here, on this race, and to be able to freely exercise our sport and enjoy our passion."