Published on : 09/06/2023
For the third time in his career, the Cofidis rider has won "on home soil" on the roads of the Vuelta. Jesus showed patience, composure and great control to win in Laguna Negra, having been part of the day's breakaway. Jesus offers Spain its 1st victory in this Vuelta and Cofidis its 3rd success in a major Tour this season. Here's a look back at a day that will live long in the memory.
It's the prerogative of sporting greats: the ability to repeat exploits and become regulars. For the third time in his career, Jesus Herrada raised his arms at the end of a stage in the Vuelta. There was Ares de la Maestrat in 2019 (stage 6) and Cistierna (stage 7) last year, and now there will be this finish in La Laguna Negra. The joy is identical, the happiness incredible and infectious too.
In the wake of Lafay and Izaguirre
It took courage and composure to reach the end of this stage, which was reserved for breakaways. There were 26 riders who managed to evade the peloton, including Jesus Herrada. His experience and mastery of the race did the rest. He was able to attack at the right moment, avoid the pitfalls and overcome fatigue and adversity to triumph and raise his arms. The Cofidis team had set itself the goal of winning a stage at the Vuelta, and it has now been achieved. After the triumphs of Victor Lafay and Ion Izagirre at the Tour de France, this is already the 3rd Cofidis stage win in a major Tour.
This success, which will inevitably be celebrated within the team, also offers renewed motivation and enthusiasm to the whole team present at the Vuelta and the other races in which Cofidis is involved. Jesus, the riders and every member of the staff all want nothing more than to continue to experience the emotional highs that only the best of days can bring.
THEY SAID
Jesus Herrada: "I'm really super happy! A stage win was our goal and I'm obviously very happy to have achieved it, especially in the second week. I fought hard and gave it my all! We've made several attempts since the start of the Vuelta. Today, I knew that the final could be right for me. It was very difficult to be part of the breakaway today. I gave up a lot of strength to get there, there were a lot of good riders, like Geraint Thomas... I felt good in the final. I waited until the last 300 metres to attack and it worked! My father was there at the start and finish and I was really happy that he was there. I dedicate this great victory to him!
Gorka Gerrikagoitia, Sporting Director: "We can be really proud of Jesus and the work of the whole team. The plan this morning was to do everything we could to go for victory with him. We knew that the slightly steep finish suited him well and that he could try his luck in a large breakaway group. Since the start of the Vuelta, Jesus has managed his effort well. This victory is the result of that good management, of our ability to race intelligently and to seize opportunities. It's bound to inspire us for the rest of the race. Tomorrow, we'll try our luck in the sprint with Davide Cimolai and then in the mountain stages with Rémy Rochas. We tried with Ruben Fernandez, who finished 6th last Sunday, and we won with Jesus today, so we can't wait to build on this great momentum!