Amid the tension experienced in the Tour of Spain, a competition in which several favorites have had to withdraw product of falls, including the local Alejandro Valverde, The Colombians Egan Bernal (Ineos) i Miguel Ángel López (Movistar) celebrate being safe day after day.
“When there is so much nervousness, it’s better to be safe. One less day,” said Bernal this Saturday, after the dispute of the eighth stage, 173.7 km between Santa Pola and La Manga de Mar Menor , where his compatriot Juan Sebastián Cabal (UAE) was sanctioned for improper maneuvering in the final bars of the test, being sent to the 112th place, after reaching the fifth location.
The winner was the Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick Step), which achieved its fourth victory in the history of the event, the second in this edition.
Jakobsen, who suffered a serious accident a year ago in the first stage of the Tour of Poland, after which he underwent several facial surgeries to reshape his face, won this time, in the packaging, in the Italian Alberto Dainese (Team DSM), second, and the Belgian Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix), third.
In general the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Jumbo) has been wearing the red leader’s shirt for five days now.
The best Colombian in this general classification is the boyacense Superman Lopez, fourth, to 36 seconds; while Cundinamarca Bernal is sixth, 41 minutes.
“It’s better to be in front when there is so much nervousness and stand aside – in the end – to avoid falls. The team did very well and there is one day less left,” said Bernal, who will have a tough challenge this Sunday in the mountainous stage towards the Alt de Velefique, a day that invites you to think about the appearance of the first of the general, especially the rivals of the solid leader Roglic. Among them, the most expected is the Inos de Bernal, Adam Yates i Richard Carapaz, and the Movistar of Enric Mas and Lopez.
You will have to travel 188 kilometers from Port-Lumbreras. The 175 runners still in action will have to overcome four ports, the last at the finish line, in the special category.
The mountain of Almeria, as reported by the news agency EFE, is embedded in the Sierra de Filabres and near the Observatory of Calar Alto, another name in the race. It is a hard port of 13.2 kilometers at 6.4 per cent elevation gain, ramps of up to 15 and an altitude at the top of 1,800 meters.
“In Velefique, depending on how the legs are, we will see how to go. I will try not to waste much time for the general,” added Egan, champion of the Tour de France 2019 and who won the Giro d’Italia this season.
Roglic, meanwhile, and beyond the superiority he demonstrates, is not trusted, especially for the toughness that still remains to be faced.
“The difference is never big enough and tomorrow – Sunday – we will try to give the best to both me and those around me,” said the two-time Volta champion, who has the Austrian in his shadow. Felix Großschartner (Bora), 8 seconds, and the Spanish Mas, 25 ‘. “We already saw that they attacked the first port on Friday. But I feel good. The most uncomfortable rival will be the strongest one,” said the Slovenian, adding that he trusts his teammates to continue aspiring to his third consecutive conquest