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Vuelta a España 2024 reflections: Primož Roglič victorious, Australia’s champions, Equipo Kern Pharma and Max Poole shine
Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) has won his fourth Vuelta a España title, topping the standings by 2min 36sec ahead of Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) and 3min 13sec from Enric Mas (Movistar).
The three weeks provided plenty to reflect upon, from O’Connor’s daring exploits to wear the maillot rojo to the brilliance of Equipo Kern Pharma and strength of Brit rider Max Poole (DSM Firmenich-PostNL). Many teams also missed out on their chance for glory during the last chance Grand Tour saloon.
Primož Roglič is inevitable
It was business as usual for Roglič, who has become so well acquainted with the maillot rojo of the Vuelta that he has now won a record-equalling four titles (2019, 2020, 2021, 2024), a record he now shares with Roberto Heras. Despite a strong performance by O’Connor to try and hold on, it always felt a foregone conclusion that Roglič would prevail such is his stranglehold on the race – having typically arrived with fire lit inside him having failed at his efforts to claim the maillot jaune at the Tour de France – especially with the race ending with a final day time-trial around Madrid.
Before relinquishing the lead to O’Connor after the Australian’s impressive Stage 6 solo breakaway, Roglič held the red jersey for two stages and consistently clawed back time on O’Connor in the second week. This was particularly evident on Stage 13 – unlucky for O’Connor – with its finish atop the Category 1 Puerto de Ancares, where Roglič slashed two minutes from his deficit as the Australian suffered on the slopes thanks to the fierce pace set by the Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team.
It wasn’t all rosy. After initially distancing O’Connor to finish 38 seconds clear at the finish line of the hors categorie Cuitu Negru (18.9km, 7%) on Stage 15 and seeing his gap dip below the minute mark for the first time, Roglič was hit with a 20sec time penalty for drafting. If anything this probably made him more determined as he ended Stage 16 with only five seconds between the pair.
Like a bull charging to a red flag, Roglič powered to the red jersey, eventually pulling on the familiar red jersey after Stage 19 to the Category 1 Alto de Moncalvillo as O’Connor lost almost two minutes. He held this all the way to Madrid, standing atop the podium with a final gap of 2min 36sec ahead of O’Connor.
Third place Mas displayed grinta in buckets this Vuelta to secure the final podium place ahead of Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost). He admitted disappointment afterwards however, having previously finished second in 2018, 2021, and 2022.
Three cheers for Australia
O’Connor’s impressive Vuelta no doubt delighted Aussies, but also cycling fans around the globe. The man wasn’t a favourite heading into the race and Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale isn’t considered a strong GC team in comparison to the suffocating UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike. However, they went above expectations and delivered O’Connor to a sensational second place (despite a yellow card incident) as their partnership comes to an end; O’Connor will depart for Jayco-AlUla in 2025.
Australia made history at this year’s Vuelta. For the first time, Aussies won two classifications with Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) in the mountains and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) taking home the points jersey. For Vine to even be back on his bike let alone wearing the polka dots is a miracle after his horror crash at the Itzulia Basque Country in April left him in the ICU with spinal fractures and a neck brace. His wife Bre, 22 weeks pregnant at the time, was told he might not make it.
The mountains classification was shaping up to be a spicy showdown between Visma-Lease a Bike’s Wout van Aert and Vine, who were level on 46 points heading into Stage 16. However, Van Aert suffered a heavy crash and would abandoned the race. The competition would then be between Vine and teammate Marc Soler, the duo both claiming mountains points on the final day of contention (Stage 20).
Soler was wearing the jersey on the day but Vine jumped into the virtual lead having hoovered up maximum points on two Category 3 climbs. Soler then launched a solo attack on the Category 1 Portillo de Lunada for maximum points and with two climbs remaining, the pair were tied. It was on the last ascent of the day, the Category 1 Picón Blanco, that Vine crested in fourth place for two more points. He would sew up the competition here, ending on 78 points to Soler’s 76. It was interesting and, at times, slightly confusing to watch, but Vine said after the day that ‘[Soler] was a really great teammate’.
As for the points classification, this was also a standing topped by Van Aert – and comfortably so – prior to his crash out of the Vuelta. Groves inherited the jersey and with a collection of 182 points compared to second place Harold Tejada’s (Astana Qazaqstan) 95, it was pretty much a done deal provided he stayed on his bike to the finish. He bolstered his commanding lead with victory on Stage 17 to Santander and won the classification on 226 points, Roglič finishing second on 140.
The future is bright
The youth classification was enticing. Three riders were within one minute of each other having swapped positions at the top of the standings since Bahrain Victorious rider Antonio Tiberi’s abandonment on Stage 9. Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) moved back into the white jersey on Stage 17 with Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s Florian Lipowitz lurking.
Rodríguez lost time early towards the summit finish of the Category 1 Alto de Moncalvillo on Stage 19 and was bunnyhopped by Lipowitz for second place in the standings on Stage 20, when he lost almost six minutes and dropped three places to 10th on GC. With just the time-trial remaining, the odds were in Denmark ITT Champion Skjelmose’s favour and he held on to secure the white jersey. Lipowitz finished in second place in the young rider standings, 1min 16sec back.
Max Poole was one of the revelations of this year’s Vuelta. Having arrived with leadership duties for DSM-Firmenich PostNL, the goal was to see how the 21-year-old could do on the GC with limited pressure. He shone.
Stage 11 was a 116.5km hilly day to be decided from the breakaway, of which Poole was a part of. Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla) kicked away for victory as Poole sprinted to third. He carried this impressive form into the next day, making the day’s breakaway again and finishing second behind Pablo Castrillo (Equipo Kern Pharma). He was thus projected to win the next day based on this pattern, but it didn’t happen.
Poole did, however, return to the day’s podium with third place finishes on Stage 16 and Stage 18. The former was particularly impressive given the summit finish atop Lagos de Covadonga (12.5km, 7%). The man from Scunthorpe finished 35th overall, 5th in the youth classification, 3rd in the points classification and with multiple top 10 stage finishes. What a performance.
Equipo Kern Pharma win stages and hearts
The beloved Equipo Kern Pharma team lit up the Vuelta and then some, solidifying themselves in the hearts of many. As a wildcard recipient for the Vuelta, they were expected to make plenty of breakaways and gain precious sponsor time, following the script typical of wildcard teams at Grand Tours. And they did so immediately, Ibon Ruiz breaking away with fellow wildcard receiver Luis Ángel Maté of Euskaltel-Euskadi on Stage 2 and Stage 3.
Stage 12 was a 137.6km ride to the Category 1 Montaña de Manzaneda. Equipo Kern Pharma’s Pablo Castrillo made the breakaway and showed his strength early, launching a move in the final 10km. The gap grew to 30 seconds as Castrillo was a picture of suffering on the front, slamming on the pedals. It was a close call at the finish line, with his breakaway companions having Castrillo in their sights in the final kilometre. It was the biggest win of his career and arrived just a few hours after the announcement that Equipo Kern Pharma founder and former president Manolo Azcona had died at the age of 71.
The team wouldn’t have to wait too long for another victory, again from the strength of Castrillo. On Stage 15, a 143km day towards the hors categorie Cuitu Negru and one of the highest points of the race, the 23-year-old further left his mark on this Grand Tour when he formed a trio with UAE Team Emirates’ Pavel Sivakov and Aleksandr Vlasov of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe at the head of the race.
As the gradient increased to a punishing 24% in the final 3km, Castrillo shot away in a daring attack. It was a picture-perfect dramatic ending, Vlasov hunting him down in the mist, almost catching but never quite reeling him in, and a flying Castrillo shook his head and celebrated as he notched his second victory.
As big a part as Castrillo played, he wasn’t the only man to ignite fires for the squad. Urko Berrade staged a late solo breakaway from Visma-Lease a Bike’s Steven Kruijswijk in the last 6km on Stage 18, winning near to his home in the Basque Country. Teammate Pau Miquel Delgado finished third but received an unnecessary relegation. He also rode his way into multiple top-five finishes and can be proud of that.
The team award went to UAE Team Emirates due to their combined time, but if there was a team award not based on timings, Equipo Kern Pharma would certainly receive it.
Who could’ve done better?
UAE Team Emirates may have secured the team classification but having arrived to the Vuelta with Yates and João Almeida sharing leadership duties (Almeida would abandon prior to Stage 9 with Covid), having neither on the podium must sting, even in the face of their Giro d’Italia and Tour de France wins with Tadej Pogačar. Yates did win Stage 9 to Granada in dominating fashion however, finishing with a gap of 1min 39sec to second-placed Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost). He finished 12th overall, with Sivakov their best placed rider in ninth.
However the tenacity of Soler was otherworldly, relentlessly attacking and clawing his way into the overall combativity award as a result. Vine won the mountains classification. A word must be said for Brandon McNulty too, who endured scratches and abrasions after he slid under a guard rail on Stage 13.
A few teams didn’t win a stage, including Ineos Grenadiers, EF Education-EasyPost, Lidl-Trek and Soudal Quick-Step (or ‘T-Rex Quick-Step’ as they were known throughout the Vuelta). All four are big WorldTour teams that would’ve expected to take at least one victory. Ineos Grenadiers did have Rodríguez finish tenth at 23 years of age, with EF Education-EasyPost just missing the podium in fourth with Carapaz. Lidl-Trek won the white jersey as mentioned above with Skjelmose as Mikel Landa was Quick-Step’s best-placed rider in eighth overall.
There was also an… interesting decision made by the T-Rex Quick-Step squad to pull Mattia Cattaneo out of the breakaway in the final 14km of Stage 18 when team leader Mikel Landa was already 10 minutes down on the road. Baffling.
See you next year, Vuelta.
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