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Majka claims his fifth grand tour stage win at La Vuelta

Eiking retains the race leader’s red jersey ahead of Martin. Race favourite Roglic stays in third

Team UAE Emirates rider Rafal Majka celebrates winning the 15th stage of the La Vuelta. Photograph: Jorge Guerrero/AFP via Getty Images
Team UAE Emirates rider Rafal Majka celebrates winning the 15th stage of the La Vuelta. Photograph: Jorge Guerrero/AFP via Getty Images
Sun Aug 29 2021 - 20:40

Rafal Majka claimed his fifth stage win at a grand tour as he soloed to victory at the Vuelta a Espana.

The UAE Team Emirates rider, who last won a grand tour stage in 2017, broke clear on the Puerto de Pedro Bernardo and kept his chasers at bay for the remaining 87km of the 197.5km 15th stage to El Barraco.

Majka dedicated his success to his late father.

He said in his post-race interview on La Vuelta’s website: “It’s special. Sometimes you try, and it’s not easy to go for the break. But today I tried from the start to the end, I didn’t wait for anybody today.

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“I wanted to win the stage. Specially, I wanted to do it for my father, who passed away, for my two kids and also for the great team that UAE is. I’m so happy. I had a bad start of the season, and it was not easy for me and for my family.”

Fabio Aru could not stay with Majka on the penultimate classified climb, and the Polish rider stayed clear on the day’s main climb – the Puerto de Mijares – to finish one minute and 27 seconds ahead of second-placed Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma).

Team DSM’s Chris Hamilton was 2mins 19secs behind Majka in third.

There was no change to the podium places as most of the main contenders finished together. Odd Christian Eiking (Intermarche) retained the race leader’s red jersey ahead of Guillaume Martin (Cofidis).

Race favourite Primoz Roglic stayed in third, 1min 36secs behind Eiking going into Monday’s final rest day.

Great Britain’s Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) broke clear of the red jersey group in the final stages to finish fourth and chip away 15 seconds on his deficit. He sits eighth, now 4mins 34secs behind Eiking.

Stage 15: (Navalmoral de la Mata–El Barraco, 197.5km): 1 Rafal Majka (Pol) UAE Team Emirates 4hours 51mins 36secs; 2 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Jumbo-Visma at 1min 27secs; 3 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team DSM at 2:19; 4 Adam Yates (Gbr) Ineos Grenadiers at 2:42; 5 Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo at 2:57

General Classification: 1 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux at 59hrs 57mins 50secs; 2 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis at 54secs; 3 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma at 1min 36secs; 4 Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Movistar Team at 2:11; 5 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Movistar Team at 3:04; 6 Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious at 3:35; 7 Egan Bernal Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers at 4:21; 8 Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers at 4:34; 9 Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma at 4:59; 10 Felix Grossschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe at 5:31