Portugal’s João Almeida Holds Off Jonas Vingegaard in Grueling Angliru Climb to Secure Vuelta Stage Win
Portugal’s João Almeida fought off race leader Jonas Vingegaard in a fierce battle on the steep slopes of Angliru to claim victory in stage 13 of the Vuelta a España on Friday.
The top two contenders in the overall standings distanced the rest of the field in the final 5km. Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) set the pace throughout the punishing climb and narrowly held off Visma-Lease a Bike’s Vingegaard in the final sprint to the line.
“This one is special—I still can’t believe it,” Almeida said. “I focused on my effort from the start and gave everything I had. Jonas stayed right behind me the whole time. We were both pushing our limits, and I expected his move at any moment.”
With bonus seconds from the stage win, Almeida narrowed the gap to the race leader's red jersey to 46 seconds. Britain’s Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) lost time but maintained third place overall, now trailing by two minutes and 18 seconds.
Australia’s Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) crossed the line third in the 202.7 km stage from Cabezón de la Sal to Alto de L’Angliru, 28 seconds behind Almeida and Vingegaard, just ahead of the Dane’s teammate Sepp Kuss.
Kuss, the 2023 Vuelta winner, nearly lost his grip on the red jersey that year when teammates Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic surged ahead on Angliru, with Roglic narrowly defeating him at the finish.
This time, it was Vingegaard who struggled, though he appeared to be waiting for the right moment to strike. He stayed close behind Almeida on the brutal final stretches of the climb but ultimately never made his move.
“I thought he might overtake me right at the line,” Almeida admitted. “I took the last corner well, making it tough to pass. This is the hardest climb in the world—it’s just brutal. I’m completely exhausted.”
Almeida’s efforts earned him his first individual Vuelta stage victory, along with gaining four seconds in the general classification. Beating the race favorite on Angliru could boost his confidence in the fight for the overall win. “There’s still a big gap to close,” Almeida said. “Jonas is in incredible form, so it won’t be easy, but we’ll keep pushing.”
Pidcock, despite falling behind the leaders, finished seventh. The race now seems set for a showdown between Vingegaard and Almeida in the coming stages.
Luxembourg’s Bob Jungels (Ineos Grenadiers) put up a strong effort as part of an early breakaway and was the last rider to be caught. At the base of the Angliru, protesters briefly delayed Jungels and Nicolya Vinokurov before authorities cleared the road.
Stage 14 on Saturday covers a shorter 135.9 km route from Avilés, concluding with another summit finish at Alto de La Farrapona.
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