Mark Soler (Movistar) and David Gaudu (FDJ) were a study in contrasts as the two men fought for victory on the Alto de la Farrapona.
They had dispatched their breakaway companions Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) and Mark Donovan and Michael Storer (Sunweb) with just over five kilometers to the finish on stage 11 of the Vuelta a Espana.
From that moment on, it was a mano-a mano battle and a demonstration in different riding styles. On a final climb with a maximum gradient of 12.5%. Soler rocked and rolled his head and shoulders, mashed the pedals, his mouth wide open, desperately sucking for air. It was the look of a man suffering far more than the Frenchman.
Gaudu, on the other hand, rode in an almost relaxed way, smooth and steady, a souplesse to his cadence and the appearance of a fellow out to enjoy the Fall scenery in the mountains of Asturias.
While race leader Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), Richard Carapaz (Ineos) and the rest of the peloton chugged along at a steady tempo, Gaudu and Soler kept their gap at around two minutes, matching pulls and staying focused.
At the red kite, Gaudu suddenly swung over to the side of the road to make a full assessment of Soler’s physical state. He must have liked what he saw. Gaudu was confident enough to sprint from the front, waiting for Soler to make a move, then with 150 meters to go, powering away in decisive fashion.
“To win here, at the summit, it’s amazing. I knew I’m explosive and I’m a very strong rider for this type of finish. When Marc Soler attacked with 500 metres to go, I saw the headwind forced him to quickly sit down again. I waited for the last 150 metres and I decided to give my all,” said Gaudu. “I saw he was dropped with 75 meters and it was pure bliss.”
Crossing the line, Gaudu let out two of the loudest roars of joy you will ever hear in a bike race. “I screamed because I was relieved,” said Gaudu. “The legs hurt in the past few days. I was complaining that it wasn’t going so well and this has been a complicated season. We struggled at the Tour de France and we came to La Vuelta to be more ambitious.”
Soler gave it his all but Gaudu was clearly the smoother and the stronger rider. “I feel a bit angry because maybe I went for it too soon,” said Soler. “From the team car, they had warned me that there would be a massive headwind at the end but I didn’t think I would suffer as badly as I did.”
However, all was not lost as Soler would jump up to sixth place on GC. “I think I can be pleased with how I’m feeling, I’ve pulled back some time on GC and I think globally the team is giving people something to talk about,” he said.
David Gaudu celebrated his first stage win and first grand tour victory. Perhaps that explains to two shouts.
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