When American Ben King won the fourth stage of this year’s La Vuelta a Espana, he said it was a dream come true.
He’s still dreaming!
King won his second stage in this year’s La Vuelta, outlasting some of the big names in climbing with a Stage 9 win on the uphill finish of La Covatilla in La Hoya, Spain.
“I feel so bad right now,” King said after keeping Dutch chaser Bauke Mollema at bay during the final climb of more than 1,000 m over the last 24 km of the 200.8 km race. King said later, “The climb was really hard, with some very steep sections, and I thought Mollema would come back. I suffered a lot but I kept hoping and I made it.”
The brutal stage also reshuffled the overall leaders in the race, with Britain’s Simon Yates – one of the pre-race favorites – taking the lead. He has a one-second edge over Spain’s Alejandro Valverde, then 14 seconds over Nairo Quintana (COL), 16 seconds over Emanuel Buchmann (GER) and 17 seconds ahead of Ion Izagirre (ESP). The first 10 riders are within a minute of the lead.
The first rest day is on Monday and then two more weeks of racing. Next week’s stages are flat, then two hilly stages and three mountain stages (13-14-15) before another rest day on 10 September.
NBC’s Olympic Channel has daily coverage of La Vuelta, usually beginning at 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Summaries and stage notes:
UCI World Tour/La Vuelta a Espana
Spain ~ 25 August-16 September 2018
(Full results here)
Stage 1 (8.0 km Indiv. Time Trial): 1. Rohan Dennis (AUS), 9:39; 2. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL), 9:45; 3. Victor Campanaerts (BEL), 9:46; 4. Nelson Oliveira (POR), 9:56; 5. Dylan van Baarle (NED), 9:59. Also in the top 50: 15. Brent Bookwalter (USA), 10:02; … 21. Joey Rosskopf (USA), 10:07; … 24. Ben King (USA), 10:08.
Stage 2 (163.5 km): 1. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), 4:13:01; 2. Kwiatkowski (POL), 4:13:01; 2. Laurens de Plus (BEL), 4:13:04; 4. Wilco Kelderman (NED), 4:13:04; 5. George Bennett (NZL), 4:13:04. Also in the top 50: 48. Ian Boswell (USA), 4:14:06.
Stage 3 (178.2 km): 1. Elia Viviani (ITA), 4:48:12; 2. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA), 4:48:12; 3. Peter Sagan (SVK), 4:48:12; 4. Nacer Bouhanni (FRA), 4:48:12; 5. Simone Consonni (ITA), 4:48:12.
Stage 4 (161.4 km): 1. King (USA), 4:33:12; 2. Nikita Stalnov (KAZ), 4:33:14; 3. Pierre Rolland (FRA), 4:33:25; 4. Luis Angel Mate (ESP), 4:33:20; 5. Ben Gastauer (LUX), 4:34:51. Also in the top 50: 27. Sepp Kuss (USA), 4:37:04.
Stage 5 (188.7 km): 1. Simon Clarke (AUS), 4:36:07; 2. Bauke Mollema (NED), 4:36:07; 3. Alessandro de Marchi (ITA), 4:36:07; 4. Davide Villella (ITA), 4:36:15; 5. Floris de Tier (BEL), 4:36:15. Also in the top 50: 16. Bookwalter (USA), 4:39:59; 17. Kuss (USA), 4:39:49; … 24. King (USA), 4:41:02.
Stage 6 (155.7 km): 1. Nacer Bouhanni (FRA), 3:58:35; 2. Danny van Poppel (NED), 3:58:35; 3. Elia Viviani (ITA), 3:58:35; 4. Simone Consonni (ITA), 3:58:35; 5. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 3:58:35.
Stage 7 (185.7 km): 1. Tony Gallopin (FRA), 4:18:20; 2. Sagan (SVK), 4:18:25; 3. Valverde (ESP), 4:18:25; 4. Eduard Prades (ESP), 4:18:25; 5. Omar Fraile (ESP), 4:18:25. Also in the top 50: 10. Kuss (USA), 4:18:25; … 48. King (USA), 4:20:08.
Stage 8 (195.1 km): 1. Valverde (ESP), 4:35:54; 2. Sagan (SVK), 4:35:54; 3. Van Poppel (NED), 4:35:54; 4. Ion Izagirre (ESP), 4:35:54; 5. Nizzolo (ITA), 4:35:54. Also in the top 50: 47. King (USA), 4:35:54.
Stage 9 (200.8 km): 1. King (USA), 5:30:38; 2. Mollema (NED), 5:31:26; 3.Dylan Teuns (BEL), 5:33:16; 4. Miguel Angel Lopez (COL), 5:33:18; 5. Nairo Quintana (COL), 5:33:18. Also in the top 50: 20. Kuss (USA), 5:34:10.
Stage 10: 04 September Universidad de Salamanca to Fermoselle (177.0 km; flat)
Stage 11: 05 September Mombuey to Ribeira Sacra (207.8 km; hilly)
Stage 12: 06 September Mondoñedo to Faro de Estaca de Bares (181.1 km; hilly)
Stage 13: 07 September Candas. Carreño to Valle de Sabero (174.8 km; mountains)
Stage 14: 08 September Cistierna to Les Praeres (171.0 km); mountains
Stage 15: 09 September Ribera de Arriba to Lagos de Covadonga (178.2 km; mountains)
10 September Rest day
Stage 16: 11 September Santillana del Mar to Torrelavega (Indiv. Time Trial: 32.0 km) Stage 17: 12 September Getxo to Balcon de Bizkaia (157.0 km; hilly)
Stage 18: 13 September Ejea de los Caballeros to Lleida (186.1 km; flat)
Stage 19: 14 September Lleida to Andorra. Naturlandia (154.4 km; flat)
Stage 20: 15 September Escaldes-Engordany to Coll de la Gallina (97.3 km; mountains)
Stage 21: 16 September Alcorcon to Madrid (112.3 km; flat)
