Vuelta a Espana 2015: Full Standings and Highlights After Stage 5 Results
Australian super talent Caleb Ewan grabbed his first-ever Grand Tour stage win in epic fashion on Wednesday, beating John Degenkolb and Peter Sagan in a bunch sprint to win Stage 5 of the 2015 Vuelta a Espana.
Degenkolb and Sagan have been the two most in-form sprinters of the summer, but the 21-year-old Ewan didn't let the pressure of facing those two get to him. Jumping out of Degenkolb's wheel, he easily flew past the German to become the first neo-pro to win a stage in a Grand Tour this season, per CafeRoubaix.
CafeRoubaix also confirmed he's the youngest rider to win a stage at the Vuelta in 30 years.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Here are the results from Stage 5:
The updated Vuelta standings:
Wednesday's stage was one of the flattest the peloton will encounter in this year's Vuelta, but with the road to the finish line at Alcala de Guadaira rising ever so slightly, broadcaster Carlton Kirby thought the advantage laid with the power sprinters who usually shine in the Classics:
Sagan, winner of the green jersey in the Tour de France and Monday's stage, had to be considered the favourite given his form and the course of Wednesday's stage. Then again, that's usually the case, as he jokingly told Eurosport's Laura Meseguer.
As always happens in these kinds of stages, an early break manifested itself, with Iljo Keisse, Tsgabu Grmay and Antoine Duchesne building a massive lead. The peloton spent the bulk of the day cruising along the Spanish roads, not too concerned with the three riders at the front.
VeloVoices was particularly happy to see Keisse, a Belgian track star, leading the proceedings:
With 40 kilometers left to race, the peloton increased their pace, and soon enough, the leaders started to panic. Duchesne tried to go solo before Keisse countered, and the Belgian liked his chances of upsetting the odds, having already won in similar conditions in the Giro d'Italia.
The peloton wouldn't be fooled this time, however, and the sprint teams gladly cooperated as they chased down Keisse. He didn't resist for very long, per VeloVoices:
With nine kilometers left to race, the peloton caught their man, setting up a bunch-sprint finish. The final stretch was filled with roundabouts, leading to plenty of confusion as every sprint train tried to position itself heading into the last two kilometers.
Sagan was pushed to the front of the pack a little early, opening the door for Degenkolb to take the lead. The German seemed certain to win the stage, but Ewan blew straight past him, grabbing his first stage win in dominant fashion.
Degenkolb's jump may have been a little early, but the fact that Ewan was able to power past such a great sprinter at the tender age of 21 is incredible. More than anything, he showed incredible poise and maturity, hopping from wheel to wheel before placing his jump. Eurosport's Felix Lowe was impressed:
Ewan is widely regarded as the top young sprinter in the world, and that won't change after Wednesday's stage. The Australian may not have ideal height to be a power sprinter, standing just 5'5", per Reece Homfray of the Sunday Mail (for AdelaideNow.com), but he's undoubtedly the biggest sprinting talent the nation has seen since Robbie McEwen, who terrorised the peloton for years.
As reported by Cycling News' live blog of the stage, even team-mate Mitch Docker was in awe of what he had just seen: "He’s just brand new at a grand tour and he showed that he is ready for the next step, it’s amazing."
Tom Dumoulin is the new leader in the general classification, although that is likely to change after Stage 6.
Thursday's stage toward Cazorla will present the first real test for the riders battling it out for the general classification. While most of the course is fairly straightforward, the climb of the Alto de Cazorla could provide one or two surprises.
It's a very odd climb, rising steadily for nearly 20 kilometers before reaching a sudden descent that is surely to cause problems in the peloton. After that, the riders will face a very steep, short climb that should suit the more powerful climbers, like Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez.
There will be gaps at the front following the descent, and any in-form rider should be able to build a significant lead in the final two kilometers. The 2015 Vuelta won't be decided on Thursday, but a bad performance here could all but doom a rider's chances of winning the red jersey.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
