Iturria rules Stage 11

I have never won as a professional so to win here at the Vuelta a Espana, so close to home, in a stage I used to come to see, is a dream come true

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Mikel Iturria dug deep to register his first ever professional win as a mass escape dominated Stage 11 at the Vuelta a Espana on Wednesday.

Iturria (Euskadi-Murias) pulled clear of a group that came in 18 minutes ahead of the peloton in the final kilometers and the 27-year-old held on for an impressive win in the Pyrenees. Another Spaniard Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural) was second, with America’s Lawson Craddock (Education First) coming in third, both part of a chasing pack that finished six seconds behind. None of the 14 breakaway riders posed a threat to Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), the Slovenian who retains the overall leader’s red jersey ahead of stage 12 on Thursday. Roglic remains one minute and 52 seconds ahead of Spain’s Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and two minutes and 11seconds in front of Colombiam Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) in the general standings, all of whom finished in the same time.

Iturria, whose hometown of Urnieta is around 50 kilometers from the finish, admitted he had to fight for his success.

“I am so happy,” said Iturria. “I have never won as a professional so to win here at the Vuelta a Espana, so close to home, in a stage I used to come to see, is a dream come true.

“I attacked at full speed, with all I had, there were a lot of kilometers left and it was a bit of a gamble. I opened up a gap and from there to the finish line, it was just about holding on, holding on and holding on.”

With more strenuous tests to come, the peloton saved their legs across the 180-kilometer route between Saint-Palais in France and Urdax-Dantxarinea in northern Spain.