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SA's Meintjes claims Vuelta stage nine

cycling28 August 2022 15:58| © Reuters
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South Africa's Louis Meintjes powered to victory in stage nine of the Vuelta a Espana with a lung-busting solo effort on Sunday as Belgian Remco Evenepoel extended his lead at the top of the general classification.

It was Meintjes's maiden stage win at the Vuelta as he emerged the strongest among the nine-man breakaway group, finishing more than a minute ahead of Italian duo Samuele Battistella and Edoardo Zambanini.

Victory had seemed out of reach for Meintjes when Battistella and Jimmy Janssens broke away in the final 10km but the Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert rider made a remarkable recovery to go past them with 2.5km to go and claim the biggest win of his career.

"It's something really special, I think it still needs some time to sink in. I've actually never been on the podium of a World Tour race except for team classifications," said Meintjes after his first Grand Tour stage win.

"The last few days in the mountain finishes I was just not quite fast enough to keep up with the general classification guys. Then if I don't get a result that way, the best is to go in the breakaway. It worked out perfectly today."

Evenepoel put in another strong showing, pulling away from his general classification rivals in the closing stages to cross the line fourth and open up a minute 12-second lead over local favourite Enric Mas of Movistar.

Three-times defending champion Primoz Roglic struggled on the 171.4km course from Villaviciosa to Les Praeres, fading towards the end and falling almost two minutes behind Evenepoel of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl in the overall standings.

Monday is a rest day before the riders embark on a 30.9km individual time trial from Elche to Alicante on Tuesday.

STAGE 9 RESULTS

1. Louis Meintjes (RSA) Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux 4:32:39
2. Samuele Battistella (ITA) Astana - Qazaqstan Team +1:01
3. Edoardo Zambanini (ITA) Bahrain Victorious +1:14
4. Remco Evenepoel (BEL) Quick-Step - Alpha Vinyl Team +1:34
5. Filippo Conca (ITA) Lotto - Soudal +1:58
6. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates +2:08
7. Simon Guglielmi (FRA) Team Arkéa - Samsic "
8. Enric Mas (ESP) Movistar Team +2:18
9. Carlos Rodríguez (ESP) INEOS Grenadiers +2:20
10. Primož Roglic (SLO) Jumbo - Visma +2:26
11. Jimmy Janssens (BEL) Alpecin - Deceuninck +2:37
12. Simon Yates (GBR) Team BikeExchange - Jayco "
13. Miguel Ángel López (COL) Astana - Qazaqstan Team +2:58
14. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Movistar Team +3:06
15. Mark Padun (UKR) EF Education - EasyPost +3:15
16. Dylan van Baarle (NED) INEOS Grenadiers +3:17
17. Hugh Carthy (GBR) EF Education - EasyPost +3:20
18. João Almeida (POR) UAE Team Emirates +3:22
19. Rein Taaramäe (EST) Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux +3:42
20. David De La Cruz (ESP) Astana - Qazaqstan Team "

OVERALL STANDINGS

1. Remco Evenepoel (BEL) Quick-Step - Alpha Vinyl Team 34:02:32
2. Enric Mas (ESP) Movistar Team +1:12
3. Primož Roglic (SLO) Jumbo - Visma +1:53
4. Carlos Rodríguez (ESP) INEOS Grenadiers +2:33
5. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates +2:36
6. Simon Yates (GBR) Team BikeExchange - Jayco +3:08
7. João Almeida (POR) UAE Team Emirates +4:32
8. Miguel Ángel López (COL) Astana - Qazaqstan Team +5:03
9. Jai Hindley (AUS) BORA - hansgrohe +5:36
10. Pavel Sivakov (FRA) INEOS Grenadiers +5:39
11. Thymen Arensman (NED) Team DSM +5:45
12. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR) INEOS Grenadiers +5:51
13. Ben O'Connor (AUS) AG2R - Citroën Team +5:53
14. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Movistar Team "
15. Hugh Carthy (GBR) EF Education - EasyPost +5:58
16. Louis Meintjes (RSA) Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux +6:44
17. Mark Padun (UKR) EF Education - EasyPost +7:47
18. David De La Cruz (ESP) Astana - Qazaqstan Team +7:57
19. Gino Mäder (SUI) Bahrain Victorious +8:15
20. Rigoberto Urán (COL) EF Education - EasyPost +8:42

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