Cycling: The Quick-Step Floors team has won again. The Italian champion Elia Viviani gave the competition no chance in the first mass sprint of this year's Vuelta a Espana. His compatriot Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) finished second ahead of world champion Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe).
Luis Angel Maté consolidates his lead in the mountain classification
The third act of the Vuelta a Espana should finally give the sprinters a chance. However, the 178,2 kilometer course was anything but flat from Mijas to Alhaurín de la Torre. The Puerto del Madroño belongs to the first category and the Puerto del Viento to the third category. But even if it remained slightly wavy afterwards, the second half of the stage was much easier. Six professionals escaped the peloton immediately after the starting gun. Pierre Roland (EF Education), Nan's Peters (AG2R La Mondiale), Hector Saez (Euskaltel), Antonio Molina (Caja Rural), Jordi Simon (Burgos BH) and Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis) opened up a lead of just over three minutes. However, the Belgian team Quick-Step Floors immediately signaled with full force that a mass sprint will be inevitable for them today. Luis Angel Maté had other goals anyway. He won both mountain classifications and was thus able to extend his lead in the classification of the best mountain rider.
Top group with a new line-up – bad luck for Victor Campenaerts
With 42 kilometers to go, the lead was less than a minute. In the meantime it was possible Pierre Roland fall back into the main field before there were further attacks from there. Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Soudal) broke away with team-mate Jelle Wallays. Auch Lukas Postlberger (Bora-hansgrohe) and Alexis Gougeard (AG2R La Mondiale) were able to catch up with the leading group and breathe new life into it. After they did things together for a short time, the air was gone a few kilometers later. Some teams were represented twice in the group. Lukas Pöstlberger was only hired as a minder for Peter Sagan sent forward. Surely Victor Campenaerts had the greatest interest in a win as he was not far behind in the general classification. But in a descent he fell due to a driving error and his endeavor was over – at least for today. A solo escape by Lukas Pöstlberger also failed.
Victory #58 for Quick-Step Floors
In the peloton, the Quick-Step Floors team continued unimpressed for the mass sprint - and should finally get it. For a short time, even the Movistar team was in front. With Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott) and Richie porte (BMC) were - at least temporarily - distanced well-known professionals. In the mass sprint, the top sprinters were allowed to compete against each other in a man-to-man fight. Once again, Quick-Step Floors was to play the leading role. The Belgian team had to work all day and are now reaping the rewards. Elia Viviani was perfect by teammate Michael Morkov staged and left James Nizzolo (Trek Segafredo) and Peter Sagan no chance.
Elijah Viviani:
"Once again I have no words for the performance of my team."
#LaVuelta #LaVuelta18 #VamosEscarabajos E3 🏁 – | Other angle with the Victoria de @eliaviviani @quickstepteam , sumando la Victoria #58 for your equipment. pic.twitter.com/PJdykKlAKS
— Mundo Ciclistico (@mundociclistico) August 27, 2018
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