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Vuelta a Espana 2022 stage 20 live - The final test for the red jersey

By Clara Beard
last updated

Evenpoel will make his final defence of red jersey on the climbs of the sierras of Madrid

Maps and profiles of the 2022 Vuelta a Espana stages

(Image credit: La Vuelta)

Vuelta a España 2022 stage 20 preview

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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 20 of the Vuelta a España!

We've got a huge stage ahead of us today on the penultimate day of the Spanish grand tour - 181 kilometres and five intermediate climbs, finishing on a 10.3 km climb before a false flat run-in to the finish.

We have 7.3km of neutral before the actual start. 

And we're off! We have a false flat until the start of Puerto de Navacerrada (Cat.1)

Robert Stannard (ADC) is off the front on his own at the moment.

There's a group of riders chasing including Richard Carapaz (IGD), Marc Soler (UAD), Mikel Bizkarra (EUS), Nans Peters (ACT), Ben Turner (IGD), Julius Van Den Berg (EFE) and Luís Mas (MOV).

And we're all back together with new attacks to come. 

Clément Champoussin (ACT), Xandro Meurisse (ADC), Daniel Navarro (BBH), Rubén Fernández (COF), Simon Guglielmi (ARK), Robert Stannard (ADC) and Joan Bou (EUS) are our new leaders.

The bunch is easing off.

Jonathan Caicedo (EFE) and Julien Bernard (TFS) are chasing. Movistar continues to attack out of the peloton.

There's about 4km until the base of the Puerto de Navacerrada and attacks are still flying. Movistar are super active. 

Clément Champoussin (ACT), Xandro Meurisse (ADC), Daniel Navarro (BBH), Rubén Fernández (COF), Simon Guglielmi (ARK), Robert Stannard (ADC) and Joan Bou (EUS) are still leading as the climb starts. 

It's been a fast start and the pace isn't easing up. 

Joan Bou (EUS) has dropped out of the break. 

Ilan van Wilder and Louis Vervaeke are trying to control the peloton, but the attacks keep coming. 

There are a number of Astana and Movistar riders attacking, and Quickstep wants to calm it down. But they aren't doing a great job of it at the moment. The attacks are relentless. 

Richard Carapaz (IGD), Thibaut Pinot (GFC), Sébastien Reichenbach (GFC), Hugh Carthy (EFE), Marc Soler (UAD), Gregor Mühlberger (MOV) and Jonathan Caicedo (EFE) are in the third chase group.

The attacks keep coming. The teams are throwing everything at Evenepoel right now. 

33km in to the stage

Clément Champoussin (ACT) is dropped from the front group. 

Now Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) make a move out of the GC group.

Xandro Meurisse (ADC), Daniel Navarro (BBH), Rubén Fernández (COF), Simon Guglielmi (ARK) and Robert Stannard (ADC) are still off the front. The peloton is non existent. The first climb has decimated everyone. 

A break of 12 has formed behind the leaders: Louis Meintjes (IWG), Richard Carapaz (IGD), Thibaut Pinot (GFC), Gino Mäder (TBV), David De La Cruz (AST), Sébastien Reichenbach (GFC), Hugh Carthy (EFE), Mikel Bizkarra (EUS), Clément Champoussin (ACT), Gregor Mühlberger (MOV), Rohan Dennis (TJV) and Joan Bou (EUS).

They're 40 seconds apart. 

So now we have a group of 21 chasers. 

The peloton is sitting at 2'40" with 127km to go.

The peloton is moving over for a nature break.

The gap has grown to 6 minutes after the first climb. 

We still have a group of six off the front with a large pack of 21 riders 35 seconds behind in the chase. 

Simon Guglielmi (ARK) has attacked out of the chase. 

The bunch is led by BORA Hansgrohe and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team. 


Results at Puerto de Navacerrada (Cat. 1):

Marc Soler (UAD) and Robert Stannard (ADC) are the new leaders approaching 100km to go. 

Marc Soler (UAD) and Robert Stannard (ADC) have a minute ahead of the large chase group.

BORA Hansgrohe continues to set pace in the peloton.

95km to go

Marc Soler (UAD) and Robert Stannard (ADC) have started the next climb with a minute and a half advantage. 

The leaders are climbing up Puerto de Navafría. 

Bora continutes to drive ahead of the peloton. 

Mäder and Mühlberger have attacked out of the large chase group, and join Pinot, 1'35'' behind Soler and Stannard.

85km to go

Stannard gets over the top of the climb first and picks up the max points. 

The peloton is at five minutes behind the leaders. 

Dario Cataldo (Trek-Segafredo): “In Navacerrada, I have good memories from that day we won the Vuelta. We were pretty close, six seconds with Tom Dumoulin. Today, for sure someone wants to try to do something similar, to go all in this stage. The difference is that Evenepoel has a pretty big gap compared to the others. It will be pretty hard but they will try, not only for Enric [Mas], also for Lopez who fights for the podium.”

Thibaut Pinot (GFC), Gino Mäder (TBV) and Gregor Mühlberger (MOV) are 55 seconds back, in the first chase.

There's about 12km before they start the next climb. 

The gap is holding at 5 minutes to the peloton. 

The three chasers have joined Soler and Stannard up at the front. 

Results of the second KOM:

The second chase group includes Louis Meintjes (IWG), Jan Polanc (UAD), Alejandro Valverde (MOV), Richard Carapaz (IGD), David De La Cruz (AST), Sébastien Reichenbach (GFC), Hugh Carthy (EFE), Sergio Higuita (BOH), Mikel Bizkarra (EUS), Clément Champoussin (ACT), Xandro Meurisse (ADC), Robert Gesink (TJV), Daniel Navarro (BBH), Vincenzo Nibali (AST), Raul García (EKP), Rubén Fernández (COF), Rohan Dennis (TJV), Jesús Herrada (COF), Simon Guglielmi (ARK), Urko Berrade (EKP) and Joan Bou (EUS).

We're on the next climb now. When they hit the top of this one, there is no reprieve with any flat roads, 

Muhlberger isn't helping with the work at the front, He has his team still pulling at 4'15 with 58km to go.

There's 5km to go the top of the KOM.

57km to go

After three hours, the average speed is 40.3kph.

Carapaz, Valverde, Higuita, Mäder, Pinot, Muhlberger, Soler and Stannard have just been joined by the chase group, so now we have a big group of 24 off the front again. 

Soler is hanging out at the back of this large group. 

Richard Carapaz (IGD) has made a move off the front. 

He's attacked off the front to pick up the KOM points. 

Carapaz picks up five points and heads back into the group.

And now they're starting to climb up Puerto de La Morcuera (Cat.1).

Guglielmi attacks out of the breakaway group. The gap to the peloton is 3'30". 

43km to go

Things are splitting in the breakaway. Riders are all over the place as Movistar puts more pressure on.

Louis Meintjes (IWG), Richard Carapaz (IGD) and Sergio Higuita (BOH) are the leaders, with Meintjes setting the tempo. 

The bunch is exploding now. Riders are all over this climb. 

Carlos Rodriguez has been dropped out of the peloton. Ineos is trying to pace him back up. Movistar is still driving. 

There's 3km to the top of the next KOM.

Mas launches his first attack and Evenepoel is straight on his wheel.

Now Ayuso attacks out of the GC group to put pressure on Remco Evenepoel (QST). 

Remco Evenepoel (QST) looks like he's in total control, despite the attacks, 

Carapaz picks up 10 more points over the top of the KOM. 

Carapaz has secured his KOM jersey after that last climb. 

Louis Meintjes (IWG), Richard Carapaz (IGD) and Sergio Higuita (BOH) have 30 seconds on their chasers. 

The leaders have 1km to the beginning to the final climb. 

17km to go

Puerto de Cotos is a Cat. 1 climb, and is 10km in length. It averages 6.9 percent. 

The bunch is 1'35" back. UAE has four riders on the front. Soler is driving the pace. 

Richard Carapaz (IGD) makes a move!

Sergio Higuita (BOH) joins Carapaz on the front. 

Valverde is on the front of the peloton to set pace. 

Miguel Ángel López (AST) attacks and at the same time that drops Valverde. 

Rigoberto Urán (EFE) is dropped out of the GC group.

10km to go

Meintjes is caught by the GC group that is just about 40 seconds behind the two leaders. 

And that gap is down to just 10 seconds. The GC group is about to catch the leaders.

Carapaz attacks to get the last KOM points. 

Carapaz is going all in now. He's got 10 seconds on Sergio Higuita (BOH), who's about to be caught. 

5km to go

Carapaz is going for the stage win here. 

Thymen Arensman (DSM) is trying to get across to Carapaz. He's only 15 seconds behind. 

Not much longer! Just .5km to go. 

It looks like Carapaz is going to pull it off! 

That's number three for Richard Carapaz! 

Unofficial top 5:

Remco Evenepoel (QST) is overcome with emotion and relief after he finishes, knowing he's successfully secured the overall win after this pressure filled stage. 

Remco Evenepoel (QST) will win the 2022 Vuelta a Espana overall after tomorrow!

Tomorrow's stage of the Vuelta is the traditional ride into the city of Madrid. It's completely flat and totals 96.7 km. It starts a little later at 5:10 p.m. CET. 

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