Roglic does not abdicate in the Vuelta a España

Miguel Ángel López and Roglic reach the finish line the day Evenepoel lost almost a minute. Javier Lizón (EFE)

Roglic wants his thing.

Roglic does not expire.

Roglic is the king of the Vuelta, winner of the last three editions, and he does not intend to abdicate before his time.

After the first week, in which he did not find the best version of himself, the Slovenian was content to follow in the footsteps of Evenepoel, a leader who did not seem to have weaknesses or weaknesses, a

red, it was insinuated, predestined to be crowned even before reaching the halfway point of the Spanish round.

That's what the Quick-Step imagined, no matter how cautious it was, that's what all the teams thought and that's what the peloton hissed, which was full of praise for the Belgian, watts and more watts, scorching superiority.

But that did not enter into the logic or the equation of Roglic, who in the Sierra de la Panadera, finally spurred on by Jumbo's tactics, explained to the world that he is not a second, that he plays to win and that the harder the better compete.

Something similar to Richard Carapaz, denied in the general classification from the first week but, proud of him, compensated with two stage laurels in the last two mountains and with the same cunning, escaping from the breakaway, raising his arms with rage mixed with emotion.

Although this time, purebred,

Quick-Step, aware of its limits to pull the peloton at a dizzying pace, pretended that there would not be a massive leak or that it would take color, shape and, above all, time with the passage of kilometers.

Commitment that he achieved, because the escape did not take place for 70 kilometers.

Until Carapaz and seven cronies —among whom were Luis León Sánchez (Bahrain) and Raúl García Pierna (Kern Pharma)—, delayed to stress the race.

He accepted the Quick-Step escape because none of them put Evenepoel's leadership at risk, because the team did not have enough strength either, diminished by the absence of Alaphilippe after the hit that hit him.

And the difference wasn't worrisome either;

three minutes behind when arriving at the foot of the Siete Pilillas port;

almost four when crowning it;

and again to three minutes at the start of Pandera.

Illusion of the platoon for suffocating the rebels;

smile on Carapaz's mouth;

and concern in the eyes of the other escapees, aware that uphill there was nothing they could do.

The Ecuadorian had already warned him before starting the stage: “This climb is an opportunity to make a good escape again.

It would be great to win one more stage.”

He did it, yes, but Jumbo, anonymous in the Vuelta except in the first stage when he won the team time trial,

As the road got steeper, winding, rough, with sharp curves that discouraged the soul when overcoming them because the ramp took on a steeper slope, Jumbo stepped on the accelerator.

First Gesink and then Harper, a hellish pace that was undernourishing the peloton.

Also, although that was not yet known because few more hieratic than him, to Evenepoel.

But that's how Roglic uncovered it with four kilometers to go, a cruel, fierce, almost inhuman start.

And —surprise!— The Belgian remains frozen, a good bird, unable to clench his jaws, to pursue his dream for a day, to catch a wheel from an unleashed Roglic that took 52 seconds out of him.

Yes, the Enric Mas type endured, always approaching the strongest although still without the strength to attack him, but later, almost at the end, it broke, running out of will and gasoline.

“At first I felt very good,

but then it has given me an impressive slump.

Primoz has made me suffer”, accepted the Movistar runner with gasping breath, firm in the third step of the general classification.

📊 Top 10 stage |

stage 1⃣4⃣

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– The Return (@lavuelta) September 3, 2022

From behind, with his tongue hanging out, finally with a red face from the effort, Evenepoel arrived, resurrected by the rhythm of a Juan Ayuso who punctured on the climb and ended up with a borrowed bike, the best of aid for the Belgian .

“I haven't had my best legs.

I hope it's just my bad day at the Vuelta.

The loss of time is not serious, this happens in a three-week competition and, at the moment, there is nothing to worry about”, Evenepoel resolved, broken during the climb but mentally sound.

Roglic, in any case, crown in hand, asks for an appointment in Sierra Nevada.

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