Five things we learned from the Vuelta a España's first summit finish

Stage 3 of the Vuelta a España brought the race's first summit finish, atop an 8.3km climb to Arinsal, Andorra. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) took the opportunity to draw the first blood, outsprinting a reduced group at the top of the climb to win the stage and go into red. But what happened other than the stage win? What else did the first mountaintop finale reveal to us?

We've already looked at who won and who lost on the general classification on Monday, but now let's dive into exactly what we can learn from stage 3, and what it means for the next three weeks in Spain.

Evenepoel’s new weapon

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A sprint victory is a relatively new display from Remco Evenepoel

There was once a time that, however jaw-droppingly strong he was, Remco Evenepoel seemed a little one-dimensional. He would take off miles from the finish, ease out his advantage, and solo home. Even at last year’s Vuelta, he effectively burned everyone off his wheel one by one on the first summit finish.

At Arinsal, we saw another dimension to Evenepoel: a sprint finish.

“For me, it’s also good to know I can beat everyone in an uphill sprint,” Evenepoel said in his press conference as stage winner and new overall leader. “And it’s also good for the others to know,” he added pointedly.

“It’s pretty new for me to ride more defensive against strong climbers. I had to be patient and time my final attack well. We all knew I had a good sprint. This morning, my good friend Louis Vervaeke told me ‘if it’s a group, you will win today’.

Evenepoel then returned to the point he had already made, making sure it wouldn’t escape the attention of his rivals: “My team has a lot of confidence in me being able to win in different ways, but now the other teams know I can win sprints, especially uphill.”

This seems most targeted at Jumbo-Visma and especially Primož Roglič, who usually gobbles up finishes like this, the implication being that they can’t just expect to bring Evenepoel to the finish and hit him with bonus seconds. With Vingegaard present, Jumbo-Visma themselves have another dimension, and there’s plenty of terrain in which to try and unsettle Evenepoel, but after Arinsal their task looks a little more complicated.

Roglič off-colour, Jumbo on the back foot

Moving straight on to Jumbo-Visma, it was a slightly underwhelming display from the team who’ve won both Grand Tours this season. They did some pacing but Evenepoel’s men did an equal share and it was UAE Team Emirates who dictated and tore up the race on the final climb.

Despite having four riders in the front group, Jumbo-Visma never looked like they wanted to grab the race by the scruff of the neck on the final climb, resulting in domestique Sepp Kuss being sent on a speculative attack. It all pointed to another bet on Roglič finishing things off in the group sprint, but surprisingly he could only manage fourth, not even getting in on the bonus seconds.

The Slovenian had uncharacteristically found himself out of position, and he was simply out of the equation as they rounded the final bend just 75 metres from the line. For a man of such consistency, who was the overwhelming favourite for this very scenario, it was the sort of display that made you wonder just what kind of form he’s in.

In terms of the two Jumbo-Visma leaders, it was Vingegaard who shone brightest. Not only did he get closest to Evenepoel at the finish, but he was the one who responded to Ayuso’s opening attack. In contrast to Roglič, he was on his toes and zippy throughout. Then again, Vingegaard indicated he was some way short of his best.

“It wasn’t my best day, but that’s how it is, I just have to keep fighting,” he told us at the finish. “To be second today was the best I could do. In the circumstances I was happy.”

With both riders already half a minute behind Evenepoel, last season’s number-one ranked team have started the Vuelta on the back foot.

UAE - and especially Ayuso - impress

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Jay Vine did an impressive job in setting up Juan Ayuso for the finish

While Jumbo-Visma were unconvincing, and Evenepoel did it on his own in the final few kilometres, the team that left the strongest impression as a whole were UAE Team Emirates, who placed four riders in the top 12.

It was they who shredded the bunch on the final climb thanks to a fearsome turn from Jay Vine. The Australian was seen as a dark horse as Juan Ayuso and João Almeida shared the spotlight, but his turn here suggested he’s in the luxury domestique role, although he still managed to finish only 10 seconds down, ahead of some big GC names.

Ayuso was the author of the first GC attack of this Vuelta, opening up 2.5km from the summit and briefly going clear before being marked by Vingegaard. Marc Soler then got involved and countered a tactical move from Sepp Kuss, the two domestiques looking to slip away unnoticed. Soler, though, was still able to sprint to fight place on the day, a sign that he could be at the top of his game.

In terms of the leadership hierarchy, Ayuso looked every inch the leading light, as João Almeida produced a more anonymous performance to place ninth. Home favourite Ayuso, just 20 and riding his second Grand Tour after his stunning Vuelta podium last year, looked strong and hungry throughout.

The thing is, he has to be. UAE were the worst of the big GC teams in the opening TTT, leaving themselves a 37-second deficit to Evenepoel. We can expect more aggressive racing from Ayuso in the days to come. “I think I’ll get better - that’s been the plan - so doing this on stage 3 gives me confidence,” he concluded after the finish.

Ineos Grenadiers off the pace

Of the big teams, the most disappointing were Ineos Grenadiers, whose leader Geraint Thomas and backup Thymen Arensman were both distanced and lost time.

Thomas was struggling for a while under Vine’s impetus and the elastic snapped when Ayuso opened the hostilities. The Welshman, who conceded 47 seconds in the end, described himself as “legless” at the finish. “I just didn’t have it today,” he added.

Read more: Geraint Thomas ‘legless’ on first Vuelta a España summit finish

Arensman fared better but even he was distanced from the front group of favourites, admitting to a “rookie mistake” by trying to react to Ayuso’s attack rather than riding at a steadier pace. He crossed the line in 15th place at 21 seconds, but saw the glass half full, saying “normally I’m pretty bad in the first week.”

The Dutchman, still only 23, may well come good in the final week, and the same could equally be true of Thomas, who stays the course and who has steadily ground his way to two straight Grand Tour podiums.

It might just be that this rude awakening of a day-three summit finish came too soon for the duo, but then again, it never bodes well, and with such a strong cast of rivals looking so sharp already, you have to ask the question of whether Ineos will really be in the podium fight at this Vuelta after all.

New faces can break through at this Vuelta

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Lenny Martínez was a new addition to the select group that contested the finish

Amid the dozen riders in the select front group at the top of the Arinsal climb, most of the usual suspects were there but two stood out as being new: Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Lenny Martínez (Groupama-FDJ).

The pair, both 20, are making their Grand Tour debuts, but have been tipped for big things, and showed immediately that they belong, rising almost casually in such distinguished company.

Uijtdebroeks is perhaps the better known of the two, having turned professional last year and before that been touted as the ‘next Remco Evenepoel’, due to his Belgian nationality and exploits on the junior scene, as well as winning the Tour de l'Avenir in 2022. Martínez, meanwhile, is seen as an heir to the retiring Thibaut Pinot in FDJ and French cycling as a whole, a pure pocket climber and something of a throwback.

It’s tempting to refer to them as youngsters, but then you remember Ayuso is the same age and Evenepoel is only 23. Still, they are debutants, and while that inexperience may count against them as the race wears on, on Monday’s evidence this Vuelta could be the stage of their big breakthroughs.

Uijtdebroeks has had an impressive string of WorldTour results already this year and a strong Vuelta looks like the logical next step, while Martínez, who only turned pro in January and won the Mont Ventoux race in June, looks like an explosive talent poised to burst onto the scene. This won’t be the last we hear of them at this Vuelta.

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