Vuelta 2023: Evenepoel solos to triumph, Kuss still leader

foto: Cor VosRemco Evenepoel strikes with 30 kilometres remaining from the breakaway. He leaves Max Poole and Damiano Caruso and solos to victory in the last mountain stage of La Vuelta. Sepp Kuss stays in the lead of the general classification. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 18th stage 2023 Vuelta

1. Remco Evenepoel (bel)
2. Damiano Caruso (ita) + 4.44
3. Andreas Kron (den) + 5.10
4. Max Poole (gbr) + 5.12
5. Paul Ourselin (fra) + 5.17
6. Julien Bernard (fra) + 6.11
7. Egan Bernal (col) + 7.01
8. Juan Ayuso (spa) + 9.29
8. Enric Mas (spa) s.t.
10. Sepp Kuss (usa) s.t.

11. Primoz Roglic (slo) s.t.
12. Mikel Landa (spa) + 9.32
13. Jonas Vingegaard (den) + 9.38

15. Santiago Buitrago (spa) + 10.23
16. Cian Uijtdebroeks (bel) s.t.
17. João Almeida (por) + s.t.
18. Aleksandr Vlasov (rus) + 10.26

GC after stage 18
1. Sepp Kuss (usa)
2. Jonas Vingegaard (den) + 0.17
3. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 1.08
4. Juan Ayuso (spa) + 4.00
5. Mikel Landa (spa) + 4.19
6. Enric Mas (spa) + 4.30
7. Cian Uijtdebroeks (bel) + 7.37
8. Aleksandr Vlasov (rus) + 8.35
9. João Almeida (por) + 10.20
10. Santiago Buitrago (spa) + 12.20

Race report
Egan Bernal, Julien Bernard and Lorenzo Germani jump off the front after almost 15 kilometres of action. Remco Evenepoel, Damiano Caruso, Lewis Askey, Nico Denz, Jarrad Drizners, Andreas Kron, Andrea Piccolo, Imanol Erviti, Max Poole, Hugo Hofstetter and Paul Ourselin bridge across and the fourteen carve out a lead of more than 10 minutes.

Evenepoel is the first rider to reach the summit of both the Alto de las Estacas and Puerto de San Lorenzo. In doing so, he seals his KOM triumph.

The lead group is down to Evenepoel, Caruso, Poole, Kron, Ourselin and Bernal at the Alto de Tenebredo, while Piccolo and Bernard regain contact on descent.

Kron attacks early in the Puerto de Linares. Evenepoel, Poole and Caruso rejoin him to leave the Dane behind. Then the King of the Mountain strikes 4 kilometres under the summit.

Evenepoel solos in commanding style to his third stage win on La Vuelta.

Meanwhile, Landa strikes twice on the lower slopes. He doesn’t get away and he stops his efforts. Jumbo-Visma starts setting the pace to support Kuss, clarifying he is the sole leader from now on.

Another interesting read: route 18th stage 2023 Vuelta.