Groves thinks of Van Aert, UAE takes a step back without Pogi, and Skjelmose thrilled after 11 (!) months of preparation

Kaden Groves secured the green jersey, defending his title in the points classification. However, the feeling for the Australian from Alpecin-Deceuninck was different. Two stage wins were enough because Wout van Aert dropped out with a knee injury in the third week. “It feels very different. Last year I gathered the points, but this time Van Aert was out, and the jersey was there for the taking. It’s a bittersweet victory, but it’s still great to win it again.”

He gives his teammates a big compliment: “The team worked very hard. We did everything for three weeks to ride into Madrid with this jersey. It’s an honor because winning is always special. The Vuelta has treated me well, so I’d love to come back. In November, we’ll discuss the schedule, but I think it’s quite likely that I’ll start in Spain again next year.”

It seemed certain after two weeks that the polka dot jersey would go to UAE-Team Emirates. The question was: Marc Soler or Jay Vine? It was the Australian who won, as Soler was named the most combative rider. With stage wins from Brandon McNulty, Adam Yates, and Soler, and Pavel Sivakov finishing ninth in the general classification, the team can look back on a successful race. They also won the team classification.

“Overall, we can be very happy with this Vuelta,” says Marco Marcato in a press release. “We were active every day, and that was the right strategy. Unfortunately, we lost our leader João Almeida in the first week, but we adapted, and it worked. We are proud of our riders.”

Mattias Skjelmose was never quite among the absolute best, but the Dane from Lidl-Trek never lost much time behind them either. With consistent performances, he ended up in sixth place in the general classification, with just one time trial left in Madrid. Skjelmose knew he had to gain thirty seconds on David Gaudu, which he managed easily. The difference was 1.13, allowing Skjelmose to finish the Vuelta as both the number five and the best young rider.

"I prepared for this for eleven months. Since September last year, the Vuelta was the big goal, and standing here on the podium with the white jersey is something I never expected," said a stunned Skjelmose through Lidl-Trek's official channels. "Two weeks ago this seemed far off, so I don’t really know what to say. It’s a dream. I didn’t even feel very good in the time trial, but I doubt anyone did. It was a crazy Vuelta, where we had to empty the tank every day. This is more of a milestone than a breakthrough, as I already had that last year with the overall win in the Tour of Switzerland. Finishing fifth in my first Grand Tour, in such a tough Vuelta, is an amazing result."