Stage 18’s 32.1-kilometre individual time trial from El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera could reshape the entire Vuelta a España.
Flat Course Built for the Specialists
It’s a relatively flat course with just 169 metres of total elevation gain. That should suit the bigger engines and the strong time-trial specialists. Unfortunately, that doesn’t sound too good for Enric Mas.
The course itself starts in El Puerto de Santa María on the coast and heads inland towards the sherry town of Jerez.
A few corners early on and around the intermediate checks, but mostly it’s big-ring, high-speed stuff that rewards pure power and aerodynamics. Wind could play a role too, so positioning and bike handling will matter.
Advantage Roglič
From where I’m sitting, Primož Roglič has the perfect opportunity to put serious pressure on Mas. Mas currently leads Roglič by just 2:10 (with Felix Gall sitting 2:06 back in second), making this much more of a battle for the GC than a pure stage-win opportunity.
It could completely reshape the overall classification and make the last few days very interesting indeed.
Mas has been rock solid since taking the red jersey after Tadej Pogačar’s crash, winning stages and extending his lead in the mountains.
But a flat-ish TT of this length is a different test. Roglič has shown time and again that he can claw back big chunks on days like this. If he puts in a big ride, the GC could be blown wide open heading into the final mountain stages.
Irish Eyes on Eddie and Darren
And of course, there’s plenty of interest for us Irish fans too. Our own lads Eddie Dunbar, Pinarello-Q36.5, and Darren Rafferty, EF Education-EasyPost, are both strong time-trialists in their own right.
After 17 hard stages already, I would imagine the two of them will take this one pretty steady and keep an eye out for other opportunities later in the week. Still, it’s always good to see the Irish colours out there on a day like this.
For Eddie and Darren, the focus remains on recovery and looking after themselves for the remaining days.
Both have already shown real fight this Vuelta, Eddie with that strong top-10 from the break on Stage 7 and continued aggression, Darren with those long stints in the break and selfless work for Richie Carapaz.
A steady TT keeps the powder dry for whatever opportunities come in the final week.
It’s going to be a fascinating afternoon. Keep an eye on the splits, especially at the intermediate checks. This one has the potential to decide the lot!
