‘To be honest, that was not the plan at all’ – Kevin Vermaerke follows his instincts in latest long-distance Vuelta a España breakaway move

A prolonged acceleration by Bahrain Victorious in the chase group shredded his time, though, and Vermaerke, racing all but blind with barely any time references, found himself caught by EF Education-EasyPost’s Giro d’Italia stage winner Georg Steinhauser on a steep ‘wall’ immediately preceding the final climb.

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As Vermaerke explained afterwards, he hadn’t actually expected to get in the break – his third in as many days following the abandon of UAE leader Tadej Pogačar – and still less actually go on the attack. But once he was off the front, he figured it was best to try to make the most of it and simultaneously provide cover for his teammates in the move behind.

“To be honest, that was not the plan at all,” Vermaeke told Eurosport at the summit of La Pandera, where he finished 19th down after a 121-kilometre breakaway. “I kind of had my eye on tomorrow;, today I didn’t want to spend too much energy.

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“But I made it into the break let’s say fairly easily, it was a pretty big move, and once in there I pretty much sat at back and took it super easy.

“Then they told us over the team radio there was a technical descent coming up. I knew I’m pretty strong on the descent so I went on the front. I didn’t take any risks, I just didn’t’ want to go on a crash and for us to lose another guy.

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“So I went at my pace and had a bit of a gap at the bottom, it was a bit of an impulse that I kept it going.”

Vermaerke told Eurosport that under the circumstances and with the idea being that teammate João Almeida, also in the break, could have an easier ride to the final climb if he was ahead, he continued onwards. But then the gap continued to rise and at one point it looked as if he might get enough time to win for himself.

“That crossed my mind once or twice, but to be honest I didn’t know the gaps, I heard 1:45 once but that was the only gap I ever heard”, he recounted.

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“Then when Steinhauser came across on a little ramp before the main climb, it, caught me by surprise, I didn’t even know the situation behind.

“I just focussed on pacing myself because I knew I’d need more than two minutes for the climb. So I just gave it a shot.”

Vermaerke’s move did not work out, then, but his courageous effort kept UAE in the thick of the action once again.