Overnight race leader Torstein Træen looked to be in trouble at the Vuelta a España Sunday, with Jonas Vingegaard launching a brutal surge 11km from the summit of the final climb.
The double Tour de France winner dropped all but Giulio Ciccone, but the Italian climber found himself in trouble soon afterwards and cracked.
Træen was dropped before that point, and with his time losses growing, it seemed his red jersey was slipping away. Than, something unexpected happened. The Norwegian explained after the stage that he received help from an unusual source.
“At the end of the climb I was thinking I will not be in the red jersey, so I’m obviously quite happy that I got some help and managed to hold on,” he said.
“At one point, I got help from two Jumbo [Visma] guys, so it felt a bit like maybe they didn’t want Jonas to have the jersey yet.”
In a separate interview, træen confirmed that the riders in question were Sepp Kuss and Ben Tulett, stating, “I got kind of launched into the second group again [by them].” He added, “I am thankful for them to let me have the jersey. I think they are also quite happy that Jonas doesn’t have to do all the things today and tomorrow.”
Unwritten Rules of Cycling Tested
This situation is highly unusual in cycling. The unwritten rules generally dictate that teammates do not ride behind when their team leader is attacking, especially when rivals are present. However, Vingegaard and his team appeared to deliberately relinquish the jersey earlier in the week.
They seemed content for Træen to assume the race lead, thereby sparing Vingegaard the obligations that come with wearing the red jersey. While Vingegaard sits second overall and moved much closer,this arrangement allowed his team to conserve energy.
When asked about the incident, Kuss downplayed their actions. “Ah, at first we didn’t know he was in the group,” he said. “It was just to keep it moving and to try to get up to group with Matteo [Jorgenson]. But I think in the end the differences were pretty small.”
Træen,however,was clear in his belief that he received assistance. This move appears to be a win-win for the team. Vingegaard secured the stage win, reducing his deficit from 2:33 to just 37 seconds. By helping Træen limit his losses, Kuss and Tulett ensured the Norwegian would retain the spotlight.
This means Træen’s team will likely shoulder the bulk of the work when the race resumes Tuesday. Træen expressed immense gratitude for keeping the red jersey heading into Monday’s rest day.
“The Visma guys went full gas almost from the bottom, and I was struggling like a dog to hang on,” Træen recounted. “In the last kilometer I had a bit of help from Visma to close the gap, and I finished in the main GC group. I can say I managed well on what wasn’t my best day.Let’s see how it goes day by day. Hopefully I’ll have some better days next week.”
He concluded with a simple wish: “For now, I’m just looking forward to my burger for dinner tonight.”
Reader question:– Why did Jumbo-Visma riders seemingly help Torstein Træen retain the red jersey? The team appeared to be conserving energy for Jonas Vingegaard, who is second overall.This strategy allows Træen’s team to do more work.
