Almeida triumphs in the standout stage of Vuelta, occurring amidst Palestinian demonstrations
In the 13th stage of the Vuelta a España, Joao Almeida claimed a hard-fought victory on the challenging 202.7-kilometer run between Cabezon de la Sal and the Angliru climb. Almeida's win comes as an opportunity to catch up with race leader Jonas Vingegaard in the overall standings, as he now trails the Danish rider by just 46 seconds.
Vingegaard finished the stage behind Almeida, with Jai Hindley rounding out the podium, 28 seconds behind the Portuguese rider. Tom Pidcock is in third place, 2 minutes and 18 seconds behind Vingegaard.
The stage was disrupted by pro-Palestinian protests, causing a temporary stoppage. The disruptions affected the progress of the breakaway riders, including Jefferson Cepeda, Bob Jungels, and Nico Vinokurov, and forced two cyclists to stop. Spanish Civil Guard made 12 arrests for public disturbances during the race.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Israel-Premier Tech team for continuing to race despite the disruptions. The rider from Israel-Premier Tech who has requested special security measures during races to avoid being marked with the word "Israel" near the finish line for safety reasons is Chris Froome. It's important to note that Israel-Premier Tech is a private team, not a state team.
Almeida and Vingegaard pulled ahead with three kilometers left to the summit, leaving Hindley and Kuss behind. The 30-year-old Almeida expressed his ambition to win the Vuelta a España, stating that he will give his best to achieve this goal.
Saturday's stage will be shorter (135.9 km) and feature two first-category climbs, making it ideal for experienced climbers. The longest stage of the race took its toll on the peloton, causing Spaniard Pablo Castrillo to exit after a crash on the Alto La Mozqueta descent.
As the race progresses, the competition between Almeida and Vingegaard promises to be intense. Stay tuned for more updates from the Vuelta a España.
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