By Ian Chadband
He may never be able to see on film exactly how he did it, but the day Jay Vine beat a host of cycling’s finest in la Vuelta a Espana will always be in the Australian’s memory.
Amid fog and driving rain on the mountaintop finish to the sixth stage at San Miguel de Aguayo, visibility was so wretched that TV cameras got no footage of the Queenslander earning a sensational first win of his professional career on Thursday (Friday AEST).
Jay Vine celebrates after winning the sixth stage of the Vuelta.Credit:AP
Vine, who has enjoyed a remarkable rise since winning a competition that identified future cycling talent, shook his head after his victory and said, “It’s almost unreal”.
“With 70k to go, I missed the break [and] I had a flat tyre in the first five kilometres,” Vine said, when finally in view of the cameras after his victory.
“And even though it was still the team’s plan for me to go on the final climb if the race came back together, it’s still unreal for me to be able to do that from the GC group – it’s incredible.
“I’ve been working towards this all year after coming so close last year [in a couple of other stages of the 2021 Vuelta] and it’s a dream come true.”
Jay Vine crosses the line on a day hampered by fog and rain.Credit:AP
The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider’s late attack from 10km out on the brutal final ascent proved decisive as he caught Ukraine’s lone breakaway hopeful Mark Padun with 6.5km left and then roared through the fog and rain, holding off a host of high-calibre pursuers.
At the finish of the 181.2km stage from Bilbao, there were no TV shots of the Townsville rider, although apparently he had the broadest smile on his face.
Vine, who said he was thinking of the sacrifices and efforts of his wife as he battled through the last kilometre, has enjoyed a remarkable couple of years since he won the 2020 Zwift Academy program that earned him a pro contract with his Belgian team.
Vine, 26, may even recall this as being the day he beat Remco Evenepoel, when the brilliant young Belgian became at 22 the youngest leader of the Vuelta since Ettore Pastorelli 34 years ago.
Evenepoel chased Vine home in second place and it says much about the quality of the Australian’s ride that he still had 15 seconds to spare over the prodigy.
“I’m really happy and proud to be here,” Evenepoel said. “What I showed today was one of the best things I’ve done on the bike.”
Evenepoel’s rise came on a bad day for race favourite and defending champion Primoz Roglic, who lost time on the final ascent.
But he wasn’t the only one, with Australian general classification hopes Jai Hindley and Ben O’Connor also finishing in the group that came home one minute, 37 seconds back alongside Roglic.
Evenepoel now leads the standings by 21 seconds from Frenchman Rudy Molard, whose hopes of holding on to the leader’s red jersey were hampered by a mechanical issue. Jumbo-Visma’s Roglic is fourth, 1:01 behind.
Aussie outfit Team BikeExchange-Jayco’s Simon Yates is 1:52 behind in ninth.
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