The words of Ciccone and Vingegaard after today’s stage: “I hit the ground pretty hard, but…”

It was expected to be a bit of a show given the uphill finish, and that’s exactly what happened: at the Vuelta, Ciccone and Vingegaard treated us to a thrilling final duel. In the end, by just a couple of centimeters, it was the Dane who prevailed, also taking the red jersey. Despite a crash 26 km from the finish, Jonas managed to respond to the explosive attack of Lidl-Trek’s climber, who lost momentum in the very last meters.

Here’s what the two stars of the day told Eurosport, first Vingegaard and then Ciccone:

JONAS VINGEGAARD

ON THE VICTORY – “You don’t let the opportunity to win a stage slip away, of course. When I saw the chance, I decided to go for it. I’m really happy; it’s been a long time since my last victory, to be honest. I’m pleased with how I felt and how the team worked. And, of course, with the red jersey.”

ON THE FINISH – “To be honest, I didn’t think it would be possible to overtake Ciccone before the last corner, but after the bend the gap was still a bit longer than expected. Luckily, I managed to get past him.”

ON THE CRASH – “I hit the ground pretty hard, but it doesn’t seem like I suffered any serious injuries. I’ve got a few scrapes, of course, but since it was so slippery, I mostly slid rather than getting cut on the asphalt.”

GIULIO CICCONE

ON THE FINISH – “I was a bit boxed in during the last five hundred meters, with Ayuso in front of me. I followed my instinct, but maybe it was a bit too early. It was too hard to sustain. My legs are really good, but it’s a pity not to win. It was a really important goal. I really wanted to take the jersey. But we’ll keep trying.”

ON VINGEGAARD’S CRASH – “You can’t capitalize when a great champion is on the ground.”

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