Swiss champion Mauro Schmid demonstrated his stunning form once again as he raced to his second second place finish of this year’s Vuelta a España.
The 24-year-old infiltrated the large breakaway group of more than 40 riders on stage 18 following another fierce fight to get up the road, before going on the attack midway through the 179km stage.
Schmid drew two other riders out of the break with him, but the trio were eventually reeled back in by the chasers on the final categorised climb of the day. With the race reset at the front, the Team Jayco AlUla man used his race craft to follow the dangerous counter attacks to find himself in a new break of 12 that formed over the climb.
It was then a game of tactics as the attackers looked at one another as they raced towards the finale. The rider from Switzerland played it smart and bided his time, but nobody could catch Urko Berrade who made a daring solo attack inside the final 6km.
With no cooperation amongst the chasers and with the victory out of his grasp, Schmid sprinted home to another super second place from the chase group, his second runner-up spot of the race and his third top-five finish.
Mauro Schmid:
“I knew against 40 guys, alone, it would be a difficult task today and then I ended up with Vacek and Kung off the front and we did a good rhythm. I knew if we had a solid gap into the [final] climb it can be good, because the other teams need to sacrifice some guys.
But in the end, congrats to Kern Pharma, they played it out perfectly in the final and on a climb like this you cannot follow everyone, you need to try to do a good rhythm, but in the end we couldn’t catch him anymore.
I think today I had great legs. At the end of the second week, I was a bit tired after the two breaks, but in the end we made it two times to the finish, I could race for the win. In the end on the uphill finish I didn’t have the legs, on this stage today I think I had the legs, but the tactics didn’t play out.
I have a slight possibility tomorrow, but my legs will also hurt tomorrow so I will see if I end up in the break again, otherwise I will try to do a good TT in Madrid again.”
2024 La Vuelta a España – Stage 18:
1. Urko Berrade 4:00:52
2. Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) +0:04
3. Max Poole ST
Photo: Sprint Cycling
