"Going like a motorbike today — uphill and downhill" - Torstein Traeen survives first day in red at La Vuelta despite pressure from Vingegaard, Almeida and co

On a day when the breakaway took centre stage in the Pyrenees, race leader Torstein Traeen quietly produced one of his most composed rides yet in a Grand Tour, retaining the red jersey at La Vuelta after a demanding summit finish to Cerler.

While Juan Ayuso claimed the stage win in convincing solo fashion, Traeen’s performance in the general classification group confirmed his growing status as a legitimate contender — or, at the very least, a rider determined to make the most of his time in red.

“I don’t know if it was the leader’s jersey or the pressure I put on myself [that gave me wings],” Traeen said in his post-stage interview afterwards. “I was so grateful for all the boys pulling all day, so it was like: ‘Now I have to keep the jersey!’”

The early part of the stage saw Bahrain - Victorious take responsibility, despite the break containing no immediate GC threats. Their steady tempo over the Port del Cantó and Puerto de la Creu de Perves helped prevent any chaos in the bunch and ensured Traeen was well protected throughout. “I’m really grateful for having such great teammates, to be honest,” he said. “I asked them to pull, the sports director asked them, and I’m thankful everyone was really happy to do it.”

Among them was Jack Haig, who despite injury concerns earlier in the race, played a key role in keeping the jersey within reach. “Jack said in the bus: ‘It’s not many times in your life you’ll actually be able to pull for a guy in the leader’s jersey.’ Even though Jack is not having his best Vuelta, he was still going like a motorbike today — uphill and downhill. And the rest of the guys were pushing like him.”

The main GC moves came late on the final climb to Cerler. Joao Almeida accelerated with around 3km to go, momentarily distancing Traeen and testing the legs of the rest of the contenders. Giulio Ciccone and Jonas Vingegaard were quick to follow, however, and the group came back together before the summit.

Despite the pressure, Traeen held firm, crossing the line with his key rivals and maintaining his overall lead. “If I have the red jersey tomorrow as well, I will be happy,” he said — a typically understated response from a rider who continues to let his consistency do the talking.