"He dealt a small blow to the competition, also mentally" - Positive reactions over Remco Evenepoel after first Vuelta a Espana mountain clash

Some conclusions were taken from the first summit finish at the Vuelta a Espana. Although the action began late, we were able to find weakness in a few riders, but others looking very strong. Remco Evenepoel was definitely in the green after taking a big stage despite despite being outnumbered.

"First he rebelled against the race management as the patron of the peloton and after his victory in Andorra he is also the real leader of the Vuelta a Espana," AD wrote. "His explosive sprint on top of Arinsal was too much for all the other favourites. He dealt a small blow to the competition, also mentally."

Into the final meters, in a group of 14 riders, Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team Emirates had 4 riders each. However both teams had Sepp Kuss and Marc Soler on the attack, they cancelled each other and then Kuss led out the group into the sprint, where Evenepoel was the fastest. Arguably, the teams were not able to use their numbers to put pressure on the Belgian, and he took full advantage to take on the red jersey and extend his lead on the rest.

It was a small gain, however Evenepoel has shown similar form to that of last year - where he began to build on his win since the first summit finish. "He fired his bullet at the perfect moment, only Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard could keep the wheel for a while," Sporza argued. "However, Evenepoel's next acceleration also meant the death knell for Vingegaard."