"It's time for me to pay that back" - Jay Vine reveals world-class climbing prowess with maiden pro win

Jay Vine was one of the favourites for today's stage at the Vuelta a Espana, however most would've expected that to come out of a breakaway. The Australian has taken the win on the day, however after distancing the race's GC riders.

“It's unbelievable, I've worked really hard for this," Vine said in a post-race interview. "I wanted to join the break of the day, but I had a flat tire. That I then finish in the classification group is unreal.” Alpecin-Deceuninck have not seen Tim Merlier take a win in the race so far, and in the mountainous terrain the team depend on the winner of the Zwift Challenge, a rider who's turned pro only in 2021.

Vine had quite a challenge however, attacking early in the final climb to Pico Jano, dropping his group companions and later on Mark Padun who had been on the day's breakaway, and then holding off the charging GC race with Remco Evenepoel powering through. “I had to go from afar. However, I was not a danger to the standings, so no one looked at me," he thought.

"A lot of things went through my head. I especially thought of my wife, she has done everything for me in recent years. It's time for me to pay that back," Vine concluded. He crossed the line first to take his first pro win, after a lot of promise given over the last year and a half. He will have more opportunities, but in the meantime Vine has taken his place at the spotlight.