“The toughest climb I’ve ever done” – Gall and Hindley shine on the Angliru as Bernal struggles

The Alto de l’Angliru once again delivered a day of reckoning at the Vuelta a España. The infamous climb, with its punishing gradients, saw riders pushed to their limits, and while Joao Almeida claimed the stage win, several other contenders made headlines with their performances and words afterward. Felix Gall of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale ended the day fifth on the stage, holding fifth overall in the general classification, and admitted just how brutal the climb had been.

“I think this was the toughest climb I’ve ever done,” sighed Gall at the summit. “The percentages were truly bizarre; it felt like it would never end. It was the longest last five kilometers, partly due to UAE’s high pace leading up to the final climb. Everyone suffered, and I gave it my all until the finish line.”

Gall explained his approach to surviving the relentless gradients. “It’s such a long climb, so I opted for my own pace. A kind of time trial, where I didn’t look at others. It wasn’t possible to keep the wheel of Jonas and João either.” His director, Julien Jurdie, was quick to highlight the significance of the result. “It’s incredibly satisfying to finish fifth on such a legendary climb. The Angliru has a mythical aura, with brutal percentages. The pace was incredibly high all day, and the team did a perfect job for Felix, allowing him to perform at his best on a climb for pure climbers.”

For others, the Angliru was a harsh reminder of their struggles. Egan Bernal, still searching for the Vuelta to complete his Grand Tour set, slipped down the standings. Already losing time earlier in the week, he shipped another 4:32 minutes on the slopes of Stage 13. Now 12th overall and eight minutes behind Jonas Vingegaard, Bernal’s podium hopes are fading.

His teammate Bob Jungels at least found some satisfaction after a long breakaway effort. “We weren’t very optimistic from the start, as we knew it was probably going to be a GC day. Yet, if you don’t try, you never know. I felt very good legs and wanted to be in the break, as I was. I also managed to pull 2 kilometers for Egan in the final climb. It was worth it. It was a good day – just not enough to win.”

Jungels also reflected on the aura of the mountain itself. “The Angliru is one of those iconic climbs in cycling. Everybody is afraid of it yet, on the other hand, we are also happy to do it. It’s brutal, but it’s nice to experience it. There were a lot of good riders in the break. I was thinking of a similar situation I had a couple of months ago in Austria, and knew it was my strength to go on a steady, high rhythm throughout the race and sustain it towards the end. It’s just a shame it wasn’t enough.”

Meanwhile, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe enjoyed one of their strongest collective days of the race. Jai Hindley delivered his best Grand Tour performance since the 2023 Tour de France, taking third on the stage, just 28 seconds behind Almeida and Vingegaard. The Australian climbed to fourth overall, while teammate Giulio Pellizzari also impressed, finishing sixth on the stage and keeping his fight for the white jersey alive.

Sports director Patxi Vila praised the effort. “The goal today was to climb in the general classification and get closer to the podium. Jai delivered an amazing ride, finishing third just 38 seconds behind Vingegaard and Almeida, which moves him up to fourth overall and closer to the podium. Giulio also impressed. He was dropped early but paced himself extremely well, showing maturity on such a demanding climb. He held his ground in the fight for the white jersey, even gaining a few seconds, despite the Angliru probably suiting Riccitello’s style more than his. Overall it was a very good day. I’m happy with the performances from the guys, with our climbers supported strongly by the team.”