Stage 11 of La Vuelta a Espana 2024 was a 166.5-kilometer ride, which would take the riders on a roundtrip from and back to Campus Technologico Cortizo Padron southwest of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. The route featured 2 Category Two climbs and two Category Three climbs. Following the final Category Three climb – the Puerto Cruxeiras - the stage would conclude with a descent to the finish line.

Ben O’Connor was still leading the general classification of La Vuelta for his Decathlon-AG2R outfit, while three-time Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic (Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe) was second, 03:53 minutes behind the leader. Third in the general classification was Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), 04:32 minutes back. 

Stage 11 was not expected to become a battle between the general classification contenders, but rather a battle between courageous breakaway contenders, but in La Vuelta a Espana one can never really predict the outcome before the battle plays out. Several teams were still chasing their first stage victory, while other teams were aiming to advance some of their riders in the general classification. 

Multiple attacks were launched shortly into the stage. The hopeful breakaway optimists included riders such as Pablo Castrillo (Team Kern Pharma), Julius van den Berg (Team DSM-Firmenich), Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-QuickStep), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), and Jhonathan Narvaez (Ineos-Grenadiers).

Despite multiple strong attempts, all breakaway riders had been reeled in when the Vuelta peloton reached the top of the Puerto San Xusto (Category 3).

General classification leader Ben O’Connor told Roadcycling.com before the start of the stage that his team would try to control all breakaways that featured riders that could become a threat in the general classification following a successful breakaway attempt. He did not want to let any additional riders into the battle for the top of the GC.

Jayco-Alula’s Chris Harper was forced to abandon La Vuelta approximately forty kilometers into the stage for unknown reasons.

Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) had attacked solo with one hundred kilometers remaining. Several riders were chasing the Belgian rider, hoping to form a strong breakaway group. Primoz Roglic had sent two lieutenants into the chase group, hoping to be able to use them as front posts. Stage 11 was developing into a battle between the GC favorites.

More than thirty riders eventually joined Campenaerts and a large front group was thereby formed.

Richard Carapaz tried to jump from the main peloton, but riders were trying to stop further attacks by forming a wide front at the front of the peloton, thereby preventing riders from breaking away. Carapaz was pushed by a rider, who was trying to stop his attack, and the EF Education-EasyPost captain crashed. He tried to get back on his damaged bike while bleeding from his right leg.

The front riders reached the Puerto Aguasantas with ninety kilometers remaining. This was a Category Two climb (5.7 km; 6.1%). Xandro Meurisse broke away in a solo effort for Team T-Rex – QuickStep.

Sepp Kuss’ chances of defending his title as Vuelta champion in this year’s Vuelta a Espana were looking less than mediocre as the American rider was more than eight minutes behind Australian race leader O’Connor. United Kingdom-based BuzzBike was rumored to be expanding its bike leasing business beyond London and Manchester and into Europe, so with Kuss faltering, the Visma – Lease a Bike team needed television time for its team sponsor. The team had, therefore, sent strong and experienced team lieutenants Steven Kruijswijk and Attila Valter into the breakaway.

Meurisse reached the top of the Puerto Aguasantas in solo fashion with a time advantage of over one minute over the chasing breakaway group. Ninety kilometers of the stage now remained.

Remarkably, Meurisse had increased his lead to 01:30 minutes mid-way though the flat section that preceded the second climb of the Puerto Aguasantas. Sixty kilometers now remained for the 32-year-old Belgian rider.

The 38-man chase group, however, increased its pace and started grinding seconds off Meurisse’s lead in the following kilometers. Further back, riders from Decathlon-AG2R, Visma-Lease a Bike, and EF Education-EasyPost were leading the main peloton, which was now 06:30 minutes behind Meurisse.

Meurisse carried on relentlessly on the second ascent of the Puerto Aguasantas. He still had a lead of 01:16 minutes when he reached the peak of the climb. The chase group had been reduced to sixteen riders, but later grew again.

Meurisse got caught by a 29-minute chase group with 33 kilometers remaining. The hunt for the stage victory was again wide open. It appeared a rider from the breakaway would take today’s stage victory.

Xabier Isasa launched a solo attack with thirty kilometers left of today’s stage 11. Euskaltel-Euskadi’s rolling orange was eager to claim a stage victory for his team. Alas, he was caught less than three kilometers later.

The front riders approached the Puerto Cruceiras, which was the final climb before the descent to the finish line.

Brandon Smith Rivera (Ineos-Grenadiers) attacked from the front group in the final ten kilometers. He was caught shortly after. Carlos Verona (Lidl-Trek), Max Poole (DSM-Firmenich), and Urko Berrade (Team Kern Phama) formed a front trio on the climb.

Meanwhile, riders from the Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe team moved to the front of the peloton. Roglic attacked solo from the GC favorites group. Enric Mas (Movistar) was the only rider who was able to cling to Roglic as he set a fast speed on the climb.

Vuelta GC leader O’Connor was chasing behind in his red jersey.

Up front, Verona, Poole and Berrade were still the riders in the front trio with three kilometers left.

The front trio was joined by other riders with two kilometers left. Max Poole (Team DSM-Firmenich), Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-Alula), Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and other riders were now chasing a stage victory.

Dunbar launched a solo attack with 600 meters left. No other rider was able to follow the Irishman. 

Jayco-Alula’s Eddie Dunbar was the first rider to cross the finish line and is the winner of stage 11 of Vuelta a Espana 2024. Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck) finished second, while Max Poole (DSM-Firmenich) completed the stage podium ahead of Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos-Grenadiers).

An eight-man group featuring Primoz Roglic reached the finish line 03:31 minutes later. The group also included Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos-Grenadiers), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Enric Mas (Movistar Team), and Mikel Landa (T-Rex Soudal QuickStep). 

Ben O’Connor was yet to be seen in the finish line area, and he finally reached the finish line 04:08 minutes after stage winner Dunbar.

O’Connor again lost valuable time in the General Classification of this year’s Vuelta a Espana but is still the race leader after today’s stage. Roglic is in second place.

Thursday’s stage 12 of La Vuelta a Espana 2024 will be a hilly and intense 137.5-kilometer ride from Ourense Termal to Estacion de Montana de Manzaneda. The stage will conclude with a long and rough Category One climb to the finish line. Look for the general classification favorites to shine on the roads of Spain.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for additional coverage from Vuelta a Espana 2024.

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