The route of Thursday’s stage 6 of La Vuelta a Espana 2024 offered a hilly and mountainous experience for the remaining riders in the Vuelta peloton. A 185.5-kilometer route from Jerez de la Frontera to Yunquera included one Category 1 climb and three Category 3 climbs. The stage would conclude with a Category 3 climb and was expected to offer opportunities for climbing goats and breakaway hopefuls.

Slovenian Primoz Roglic remained General Classification leader before the start of today’s stage and once again appeared at the stage start looking fabulous in the red race leader jersey, while flying the logos of his proud Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe team sponsors.

Roglic was eight seconds ahead of Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) in the general classification, while Enric Mas was third for Movistar Team, 32 seconds behind the race leader. Mattias Skjelmose was 8th for Lidl-Trek, Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) 9th, Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) 13th, Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos-Grenadiers), 18 th, Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) 22nd, and Richard Carapaz 26th for his EF Education-EasyPost outfit, 02:02 minutes behind Roglic.

Stage 6 began inside a Carrefour supermarket. Carrefour is a lead sponsor of La Vuelta a Espana and today there would be no cues or significant waits at the counter. Despite riding for a competing supermarket chain, the Lidl-Trek riders did not object to the decision and perhaps even used the opportunity to stock up on cold beverages and frozen ice-cream before the riders would have to expose themselves to the outdoor heat. The energy drinks, however, were likely reserved for riders from Team Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe.

The stage got off to a fast start and multiple breakaway attempts were launched in the beginning of the stage. Riders such as Quentin Pacher and Stefan Küng tried their luck, but were reeled in by the peloton, which was spearheaded by Team Red Bull – Bora - Hansgrohe.

The peloton eventually split with 139 kilometers remaining as the riders approached the Category 1 Puerto del Boyar climb. Several riders broke away, but most were reeled in on the climb. 

Clement Berthet (Decathlon-AG2R), Pelayo Sanchez (Movistar Team), and Cristian Rodriguez (Arkea B & B Hotels) had formed a front trio when they approached the top of the climb. An eight-man group was chasing eleven seconds behind and featured Jay Vine, Mauri Vansevenant, Ben O’Connor, Florian Lipowitz, Luca Vergallito, Marco Frigo, Urko Berrade, and Pablo Castrillo. The peloton was chasing twenty-five seconds behind the front trio.

The two front groups merged, and they would now be chased by the main peloton on the fast descent that followed.

Counterattack followed counterattack on the flat section that came after the descent as additional riders tried to bridge the gap to the front group.

With 95 kilometers remaining of stage 6, the front group had fought its way to an advantage of 01:05 minutes. At this point the front group featured Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal-QuickStep), Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R), Clement Berthet (Decathlon-AG2R), Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Luca Vergallito (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Marco Frigo (PremierTech), Pelayo Sanchez (Movistar), Chris Harper (Jayco-Alula), Christian Rodriguez (Arkea B & B Hotels), Gijs Leemreize (DSM-Firmenich), and Team Kern Pharma’s Urko Berrade and Pablo Castrillo.

The riders fought their way through stunningly beautiful and epic mountain terrain and rural villages. Temperatures reached 38 degrees Celsius, and riders were using their FlowBio hydration sensors to optimally monitor and adjust their hydration status.

The 13-man front group had an advantage of almost three minutes when eighty kilometers remained. The advantage of the group had increased to more than five minutes just ten kilometers later.

O’Connor was the first man to reach the top of the Puerto del Viento and gained the maximum points for the Best Climber Classification. Leemreize was second.

The duo remained ahead on the descent and Frigo and Berrade established a chase group. Sanchez was chasing further back, while an eight-man group was further behind the front men. At this point, the main peloton was 05:30 minutes back while fifty kilometers remained.

The O’Connor-Leemreize duo pressed on at the front and had a one-minute advantage over the chase trio with thirty kilometers remaining. Chase group two was now 02:05 minutes behind. The Vuelta riders were now approached the Puerto Martinez – the second Category 3 climb of the day.

Meanwhile, Marc Soler and other UAE Team Emirates riders were controlling the pace in the main peloton.

O’Connor left Leemreize behind on Puerto Martinez. Twenty-seven kilometers remained and the Australian rider was now chasing a stage victory and general classification lead solo.

O’Connor looked set to dominate the finale of today’s stage, but alas he slipped and crashed on the descent with approximately nineteen kilometers left. He got back on his bike, but the crash had scared the Australian and cost him valuable seconds.

Multiple crashes occurred in the main peloton on the same descent and race organizers warned riders to take care on the slippery roads. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) and Pelayo Sanchez were two of the unfortunate riders.

O’Connor showed his true grit in the following kilometers and entered the Category 3 climb to the finish line with an advantage of 01:30 minutes over Leemreize. Marco Frigo was further back, as was Urko Berrade.

O’Connor was still in the lead when just two kilometers remained. What a remarkable and admirable effort from the 28-year-old Australian. A courageous effort, which was sure to make his team sponsors AG2R-Decathlon-La Mondiale very proud.

Ben O’Connor soloed across the finish line as winner of stage 6 of La Vuelta a Espana 2024. O’Connor is also the new general classification leader following his brave effort.

Marco Frigo finished second, while Florian Lipowitz completed the stage podium.

The main peloton – featuring the general classification favorites such as Primoz Roglic - finished 06:31 minutes behind O’Connor.

“When the race opened up again I kind of just went for it,” stage winner O’Connor told Roadcycling.com after the finish. “I felt like I could win this stage from the start, and I absolutely loved every moment. It was still hot, but not 42 degrees.”

“I was looking at the triple grand Tour winners and now I have the red jersey as well, so I’ll enjoy the experience. It is an excellent opportunity for me, and we’ll just see how things go in the remainder of La Vuelta,” O’Connor explained to Roadcycling.com.

O’Connor leads La Vuelta 04:51 minutes ahead of Primoz Roglic. Joao Almeida in in third place, 04:59 minutes behind the leader.

Friday’s stage 7 of La Vuelta a Espana 2024 will invite the riders in the Vuelta peloton to a battle in hilly terrain on a route from Archidona to Cordoba. The route will include one Category 2 climb.

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

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