🎥 UAE Emirates-XRG can't stop crashing at the Vuelta a España; Oliveira goes down, and a fan tries to steal his water bottle!

UAE Emirates-XRG is doing its best to make this Vuelta a España an enjoyable one, but the team will undoubtedly be glad when it’s all over. The team had already been cut in half due to crashes and physical discomfort, and although one rider was in the breakaway, another UAE rider went down again in the final stretch of Stage 16.

Kevin Vermaerke, who broke a rib early in this Vuelta a España and is now slowly recovering, was part of the lead group. UAE was eager to be there as well and dominated the opening stage, which featured some steep climbs. In the end, however, the second half of the stage wasn’t tough enough, so we just ended up sprinting.

Vermaerke was named the most combative rider of the day, but the UAE’s problems reared their heads again. After team leader Tadej Pogačar withdrew on Day 8, the team lost three more riders: Pablo Torres (Stage 9), Jay Vine (Stage 12), and Pavel Sivakov (Stage 13).

Ivo Oliveira did finish Stage 16, but he crashed hard along the way.

Oliveira’s crash occurred just under 25 kilometers from the finish line, in a small Spanish town. The peloton had almost caught up with the breakaway group at that point, so the pressure was mounting. The Portuguese rider from UAE hit a curb hard, and a Spanish fan standing along the roadside rushed to help Oliveira back to his feet.

So much for the idyllic scene, because more fans gathered around the crash, including UAE teammate Domen Novak. He was unpleasantly surprised when he tried to ride on without Oliveira and suddenly saw a man reaching for his water bottle. Novak angrily knocked the man’s arm away and was thus able to prevent the theft. Oliveira eventually continued on his way and finished the stage.