What stood out more: Bahrain Victorious' new Vuelta wild card, who managed to keep up, or Tiberi, who took a beating?
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Follow us on GoogleBahrain Victorious had high expectations for the Vuelta a España, but after seven days, the team has already lost Damiano Caruso, who was the leader before the start, and Antonio Tiberi took a beating on Friday in stage 7. The 24-year-old Italian crossed the finish line more than 15 minutes behind winner Juan Ayuso and, despite feeling better on Thursday, had to give up on his podium ambitions. Fortunately, Bahrain Victorious still has another card to play...
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Tiberi broke through in 2024 with a fifth place and the white youth jersey in the Giro d'Italia, but in the Grand Tours that followed, things never went his way. In the 2024 Vuelta a España, he dropped out due to heatstroke, and in this year's Giro, he crashed hard while on course for a podium finish in Rome. After a second place in the Tour of Poland, Tiberi seemed to be coming into the Vuelta in excellent form, but on day 7, he collapsed.
Tiberi was in an excellent position in the GC after six days, but when Visma | Lease a Bike increased the pace on the final climb of stage 7, the Italian was already out of sight. We saw Santiago Buitrago drop back, but Tiberi had already done so much earlier. Immediately after the finish, we could only guess at the reason, but Bahrain Victorious has lost its two leaders after seven days. Caruso broke his hand during a slip in the hotel one day before the start of the Vuelta and was unable to start.
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Tiberi finished 16th in stage 6 on Thursday and looked good among the favorites
How far can Torstein Træen go in the Vuelta?
The loss of Tiberi and Caruso would have been a disaster for Bahrain Victorious, but the team still has every reason to smile. Torstein Træen secured the red leader's jersey from the breakaway on Thursday, and although the GC contenders pushed hard in stage 7, Træen finished in the group of favorites. This allowed him to maintain his lead in the GC, a full 2.33 minutes ahead of second-placed Jonas Vingegaard of Visma | Lease a Bike.
“It was a new experience for me,” Træen sighed in his red jersey after the race at Eurosport. "I was grateful for the seven motorcycles I had as teammates today, before I had to push hard on the final climb. “I didn't necessarily enjoy the red today; I was mainly nervous about losing it. Maybe that will be a little more on Saturday. I knew I was going to keep the jersey when Almeida attacked, and they didn't really get away.”
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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