Vuelta 2023: Poels wins five-up sprint, Kuss seals GC win

foto: Cor VosRemco Evenepoel, Wout Poels, Lennert Van Eetvelt, Pelayo Sánchez and Marc Soler are the remaining attackers from a huge breakaway on the last of ten climbs. The five hold off the chasers before Poels sprints to victory on the uphill home straight. Sepp Kuss seals his GC triumph 10 minutes later. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 20th stage 2023 Vuelta

1. Wout Poels (nld)
2. Remco Evenepoel (bel) s.t.
3. Pelayo Sánchez (spa) s.t.
4. Lennert Van Eetvelt (bel) s.t.
5. Marc Soler (spa) + 0.04
6. Rui Costa (Po) + 0.26
7. Antonio Tiberi (ita) s.t.
8. Lennard Kämna (ger) s.t.
9. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
10. Einer Rubio (col) s.t.

27. Juan Ayuso (spa) + 10.21
28. Enric Mas (spa) s.t.
29. Mikel Landa (spa) s.t.
30. Aleksandr Vlasov (rus) s.t.
31. Santiago Buitrago (spa) s.t.
33. João Almeida (por) + 10.25
34. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 10.37
35. Jonas Vingegaard (den) s.t.
36. Sepp Kuss (usa) s.t.
43. Cian Uijtdebroeks (bel) + 11.26

GC after stage 20
1. Sepp Kuss (usa)
2. Jonas Vingegaard (den) + 0.17
3. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 1.08
4. Juan Ayuso (spa) + 3.44
5. Mikel Landa (spa) + 4.03
6. Enric Mas (spa) + 4.14
7. Aleksandr Vlasov (rus) + 8.19
8. Cian Uijtdebroeks (bel) + 8.26
9. João Almeida (por) + 10.08
10. Santiago Buitrago (spa) + 12.04

Race report
A group of 31 rides away from the peloton after 15 kilometres of action. Remco Evenepoel, Wilco Kelderman, Geraint Thomas, Wout Poels, Romain Bardet, Lennard Kämna, Hugh Carthy, Lenny Martinez, Rui Costa, Lennert Van Eetvelt, Pelayo Sánchez, and Marc Soler are on board.

The attackers carve out a lead of 11 minutes.

Poels strikes on a steep cobbled sector on the last climb. Van Eetvelt follows his move, while Soler tracks them down in the last kilometre of the climb. When Evenepoel comes closing in Sánchez, Poels gives it another go.

The five come together on descent. Evenepoel tries to drop the others, but without success.

It comes down to a five-up sprint with Poels powering to victory in a close finish with Evenepoel.

The three Jumbo bees cross the line together – Sepp Kuss wins La Vuelta ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic.

Another interesting read: route 20th stage 2023 Vuelta.