Rui Costa sprinted from a breakaway to victory within the fifteenth stage of the Vuelta, whereas Sepp Kuss retained the general lead of the three-week race on Sunday.
Costa was a part of a gaggle of three riders on the entrance and managed to carry off Lennard Kämna and Santiago Buitrago to the road within the 158.5-kilometer hilly trip from Pamplona to Lekunberri.
Costa and Buitrago earlier broke away from a bigger group of 15 riders however have been reeled in by the streaking Kamna who took the lead solely to crash and provides again the lead to the chasing pair. The German, who gained the ninth stage, recovered to launch a dash to the road however couldn’t maintain off Costa.
“I believed in myself from the first moment,” mentioned Costa, 36, celebrating his fourth Grand Tour stage win and his first for a decade. “A victory in the Vuelta is very, very important for me and for the team, I am so happy.”
Kuss will put on the main rider’s crimson jersey for a seventh straight day when the Vuelta resumes after a relaxation day on Monday. The American rider completed in the primary peloton to retain his lead of 1 minute, 37 seconds over Jumbo-Visma teammate Primoz Roglic.
Kuss is the first American to lead a Grand Tour since Chris Horner gained the 2013 Vuelta. He arrived on the race as a assist rider within the mountains however he now should be thought of an actual contender to face atop the rostrum in Madrid come Sept. 17.
⬅️ Un dash entre 3 con victoria para Rui Costa que supo elegir el momento adecuado. Revive el ÚLTIMO KM.
⬅️ A 3-up dash to the road with Costa coming by means of to make it depend when it mattered most. Watch the ultimate KM again.
#LaVuelta23 pic.twitter.com/jyh3vzFscD— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) September 10, 2023
