BILBAO, Spain: With the finish line in sight, Marc Soler looked back over his shoulder and realized his challengers wouldn’t catch him.
He threw his hand to his helmet in apparent disbelief, then started celebrating a big win for him and his country. Soler broke free on the final ascent to win the fifth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Wednesday and give Spain their first stage win at a Grand Tour race in two years.
No Spanish rider had won since Ion Izagirre took the sixth stage of the 2020 Vuelta. “In the end I was able to make it happen and I’m very happy,” said Soler, of UAE Team Emirates. “It’s not easy.
There are many Spanish riders in many teams but we often have to work. It’s not easy but we can also win.” Soler’s other win at the Vuelta came on the second stage in 2020.