Remco Evenepoel saved by 'bizarre' 3km rule after late puncture at La Vuelta – but was that right?

One question raged after Stage 16 at La Vuelta: did Remco Evenepoel really have a puncture? A crazy finale to what was dubbed a ‘flat’ stage by organisers saw Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) pull up with a mechanical, just moments after red jersey rival Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) had dropped a sensational attack with 2.7km remaining. Ad Evenepoel cut a relaxed figure given he was inside the final 3km – the safety net to get the same time as the peloton in event of a fall, puncture or mechanical – while up the road, Roglic somehow contrived to crash just metres from the finish. as he squabbled for victory and bonus seconds.

Vuelta a España'He can barely walk' — Roglic in 'quite some pain' after crash, says team-mate4 HOURS AGO Roglic remounted and was later awarded the same time as stage winner Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), while Evenepoel was given the same time as the bunch, meaning all the Slovenian had to show for his bloodied torso was eight measly seconds. By Wednesday morning, it was far bleaker for Roglic as he was forced to abandon due to his injuries. The post-race spotlight focused on Evenepoel's rear wheel, with TV footage appearing to show it was not flat.

It sparked sweeping speculation, both on The Breakaway and social media, that Evenepoel had invented the issue. Given Evenepoel's obvious climbing prowess, there was no real reason for him to fake a puncture – and fan footage showing a slow leak soon cleared the Belgian of wrongdoing. Evenepoel also moved to quash suggestions he had cheated.

«Nobody can say anything. I'm not a guy who is going to fake such things,» he said afterwards. «We were fighting for position, I was sitting not at the front, but also not at the back, just in the middle of the