Magnus Cort Neilsen wins 2021 La Vuelta a Espana Stage 6

Magnus Cort Neilsen held off Primoz Roglic in the final seconds of the sprint finish to win Stage 6 of the 2021 La Vuelta a Espana on Aug.19.

Magnus Cort Neilsen managed to keep ahead of race favourite and defending champion Primoz Roglic to win Stage 6 at the 2021 La Vuelta a Espana on August 19.

The rider for Team Education First – Nippo was in the main breakaway for most of the 159-kilometer-long flat stage from Requena with four other riders. Crosswinds created problems for the peloton, creating echelons and groups in the last forty kilometres as they rode past the coast and into Cullera.

It allowed the peloton to gain some time on the breakaway group, clawing back a few minutes from the gap though many riders got dropped to the back with the pacemaking.

While the peloton thought they could rein in the breakaway, the last few kilometers of the stage up the Alto de la Montana de Cullera, saw some riders caught while Cort Neilsen managed to create a gap.

Magnus Cort Neilsen holds off the chasers and Primoz Roglic

In the final kilometer, a chasing group of general classification contenders, including Team Bike Exchange’s Michael Matthews and Team Jumbo Visma’s Roglic, tried to catch up to Cort Neilsen.

Roglic caught him on the final bend coming into the finish line but Cort Neilsen stayed just ahead of him to make it past the finish line. It’s Magnus Cort Neilsen’s fourth ever La Vuelta stage win, though it’s his first stage win this year.

Cort Neilsen is here to support Education First — Nippo’s general classification contender Hugh Carthy who struggled at the back of the race on the stage but eventually managed to rejoin the main group. Carthy lost two minutes after previously finishing third in the overall standings in 2020.

It remains to be seen if he can make up the time on other stages to regain a top three position in the overall standings.

2021 La Vuelta a Espana overall standings

The standings have changed again as the race leader Team Trek Segafredo’s Kenny Elissonde who took the lead after Rein Taaramae crashed and lost time on Stage 5 could not keep up with the pace on the final climb.

He finished later than Roglic who despite not winning the stage gained enough time on Elissonde to take the overall race lead and the red jersey.

It means the defending champion from 2020 will be wearing the red jersey in Stage 7 on August 20. Jasper Philipsen having won two stages so far in the race, also retains the green jersey for leading the overall sprints points classification.