Michael Storer takes first stage win at 2021 La Vuelta a Espana

Western Australian rider Michael Storer took his first stage win after four seasons with Team DSM on Stage 7 of the 2021 La Vuelta a Espana on August 20.

Managing to stay in the breakaway for most of the stage and climbing better than the competition, Western Australian rider Michael Storer won his first Grand Tour stage and his first La Vuelta a Espana stage on Aug. 20.

Storer, Team EF Procycling’s Lawson Craddock and Team Ineos’ Pablo Sivakov formed a three-man breakaway during the tail end of the stage from Gandia to Balcon De Aliacante.

Despite Sivakov attacking several times, Storer managed to respond and Craddock at first kept up, dropped back, caught up, passed and then got dropped again as the final climb near the finish line started.

The climb at the Balcon De Aliacante proved to be tough for the breakaway riders as Team Movistar’s Carlos Verona who caught up to Sivakov and Storer attempted to keep pace with Storer moving away over the 14-degree steep section of the climb.

Michael Storer wins his first Grand Tour stage win

Storer, in front by only a few meters, at the end crossed the finish line first, in his first-ever Grand Tour stage win for Team DSM after four seasons with them.

He now joins several Western Australian riders who have set records and surprised fellow riders this year including Ben O’Connor who not only won a 2021 Tour de France stage but placed fourth in the Tour de France overall.

Verona finished second, Sivakov finished third with Sepp Kuss and Jack Haig coming fourth and fifth on the stage.

2021 La Vuelta a Espana current overall standings

In the overall standings, Australian rider Jack Haig is now two seconds ahead of American rider Sepp Kuss.

Primoz Roglic holds on to the red jersey and the overall lead by a mere eight seconds over Team Bora-Hansgrohe’s Felix Grosschartner, with Enric Mas in third place, Miguel Angel Lopez in fourth,  Jan Polanc in fifth and Egan Bernal in sixth.

Jack Haig and Sepp Kuss follow and then Aleksandr Vlasov and Adam Yates are ninth and tenth.

There were disappointments during the stage as well as an early crash left race favorite Team Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde injured and eventually abandoning the race.