Louis Meintjes caps pretty successful summer with 12th at La Vuelta

The final stage of the Vuelta, the iconic sprinters’ run into Madrid, closed out the last Grand Tour of the season on Sunday, and saw UAE Team Emirates’ South African rider Louis Meintjes finish a creditable 12th in the overall General Classification (GC) standings. The result means that Meintjes can look back on a pretty successful summer for the up and coming GC rider, who’s eighth place finish in the Tour de France was a career highlight.

On the 21st and final race day of the Vuelta, Meintjes’ Italian teammate Sacha Modolo placed eighth in the stage that was ultimately won by Matteo Trentin of Quick-Step Floors. The overall GC title was taken by Chris Froome (Team Sky) who becomes the first ever British winner of La Vuelta and only the third rider in history to win the Spanish Grand Tour and the Tour de France in the same year.

Commenting on his 12th place in the GC and reflecting on a positive Vuelta for his team, UAE Team Emirates’ Louis Meintjes said: “I think it was a good Vuelta for the team. We got a stage win, a second place and I think we have been really visible. I finished 12th, obviously I always want to do better but it was a really good field and a very hard race. So I think we can be happy with the results. Personally I’m happy with my performances here and in France this summer – I’ve had two strong Grand Tours”

UAE Team Emirates will next compete at the Coppa Bernocchi in Italy on 14 September 2017.

Stage results stage 21
1 Matteo Trentin (Quick-Step Floors) 3h06’25”
2 Lorenzo Manzin (FDJ) s.t.
3 Soren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb) s.t.
8 Sacha Modolo (UAE Team Emirates) s.t.

General classification after stage 21
1 Chris Froome (Team Sky) 83h30’02”
2 Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) 2’15”
3 Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin) 2’51”
12 Louis Meintjes (UAE Team Emirates) 17’41”