Louis Meintjes heads to Madrid 12th in GC after penultimate stage 20

Stage 20 saw UAE Team Emirates’ South African rider Louis Meintjes move up two places in the GC to 12th after having crossed the finishing line in 15th at the end of a demanding climb up the iconic Angliru. Meintjes was supported by teammate Jan Polanc, who was part of the main breakaway of the day, when the gap was bridged by the GC contenders.

Alberto Contador (Spain) of Trek–Segafredo claimed the victory, with Chris Froome (Team Sky) retaining the Red Jersey to almost-certainly guarantee an historic GC win tomorrow.

Commenting on the stage, UAE Team Emirates General Classification (GC) specialist Louis Meintjes said: “The stage could’ve gone better, it was a bit crazy with the weather and I got caught behind in the split. The team really helped and Jan was a great support and helped me a lot on the final climb. This is the first time I have climbed the Angliru and it was a good experience. Hopefully the next time I do it the weather will be better.”

Tomorrow’s stage 21 could well be the most prestigious at the Vuelta, and is certainly the one that sprint specialists will be keen to win. Riders have endured three grueling weeks, including plenty of mountainous terrain, but tomorrow they will be greeted with smooth roads and flat surfaces as they arrive in the Spanish capital of Madrid to mark the end of the third Grand Tour of the 2017 season.

Stage 20 results
1 Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) 3h31’33”
2 Wout Poels (Team Sky) 17″
3 Chris Froome (Team Sky) s.t.
15 Louis Meintjes (UAE Team Emirates) 3’56”

General classification after stage 20
1 Chris Froome (Team Sky) 79h23’37”
2 Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) 2’15”
3 Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin) 2’51”
12 Louis Meintjes (UAE Team Emirates) 17’15”