Stage 21: Las Rozas › Madrid – 104.8km
The Vuelta’s final stage is one for the sprinters. The topography offers very little in the way of launching pads for any enterprising attackers. The peloton will get off to a slow start, but the pace should be quite high on the Madrid circuit in preparation for a big bunch kick.
The sprint stages at this Vuelta have been distributed relatively evenly between potential winners, so there is no overwhelming favorite. I see four riders as having almost equal chances at winning. Gianni Meersman is probably my top pick, more because of his leadout than anything—his top speed is not the best, but Etixx teammates should be able to put him into a strong position in a final likely to put a high value on a good leadout train.
Jempy Drucker is another candidate for success based on the way he dominated the sprint that closed out Stage 16. If he can put that kind of speed on display again in Madrid, I wouldn’t expect anyone to beat him. That’s a big “if,” though.
Nikias Arndt has, since the start of the Vuelta, been the rider I figured to be the fastest in top form. He doesn’t appear to be in top form, but he’s shown signs of life recently and he’s taken some nice high-level wins already in his career, so a final-stage victory at the Vuelta would be no surprise.
Magnus Cort Nielsen‘s Stage 18 win was a surprise to me at the time, but given what he achieved there, he has to be a rider to watch as well. We’re still finding out what he can and can’t do, so it’s hard to predict anything for sure, but the potential for another stage win is there.
Jonas Van Genechten, Daniele Bennati, Rudiger Selig, Michael Schwarzmann, Fabio Felline, and Jens Keukeleire are others who may have a chance at the stage victory.
VeloHuman Stage 21 Favorites
1. Gianni Meersman | 2. Jempy Drucker | 3. Nikias Arndt