Photo Credit: Cor Vos

After an intense day of all-out racing, Team DSM and Michael Storer doubled up at the Vuelta a España in spectacular fashion – with Storer and the team celebrating their second win of the race in Rincón de la Victoria.

With yesterday’s rest day behind them, the Vuelta a España peloton were back in action today for a 189 kilometre long stage from Roquetas de Mar to Rincón de la Victoria. Evidently well rested, it was a fierce start to the day with an infernal pace set at the front of the peloton as teams and riders looked to get clear, with Team DSM rotating well in covering the moves. Eventually after roughly 80 kilometres of racing the elastic snapped and a large 31 rider group featuring Thymen Arensman, Martijn Tusveld and Michael Storer broke clear.

Working well together and with the pace easing off in the peloton, the breakaway was able to extend their advantage to over 12 minutes as they headed into the first and only categorised climb of the day. Things became tactical and a four rider splinter group got clear, with Arensman riding strongly in the chase for the team to keep the gap close. On the lower slopes of the climb things regrouped and the attacks started again. Remaining calm, Tusveld and Arensman helped to position Storer who came to the fore as the gradient started to bite in the final four kilometres of the climb.

Pushing on at the front, Storer created a gap over the rest of the reduced breakaway, continuing to drive hard over the top of the ascent where he held onto a 15 second lead over Champoussin and 35 seconds over the group of chasers. Taking the sinuous descent perfectly he managed to extend the lead over Champoussin, who was joined by a few others, as the race charged towards the finish. Driving all the way under the flamme rouge, Storer sat up and soaked in the applause from the local crowds, putting his arms aloft to celebrate a brilliant second Vuelta win for Team DSM.

“It’s truly more unbelievable than the last time,” beamed Storer at the finish. “There was a massive fight for the breakaway. It was one of those epic days where it took 80 kilometres before it went and I was happy to get in there with the guys. I was feeling good on the last climb. We knew exactly what we needed to do today to win – to go on the attack. I looked to see how the rest of the guys in the group were doing and felt the moment, and just went for it and hoped for the best. We knew it was tight on the descent and that I had to go fast down there. I was happy with my descent and in the end it was just enough to hold on. I dreamt of one stage win at this Vuelta and now to have two after ten days of racing; it’s unbelievable. The guys did a perfect job to set me up for this today. We didn’t put a foot wrong. This is for all of us.”

Team DSM coach Matt Winston continued: “Our goal was to have guys in the break again, ready for the final, and we did a really good job. It took a long, long time for the breakaway to go and when it went we had three guys in there. We knew that Storer was in really good shape and looked after him in the breakaway. A small group went away and Thymen and Martijn did a brilliant job to bring him back into contention ready for the final climb. We said that he had to attack early to make the difference as we weren’t going to win a sprint so we had to go early and make that difference on the climb. That’s exactly what we did and Michael executed the plan perfectly. The guys kept chasing behind but Michael kept the pressure on and took a really nice second victory for us, and we once again showed a really strong display of teamwork.”