Colombia-Coldeportes’ Vuelta a Espana continues in the name of aggressiveness. After the long breakaway of Carlos Julian Quintero’s in Saturday’s stage, it was Brayan Ramirez – the youngest rider in Sports Directors Valerio Tebaldi and Oscar Pellicioli’s Vuelta line-up – to show up in another tough mountain stage.

Differently from yesterday’s stage, the peloton did not leave chances to the breakaway, and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) managed to secure the stage win, getting to the line a few seconds ahead of Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Daniel Moreno (Katusha). Fourth place for Fabio Aru (Astana), who barely held on the overall leader’s jersey.

Brayan Ramirez also enjoyed his moment on the day’s podium, having been assigned the third combative rider award for the team in this Vuelta, after those won by Miguel Angel Rubiano and Carlos Julian Quintero: the red number moves from 65 to 66.

In spite of his young age, the 22-year-old rider from Bogotà managed to get in the day’s breakaway attempt, started after 40 fast and contested kilometers. He was joined in the action by Blel Kadri (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Ricardo Vilela (Caja Rural), Dominique Rollin (Cofidis), Nicolas Maes (Etixx-Quickstep), Nathnael Berhane (MTN-Qhubeka), Pierre Rolland (Europcar) and Maarten Tjallingii (LottoNL-Jumbo).

But this time Movistar clearly was not willing to let the breakaway get too far, with the intention of chasing the stage win with Nairo Quintana. Four minutes was the maximum advantage of the escapees, who tackled the final climb to Alto de Sotres with less than two minutes on the bunch.

With less than 11 km to go, it was Brayan Ramirez who attempted to leave the company of his more experienced breakaway companions, soon imitated by Haimar Zubeldia, who was the last one to eventually surrender to the peloton’s chase with 3 km to go. There started the toughest part of the climb, with gradients constantly over 10%, where Rodriguez moved on the offensive, managing to put some seconds between him and his GC rivals. Alex Cano, 21st, was the best Team Colombia-Coldeportes rider on the finishing line, 2.16 adrift, while Rodolfo Torres was 33rd at 5.26.

Tired but happy at the end of his first breakaway in his first Grand Tour, Brayan Ramirez said:

“Getting in the escape was not easy, there were plenty of teams working hard to go clear. I was not feeling at my best today, but I wish to thank my teammates for trusting me, and helping me into the break. It feels good to be awarded as the most combative riders, but it’s our goal to keep on battling and pursue the big result we are all working for.

“I was not feeling well at the beginning of the stage. I fought to be in the breakaway and to get that prize for the most aggressive rider of the day. Once you’re in front it’s different. I think I would have suffered more if I had been behind in the peloton. My team trusted me to get to the front even if I was still a little bit sick. We’re going to go on like this until the end of the Vuelta."

Tomorrow, Monday, it will be the eve of the Vuelta’s final rest day. Before of that, though, the riders will deal with one of the toughest rides of the whole race: stage 16, Luarca-Ermita de Alba. Quiros, 185 km with no less than seven categorized climbs. The last one, the final ascent to Alto Ermita de Alba, presents an 11,1% average gradient over 6,8 km, with peaks up to 22%.