Team DFP's Pavel Bittner reacts to winning Stage 5 of La Vuelta a Espana cycling tour, a 177 km race between Fuente del Maestre and Seville, on Aug. 21, 2024.CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/Getty Images
Czech cyclist Pavel Bittner sprinted to the biggest victory of his career as he won the fifth stage of the Spanish Vuelta in a photo finish on Wednesday, with Primoz Roglic staying in the overall lead.
Bittner edged out Wout van Aert on the line, with Kaden Groves third in a bunch sprint at the end of the relatively flat 177-kilometre route from Fuente del Maestre to Seville.
It was a first victory in a grand tour for the 21-year-old Bittner, who rides for DSM-Firmenich PostNL. He recorded his first professional wins only earlier this month with two stages at the Vuelta a Burgos.
Three-time Spanish Vuelta champion Roglic, who won Tuesday’s fourth stage, remained eight seconds ahead of Joao Almeida, with Enric Mas trailing Roglic by 32 seconds.
On another day of soaring temperatures, Txomin Juaristi and Ibon Ruiz got away with relative ease, building a lead of more than three minutes before they were gradually reeled back in.
The duo were caught with 38 kilometres remaining and the intensity ramped up as the peloton headed to the finish.
Groves’s Alpecin-Deceuninck team led out the sprint but he was caught out by Van Aert’s decision to open his effort from a long way out, with Bittner beating the Belgian thanks to a well-timed bike throw.
Canadian Michael Woods, who races for Israel-Premier Tech, finished in 77th place.
Thursday’s sixth stage sees the race return to the mountains with four categorized climbs on the 185.5-kilometre route from Jerez de la Frontera to Yunquera.
The 21-stage race finishes in Madrid on Sept. 8.